Chicago Public Schools chief fires back at Gov. Rauner

Chicago Public Schools' CEO Forrest Claypool lashed back at Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday, saying the governor's recent assertion that Mayor Rahm Emanuel was causing a crisis at the school district was "a statement of 'Alice in Wonderland' absurdity."

"The governor is not holding up school funding for predominantly white school districts in the rest of the state in order to achieve his political agenda, he is not holding them hostage — he is only holding hostage our students," Claypool said.

Claypool's latest condemnation of the Republican governor came during a school board meeting where Chicago Teachers Union and other officials demanded details on the district's threat to end the school year about three weeks early if it can't get help from the state.

CPS is suing Rauner over what the district says is a discriminatory state education funding system. Rauner on Tuesday said Emanuel had caused a crisis at the district with a demand the state pay $215 million in teacher pension costs to avoid an early end to the school year

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