Election for Chicago teacher pension trustees results in four of five CTU endorsed candidates returned to CTPF Board of Trustees...
The election for trustees of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) resulted in the election of four of the five endorsed candidates supported by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). The two teacher trustees, Lois Ashford and Jay Rehak, were returned to the trustees. The three retiree trustees (Mary Sharon Reilly, Bob Bures, and Walter Pilditch) were re-elected. The CTU had endorsed Lois Nelson, a retired teacher and CTU delegate, but the delay in contacting the voters on behalf of the CTU candidates resulted in a loss for one of them.
The Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of 12 trustees. Six of the trustees are elected by active duty teachers; three by retirees. The election of the majority guarantees democracy. The three other trustees, two members of the Board of Education and a principal, are selected.
There are now more retiree voters than any other group. According to retiree trustees, there were almost 25,000 eligible voters voting for the retiree trustees. For the first time in Chicago Public Schools history, the majority of the "annuitants" are now retired teachers. The retired teachers including retired principals and administrators. Voting for the teacher trustees is done by the high school and elementary teachers who are actively working in the schools, along with substitute teachers and other teacher certificated workers in the CPS schools. Charter school teachers who are members of the CTPF (not all are) are also eligible to vote.
For the first time this year, voting for teacher trustees was done electronically, although it had not been field tested and previous voting had been by paper ballots in the schools. As a result, the voting for teacher trustees was the lowest percentage in history.
Retiree voters were able to vote electronically or by mail. The vast majority voted by mail (including this voter).
The official vote totals for pensioner trustees follow:
Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund 2015 Pensioner-Trustee Election Final Vote Summary - November 10, 2015
PENSIONER TRUSTEE Vote for 3
Robert F. Bures 5,545
Ivry James Hobbs 2,521
Patricia B. Kubistal 2,641
Lois Nelson 3,864
Walter Pilditch 7,473
Mary Sharon Reilly 6,212
Election Summary Total Returns by Internet 935 9.59%
Total Returns by Mail 8,811 90.41% Total Returns 9,746 100.00%
Total Ballots Distributed 25,164
Percent Returned 38.73%
