Chicago Public Schools head Jean-Claude Brizard advocated for directing public money to private schools and called those who support CPS school closings and turnarounds the "silent majority" at a talk yesterday before the Economic Club of Chicago. Brizard said he was for public money being routed to private and parochial schools if parents choose those schools. "It doesn't make sense," Brizard said, that a parent's property tax dollars go to their neighborhood public school, if said parent sends their child to a private alternative.

This sounds like Brizard is for school vouchers, where parents apply a voucher toward tuition at a private school. However, a CPS spokeswoman later clarified that Brizard was not, in fact, recommending a voucher program for Chicago or Illinois.

Also at the talk, Brizard called the parents, Local School Council members, teachers, and community groups who protested 17 CPS school closings and turnarounds the "vocal minority." Channeling Richard Nixon, Brizard said that the "silent majority" supported CPS's school actions.