West Cook News

Two Roosevelt University professors who also serve on the Oak Park and River Forest High School school board were caught on an open Zoom call bragging about how they promote Marxist re-organization of American society to their college students.

Talking before the start of OPRF's Feb. 26 board meeting on a live microphone, Gina Harris and Ralph Martire said they were proud to advocate for so-called "social justice" Marxist economic concepts.

“I mean, it’s all social justice. All day, every day, I get to talk about the things I love. I’m really living the life over here,” Harris said. 

She called social justice “a part of everything," adding that she was teaching "middle school theory and practice" to future K-12 teachers at Roosevelt.

Martire, a Roosevelt professor of public policy and public administration, said the way he views government budgets is through a lens on how use them to "organize society." 

"Yeah. I always flip out the kids that take my master's class on fiscal policy and public budgets within the first three or four classes are devoted to philosophy of social justice and how you organize society. We don't talk about one, you know, budgetary item. They're like, Oh, man. Professor Martire, this is a really weird way to teach a budget." 

"If you don't understand your values, you can't allocate resources among public priorities that are scarce, but all needed. Right?" Martire said. 

That was when someone on the call told them the mic was live.

"Just so you guys know, you're out there, you're on the mic in the auditorium," an unknown speaker said.

The duo both hold duel roles as school board members and in positions of power. 

Harris, in addition to teaching at Maywood Elementary, is a liaison officer between the nation's largest teacher's union, the National Education Association, as well as its state affiliate the Illinois Education Association. 

Martire, a lobbyist, runs the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, an economic "think tank" funded by the state's public employee unions. It advocates in Springfield for higher taxes, more debt and spending and higher government employee salaries.

Martire has written a union-friendly K-12 bills. In his 2019 run for school board Martire was criticized for what some believed were conflicts of interest.

Martire said Harris, who is new to Roosevelt, will "fit in well" due to the institution's embrace of Marxist economic theory.

“It’s a great place. I’m so glad you’re there too. You fit in so well with their, you know, the university’s philosophy and mission,” he said.

When the duo were informed that they were on the mic in the auditorium and that others could hear their discussions, Harris said “We’re cool with that, we’re loving consumers. Yes. Okay, well, anyway, I am, because this is now officially like hybrid. We are officially hybrid.”

Harris has described herself as “a restorative justice practitioner and peacemaker.”

Her paid teacher's union work drew attention during her first run for school board.

“The practice of electing not only teacher union members but retired superintendents and family members to school boards is becoming a common practice in Illinois,” Lennie Jarratt, project manager at the Center for Transforming Education at The Heartland Institute, told the West Cook News. “And it presents a very high conflict of interest in board decisions and negotiations. Not only does it encourage above-normal pay increases and benefits, it allows corruption and nepotism to flourish.”

She's also been part of the "America to Me" documentary series.

See the transcript of the conversation below:

Ralph Martire [00:00:03] Gina, you teaching at Roosevelt this semester?

Gina Harris [00:00:08] Yes, Ralph, I am great.

Ralph Martire [00:00:10] What are you teaching?

Gina Harris [00:00:11] Well, I'm teaching middle school theory and practice, basically.

Ralph Martire [00:00:15] Excellent.

Gina Harris [00:00:16] Yeah, it's quite wonderful.

Ralph Martire [00:00:18] I love the university. I just do

Gina Harris [00:00:21] I have to say I do, too.

Ralph Martire [00:00:24] Yeah. It's a great place. I'm so glad you're there to you fit in so well with their, you know, the university's philosophy and mission. Right.

Gina Harris [00:00:33] I mean, it's all social justice. All day, every day I get to talk about all the things I love all the

Ralph Martire [00:00:37] time, all day, every day, all day

Gina Harris [00:00:40] of the day, all night of my night classes when I'm here. I mean, really, I'm living the life over here.

Ralph Martire [00:00:48] Yeah. I always flip out the kids that take my master's class on fiscal policy and public budgets within the first three or four classes are devoted to philosophy of social justice and how you organize society. We don't talk about one, you know, budgetary item. They're like, Oh, man. Professor Martire, this is a really weird way to teach a budget.

Gina Harris [00:01:14] Now it's part of everything, right, what a foundation,

Ralph Martire [00:01:18] if you don't understand your values, you can't allocate resources among public priorities that are scarce, but all needed. Right? Someone just so you guys know, you're out there, you're on the mic in the auditorium, OK?

Gina Harris [00:01:38] You're cool with that. Thank you. We're cool with that. We're loving consumers. Yes. OK, well, anyway, I am, because now this is officially, officially like hybrid. We are officially hybrid. Some of us are at home zooming in.