As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.
Join the conversation
We encourage our readers to leave comments and engage in dialogue about our stories. But before you do, please check out our "rules of the road."
Recent Notebook Entries
Right Now On Notebook
By:
By:
Subscribe to catalyst-chicago.org by e-mail
Other Blogs
catalyst-chicago.org feeds
Current Issue
On the eve of union strike vote, battle lines are drawn
By: Rebecca Harris / June 05, 2012
As the Chicago Teachers Union prepares to poll teachers on whether to authorize a potential strike, parent groups and officials around the city are coalescing on different sides of the issue.
Voting hours at each school will be set by delegates, says CTU spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin. At King College Prep, where union President Karen Lewis is making an appearance, polls will open at 6:30am.
Delegates at each school will be responsible for rounding up teachers to vote and collecting the ballots, which are cast secretly and put into an envelope. Polls will open no earlier than 6 a.m., close when school starts, and reopen after school -- closing by 5 p.m.
But after teachers go home for the day, it’s anyone’s guess how long voting will continue. Union officials say the election will go until there is a clear result and at this point they expect that to happen by Friday.
There have been at least three teacher strikes in Illinois so far this year. According to Illinois State Board of Education spokeswoman Mary Fergus, there were two the year before, three in 2009-10, one in 2008-09, and six in 2007-08.
SB7 raised the threshold for a strike authorization vote in Chicago to 75 percent of all members. But the law does not specify the timing of a vote, and the union is conducting the vote over multiple days to increase participation before teachers depart on summer break.
Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard wrote in a letter to teachers Tuesday that they deserve a raise, but that the district can't afford the consecutive 24 percent and 5 percent raises proposed by CTU.
Brizard wrote that having a vote before fact-finding is complete "undermines the spirit and intent of the law." (The union has countered by saying that in addition to the compensation questions dealt with in fact-finding, it still needs to bargain with CPS over issues like class size and resources.) He suggested that instead, teachers could hold the strike authorization vote in August, during the week of professional development before students show up.
In addition, Brizard accused the union of misleading teachers about the district's offer. CPS has set up a web page in an effort to "set the facts straight" on the issue.
The letter also argues that retiring and resigning teachers, who are union members this year but won't be by fall, should not be allowed to skew the vote.
The parent group Raise Your Hand, a frequent union ally whose board member Matt Farmer dressed down Chicago Board of Education member Penny Pritzker at a recent Chicago Teachers Union rally, is planning a panel to help parents grapple with the vote’s aftermath. Titled “Changes and Challenges at CPS,” it will focus on “the parent-teacher connection during tough times,” according to outreach material.
Others are voicing their opposition to the vote taking place. The aldermen who chair the city’s Black and Latino Caucuses sent a letter to the union urging leaders to “hit the pause button” on the vote until a legally mandated three-member fact-finding panel proposes a compromise in mid-July, saying that it is “impulsive” to hold the vote so soon.
“We strongly feel that CTU’s recent actions are premature and hinder our children and families throughout the City,” the letter states. “We find it extremely disappointing that CTU is unwilling to finish this process.”
Also among the opposition to the vote are education advocacy groups Stand for Children and Democrats for Education Reform.
Stand for Children Illinois is sending organizers to Chicago neighborhoods to talk with parents about the vote and ask them to sign a petition urging compromise, says Executive Director Mary Anderson.
“We want parents to be able to have that information so they can make a decision for themselves about what their stand is on the negotiations,” Anderson says.
On Monday, Democrats for Education Reform rolled out ads on general-market, Latino and African-American radio stations that feature two women talking about the strike authorization vote.
The radio spot urges parents to text Democrats for Education Reform in order to sign an electronic petition against the vote, and supporting a CTU-CPS compromise. “Maybe if they hear from enough parents, they’ll do right by the kids,” it states.
Rebeca Nieves Huffman, the group’s Illinois director, says many parents are concerned that CTU appears to be making a “beeline” for a strike.
“The data will be used to display that there is support for a compromise. (We want) both sides to look at that and reach an agreement,” she says.
This article has been updated to correct an error in data on the number of teacher strikes so far this school year.
Strike, Strike, Strike!
CTU members, vote strike!
Lets get ready to Rummmmble!!
Did anybody see CEO Buzzard all over the news this morning looking and sounding like a paranoid freak?? He bounced around every channel attempting to sway people not to vote tomorrow and urged CTU memebrs to put the best interest of the children first. I'm convinced more and more that Rham and Buzzard are educated space cadets. They didn't play far when they attempted to get schools to support the longer school day by offering them money and making threats to those who didnt buy in. They stripped us of our raise last year only to offer us 2% for the first year of the new contract. Puuuhlease!! Let's go CTU!!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
VOTE TO AUTHOIRIZE A STRIKE!!
yes
time to make the ballerina dance!
CTU Members--many principals and assistant principals are
behind you. We have no union and they have been and continue peeling us like onions with no stopping it. JC has been totally disrespectful towards us and you--Example, his mandatory meeting today, which took HOURS to get to and from Chicago State, was nothing but platitudes with no substance. Other than saying Vallas talks a lot, (trying to be funny). There was nothing that guaranteed any support for any power point section presented. It even had grammatical errors! A webinar would have been fine. Since you have someone driving you around, you do not worry about traffic or that you have to leave your school when all the summer bridge letters had to go out today and unhappy parents are waiting to see you, not the CEO. You tell them you cannot meet with them due to the CEO mandatory meeting. You see, NO understanding of what is happening in our schools right now. CEO always says he was a teacher and comes from a family of teachers--well, I bet they would vote on Wednesday to strike! We are sick of the lies and the rip-offs. Good luck these next few days.
Seems pretty clear
So on the one side we have parents, educators, and they forgot to mention the students who seem to roundly support what we are doing.
On the other side we have millionaires from other states, the corrupt leadership of our city, lying leader of our district and some random corrupt politicians.
Which side should you support? Seems pretty clear.
yes on strike, but CTU don't make Rahm's mistake
I hope CTU votes for a strike this week and forces concessions from the Mayor. However, I hope CTU remembers that Rahm got into this situation by overplaying his hand after SB7 and thinking a strike was virtually impossible. Here's hoping CTU doesn't mirror Rahm's arrogance and overplay its hand. The citizens will be for you in a strike for about 2 maybe 3 weeks, but after that the tables will start to turn against you in the court of public opinion, particularly if Rahm starts to make concessions and look like he is meeting you in the middle. If the strike goes on more than a month expect the state legislature to step in and do something more punitive than SB7. This new bill will really make it impossible for CTU to strike in the future.
So be strong CTU but remember hubris is not strength. Get half a loaf and a little more and then organize for the next mayoral election.
A Strike is not the answer for students, teachers or CPS
It is important for teachers to ahve enough time to enjoy teaching the students/ at least have the same hours that other teachers have in other states. This change has been TOO long in coming.
Educators need to rationally talk and do what is best for students ... if you do not want to do this LEAVE and do something else ... there are enough teachers out there that will take your place, enjoy the job, NOT STRIKE & do what is best for students & the teaching profession in CPS.
Do what you are called to do. TEACH. ENJOY!
Please do not STRIKE }~:
Glad you have retired!
The person in your job as principal is so busy deciding wwhat is the best curriculum and is so grateful to have the time necessary to insure ALL students in the school
have enough time to have guided practice, modelled lessons., hands on materials & does not have time to consider a strike which is a HUGE injustice to Students, Teachers, and CPS; this is an opprtunity to embrace good change & insure that every CPS school is moving in the direction of being a model of good education. I believe CTU has a heart, good common sense and realises ... things cannot remainas they were & that the time to change for the better is NOW.
Enjoy your retirement.
NO VOTE to STRIKEuntil you can spellAUTHORIZE correctly 12 times
For years the teachers in the Chicago Public School district have worked less hours than other teachers in the nation. So it is time to get real; respect yourself and get on board with what is best for students, teachers, & CPS ... let us talk about the expectation of every lesson taught during the day (should it be outcome based with modeling and guided practice?)
Let's talk about improving the curriculum across the whole CPS district and wat kind of initiative it would take to make EVERY CPS School a model of excellence ... there is NO time to strike ... there is change that needs to made & work and effort to take this opprtunity to make CPS GREAT ... what is the strike for? will it it help students/ teachers/ CPS?
I think not.
Vote YES to Strike Authorization!
Teachers, parents and students are against the present status quo. Mayoral control has failed and the leadership running CPS has no credibility both locally and professionally. I understand why Brizard received a 95% no confidence vote in his former school district. He has no clue and follows the script of his handlers. If you can cite in any peer reviewed educational journal of any systematic authentic reform initiative dealing with neighborhood schools, please post a link. You can't, because CPS leadership has only ONE PLAN, the continuation of REN 2010. Catalyst "reporters" are not critical and help enable the charade to continue. That is criminal.
Without evidence, qualitative research, or data, to back their arguments, hmmmm sorry, the trolls just make dumb statements. CPS has an army of 28 spewing lies, and the same darn lies over and over again. Ask these trolls for hard evidence/ data and they change the subject! Why! Vote YES to strike authorization!
Who do you represent?????
Don't lecture us about our self interest you CPS TROLL!!!!
Where were you when CPS cut AP tutoring to zero??? Where were you as we had to waste ANOTHER day on standardized tests for the board's half-thought out attempt to unilaterally force us to accept "differentiated pay"? Where were you when public schools were closed, "turned around" by a disingenuous AUSL, to privatize PUBLIC education. Where will you be when the billionaires lose their interest in the latest charitable fad??? I'll still be teaching my students, as they travel across gang infested neighborhoods fighting against the odds to succeed, in spite of people like you, probably a TFA twenty-something who put in your two years of time and now work for an educational reform advocacy group, like Stand ON Children. Come to my school, to my classroom, let's see you teach our kids...
C.A.U.S.E. Supports the Strike Authorization Vote-Vote YES
After careful consideration and deliberation, we are happy to announce that our CAUSE members who consist of displaced, working, non-union and union teachers as well as parents and LSC members, support teacher's right to vote YES on the strike authorization vote. This is our official stance.
B-I-T-E M-E
People like you are nut jobs and all the more reason for us to AUTHORIZE A STRIKE VOTE. Perhaps you didn't take your Risperdal today and became obsessed with numbers and letters.
Lets go CTU........
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = Hitler = culture of fear
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = Hitler = culture of fear
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = Hitler = culture of fear
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = Hitler = culture of fear
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = Hitler = culture of fear
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = Hitler = culture of fear
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = Hitler = culture of fear
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = Hitler = culture of fear
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = Hitler = culture of fear
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = educational holocaust
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = educational holocaust
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = educational holocaust
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = educational holocaust
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = educational holocaust
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = educational holocaust
AUTHORIZE VOTE TO STRIKE!!! CPS = educational holocaust
Critical correction: ISBE wrong, CTU right
Ms. Harris, I greatly respect your work.
I was concerned that you may have been taken in by ISBE giving you a false quote either through ignorance or for political purposes.
There have been many more than one strike so far this school year. Here's a Trib article on the issue that quote ISBE saying that there have been 14 days lost to strikes (so at least two strikes):
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-01-11/news/ct-met-zion-teachers-...
Here's details on the Rockford strike that happened later:
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x221018707/Rockford-teachers-on-strike-We-wan...
It also cites the three strikes. So there have already been more strikes under SB7 this year than last year.
So President Lewis was correct in her assertion. Could you issue a correction? I hope Ms. Fergus does the same.
Why A Troll
I wish I had your 8month for 12 month's pay job. Strike and watch CPS make up the funds by saving the money not paid to you during a strike. Karen will not take a pay stoppage and the union should not until all options are on the table.
Observer
So, now you wish you had my job? 15 years ago, when I first got into teaching my co-workers at the Board of Trade laughed and said, "oh, yeah, that's where the money's at." If you want to be a teacher, be a teacher. Get your certification, pass your criminal background check and get a job in the CPS. Because if it is such a cushy job, you should actually do it instead of just talking about it! But, really, it is just a heck of a lot easier to spout off without rally knowing what you are talking about.
Sorry, but I LOVE my job and
Sorry, but I LOVE my job and that is why I voted yes. As a teacher and parent I want a BETTER day, it is not about the money. I will give up pay for smaller class size, air conditioning, technology, books, a rich curriculum. Misinformed teachers need to leave the system, educate yourself before making nonsense comments.
Correction on number of strikes
Xian, thank you for pointing out the issue with the data on the number of strikes. I am going to correct the article now.
Rebecca
OBSERVER
Our summer money is already earned. they "keep" it and must give it to us ...BECAUSE IT IS ALREADY EARNED....get your facts straight! and hey...BE A TEACHER IF ITS SO EASY AND CUSHY!!
Advice to CEO Brizard regarding your boss:
Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities. Voltaire
Thank You
We're happy to have the support of all of C.A.U.S.E's members. The support of both of you means a lot to us.
Astroturf groups will cash in now that Wisconsin is history
One of the cool things about now is that the Astroturf groups, grouplets, and zygotes (pre-embryonic) will now be able to call in to the Koch brothers and everyone else who is promoting the national union busting and teacher bashing agenda and cash in. If they play their cards right, like Stand for Children did when it birthed itself in Illinois between September and December 2010, they might even begin their "grass roots" work with three or four million dollars in the bank (yes, that's how much Stand for Children brought in for its work on SB7 and related "reform" stuff during its first 150 days of Illinois existence; by the time they had a Chicago office and telephone number they already had a couple of million in the bank).
What I'm looking forward to is all the new grouplets that will come around to cash in, too, and how Catalyst, that "independent" voice of corporate school reform, will quote someone from each of them without any inkling of their corporate pedigrees or donor dollars.
Just for those who are studying puta-reporting 101 for this round, read closely the above article.
The quote from "Raise Your Hand" indicates that "Raise Your Hand" is allied with the union and includes Matt Farmer, who spoke at the union's May 23 rally.
Fair enough.
But later in the same article, Catalyst quotes Stand for Children and Democrats for Education Reform without noticing the funding source or the background of any of that.
That's "independent" school reform reporting Chicago style in 2012. Look for more of it in the coming months. And save and savor these moments, since they will provide reading materials for years in how to do corporate propaganda while hiding behind the fig leaf of "independence."
Add your comment