As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.
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In the News: Arbitrator's report could strengthen CTU
By: Cassandra West / July 17, 2012
An arbitrator's recommendation that Chicago teachers get raises starting at nearly 15 percent gives union officials additional leverage and could embolden them to press harder on nonmonetary issues, said experts in education and labor Monday, the Tribune reported.
At a media briefing on Monday, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis accused CPS of improperly leaking the results of a fact-finding report to the press. (Catalyst)
Edwin Howard Benn, a Glencoe attorney and the arbitrator in talks between the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools, has a long history of mediating disputes involving all kinds of employees, including police, firefighters, transit workers, hockey players, fight attendants and electricians. (Sun-Times)
Scores on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test inched up in the 2011-2012 school year, but less than in previous years, while the administration’s signature initiative to lengthen the school day showed little impact. (Catalyst)
The University of Illinois will offer seven free online courses this fall, in subjects including organic chemistry, microeconomics and programming for smartphones. (Tribune)
IN THE STATE
Springfield students at 17 schools in the Springfield School District and at one Catholic school will receive more fresh fruit and vegetables after being selected to participate in the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.
IN THE NATION
New data on teacher absenteeism is causing schools to re-examine their use of substitute teachers. (Education Week)
More than 35 complaints have been filed with the U.S. Department of Education against Detroit Public Schools, accusing the district of a range of failures, from not meeting the educational needs of bilingual students to pulling effective principals out of buildings. (The Detroit News)
What were they thinking?
How could Rahm's highly-paid team have miscalculated so egregiously? And how about those DFER/SFC commercials urging teachers to wait for the fact-finder's report?
Okay. It's here. And Mr. Benn seems to be in sync with the results of polls done earlier showing the public agrees teachers should be compensated for working longer days/year.
Rahm is going to have to give up his Longest School Day. Even if the Board could afford the teacher price tag, a better school day is going to cost more than just teacher compensation. Had that $130 million CPS brass lauded themselves for making available for principal flexibility been additional monies (rather than robbing from Peter to pay Paul), it might have made a difference. But that's not the case. Rahm never intended to pay for his LSD/Y--just command it be done.
The biggest miscalculation of all? That teachers and school workers would just lie still and take it. Thanks for waking the sleeping giant.
No Celebrations Here
I know not a single teacher who is gloating or celebrating this fact-finding report. There is, however, a massive sense of relief that we might finally get down to hammering out a collaborative agreement, something it appears would not have happened without a reality shock to the CPS administration and the mayor.
Rahm has golden opportunity here to be forgiving to/of teachers
and CTU. (He needs to be forgiven, but he will never get that.)
He will need to scale back and accept what did not work, even if he cannot understand what he did wrong--or face what he did wrong, including his CPS CEO, Vitale and Cawley team . (Cawley runs CPS.)
Even if they work it out for 1 yr and keep talking-this will make him look better and build a little trust.
That said, be prepared for Rahm to stay on the dark side. It takes a courageous leader to work this out and we have seen none of this in him or the CPS team.
As for the Trib--they were saying wait for the report, wait for the report--they get it and now say throw it away. You guys at Trib editorial r goofs!
CTU better not back down!!
Now that the arbitrator recommends a 15% raise, the CTU better fight tooth and nail to get as close to that number as possible. According to SB7 the teacher salary is the only thing we can fight for. And if the CTU negotiates anything smaller than 12% I'll be the first to say get rid of all of them (CTU)!! We knew coming to the table that we wouldn't get the 30% CTU was asking for but 15% is right down the middle and is half of what CTU proposed. I don't want to hear anything about compensating us in other ways. Give us our fair pay. The mayor just raised the property tax in Cook County a few weeks ago. There will be money to give raises. Karen and the leadership might have also found themselves in a rabbit hole. The CTU is ready to strike. We're angry and the CTU better do the right thing or they'll find themselves voted right out of office just like the former CTU president Marilyn Stewart.
There's a great article in the Sun Times
According to the leaked reports by CPS, Edwin Benn, the independent arbitrator went outside of the scope of his duties when he tied the longer day to a 12.6 percent raise in year one and combined it with a 2.25 percent cost-of-living hike and another 3.41 for extra years of experience. Edwin Benn is recommending, over four years, that raises total 35.7 %.
Rahm said: I want a longer
Rahm said: I want a longer school day.
Teachers said: We want a better school day.
Parents (taxpayers) asked: How are you going to pay for it?
Rahm said: I want a longer school day.
Rahm thought: SB7 is the key!
Teachers thought: (98%) we don't think so.
Brizard said: Trust the process
Members said: You trust the process
Fact finder found: increase the work day means you pay
Moral of the story: out-of-town millionaire reformers may make the policy but don't make the change.
Rahm, you said it: public sector employees work for the public, you dear sir, work for us.
Now is the time for an elected school board and stop mayoral control. Haven't we had enough?
Rahm, gathering his Ultimatists, will go to the dark side-watch
Fact finder Edwin Benn found that CPS “caused this problem by lengthening the school day and year to the extent it did when it was having serious budget problems,’’ according to a copy of Benn’s long-awaited report reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times.
“The board cannot realistically expect that it should not have to compensate employees for the problem it caused by an almost 20 percent increase for the employees’ work time.
“Because the Board has the authority to set the length of the school day and year, as an alternative, the Board can reduce its costs by correspondingly reducing the length of the school day and/or year.’’
Benn described the talks between CPS and the union as “toxic.”
Longer School Day; Pay or Forget It
So does this mean for those of us who return back to work on the 6th of August we will get our 15% pay raise for working the longer school day? Or do we work the regular hours until further notice? Looks like Rahm & Co. made a bet that they would come out on top with Mr. Benn listening to all of their whinning. Looks like that they over played their hand.
Let teachers run a 15 minute recess for their students, then
reduce the day by 15 minutes. Heard that there were schools that proposed this, but CEO rejected it. There is a reason CPS called it LSD in the beginning. Y'all on somethin'.
What bothers me about Brizard is not just literally out of town
--he is figuratively too. His general absence -did he not think this would be a 24/7 job? Well it is for (his) principals and assistant principals! His punishing of them with ALL the extra work and protocols and emails and copying and lack of professional development, and taking our days and lack of willingness to listen means he should have to do the same.
Mr. Brizard, have you completed Modular 2 yet? Bet you don't even take it. Bounded autonomy--my ars.
The guy is getting paid as high as he is for what? To bring in a $21,500 a month education consultant. Or is he just a very expensive mouthpiece?
Rahm-did you think his appointment by you would appease Chicago minorities--you think we are that dumb that we do not look for substance in a person? That we do not expect to be treated as professionals when we have earned it? We are not doing it for the pay-wake up! Brizard is your Sara Palin, Rahm. DO something about this!
If principals-assistant principals took a vote, would the CEO
receive a vote of no confidence?
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