The June 2023 Issue of Substance

Contact Substance | Suggestions (email)

We were forced to suspend subscriptions to our print edition a year ago, and after wishing we could get back into print have finally admitted that we can only continue as an online publication. Therefore, readers can no longer subscribe to Substance on paper, but those who wish to donate will be thanked.

Substance News editorship returns to Schmidt family

Steinmetz High School teacher Sharon Schmidt, the widow of Substance founder and long-time editor George Schmidt, has returned to edit Substance beginning May 1, 2023. She had previously served as editor from October 2018 through . . .


Avoiding Deenan's crap

I often read the other side and thank Szalai for helping me avoid Deneen's crap. I live 25 miles from the Middlebury College he so decries – in a rural village, where, I'd tell him, . . .


A tale of two teachers unions: Comparing the influence of progressive CTU with tepid UFT

I was asked to write an article for New York monthly The Indypendent on the differences between the left wing teacher unions in Chicago and Los Angeles compared to the UFT. I didn't have the . . .


How Illinois cut teacher and public worker pensions without a fight

[This article was originally published on May 23 at Second City Teachers.]

The typical deal that screws working people and benefits the rich in Springfield gets done behind closed doors.

Former Illinois . . .


CTU beginning Tier Two pension fight that divides teachers union

[This article was originally published in Second City Teachers.]

I was in Springfield on April 27 for a lobbying day organized by the CTU. The main thrust of our visit was to contact . . .


CTU communications regarding Tier Two pension history

[The following article was published by CTU Communications on Sept. 16, 2022, and titled "You deserve your retirement. Let’s fix Tier Two and anti-teacher social security provisions."]

Everyone deserves a secure retirement, especially those . . .


We were forced to suspend subscriptions to our print edition a year ago, and after wishing we could get back into print have finally admitted that we can only continue as an online publication. Therefore, readers can no longer subscribe to Substance on paper, but those who wish to donate will be thanked.

Contact Substance | Suggestions (email)