Chicago Teachers Union president suggests children belong to the school system

Davis Gates cited James Baldwin, a prominent writer and civil rights activist.

Davis Gates went on to say, "'CTU thinks all children belong to it. And they're a socialist conspiracy ideology.' Well, I don't know about all that, but we like children. We educate them, we nurture them, we protect them, we support them, we negotiate for them, we create space for them. We even have them in our homes."

The Chicago Teachers Union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Culture Project and school choice advocate, told Fox News Digital that Chicago's public school system is performing poorly.

"The irony is glaring: if the CTU were a parent, it would lose custody for educational neglect and abuse, given the catastrophic failure of Chicago's public schools," DeAngelis said.

Davis Gates' remarks and CTU contract demands came amid Chicago's enrollment crisis. The Windy City currently faces enrollment struggles with a high price tag for the small number of students attending class.

The Chicago Teachers Union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.