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: No deal, CTU strike continues
By: Cassandra West / September 11, 2012
After resuming negotiations Monday and failing to reach an agreement, Chicago teachers will spend a second day on the picket line Tuesday.
The walkout by Chicago teachers represents a major test of leadership for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who faces a pair of potentially contradictory challenges: winning the public relations battle against the Chicago Teachers Union and settling the strike. (Tribune)
After spending much of Monday at the negotiating table, school board president David Vitale said he believes the two sides are close and could hammer out a deal quickly. (ABC7)
Key issues separating Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union. (Tribune)
The high-stakes strike by 26,000 public school teachers in Chicago is only the latest episode in which the nation’s teachers’ unions have been thrown on the defensive in the face of demands for far-reaching changes, writes Steven Greenhouse of The New York Times.
"In Chicago, It’s a Mess, All Right," according to New York Times op-ed columnist Joe Nocera, who sees the U.S. as being "truly in the midst of an education crisis."
Everything you need to know about the Chicago teachers’ strike, in one post, according to The Washington Post, that is.
Twitter continues to be a window through which to see how the teachers strike is playing out on the streets and with the public. Here's a selection of tweets from this morning:
7:27 A.M.: RT @AFTunion: Text STRIKE to 69238 to show solidarity with Chicago educators and receive periodic updates. #FairContractNow #CTUStrike
7:26 A.M.: Day 2 of #CTUstrike out here w/ #YatesElementary #MoosElementary #VonHumboldt talking politics & swigging coffee. #FairContractNow
7:24 A.M.: the city is alive this morning and class IS in session. lesson 1: always stand up and fight for what's right. @CTULocal1 #FairContractNow
7:12 A.M.: Preparing for today's fight for a #FairContractNow pic.twitter.com/YFWIHYf4
7:03 A.M.: Good morning to my precious chicago teachers. Solidarity. Fight continues. #FairContractN
IN THE NATION
Louisiana is gearing up to open a new front in its push to expand educational choice, essentially creating a marketplace that lets students shop around for publicly funded courses—both online and face-to-face—beyond their schoolhouse doors. (Education Week)
Student enrollment in Fairfax County (Va.) schools surged past 180,000 for the first time as classes resumed Tuesday, a development that poses major logistical and academic challenges for the region’s largest school system. (The Washington Post)
In a study of 38 of the world's leading economies, the United States ranks 28th in the share of 4-year-olds attending preschool. (Education Week)
Principal Letter?
did anyone see the principal letter saying they have the hiring decision? i want to see a copy!!!
Last night's panel on Chicago Tonight
I think it is important that parents, teachers, and other concerned individuals take some time and sit down and watch last night's Chicago Tonight panel discussion on the relationship between SB7 and the current Chicago Teachers Union strike (http://video.wttw.com/video/2277568013).
By way of disclosure I formally lobbied against this bill (I am a registered lobbyist and my ID is 7443) at every level from committee level to the floor and it passed with virtually no votes against it. It was not one of my more effective lobbying efforts to say the least, but it was one which I was glad I did, and was also an issue I was glad Access Living believed was important to the future of the education of students with disabilities in Chicago.
Our position on this bill was to be honest somewhat self serving, which I guess is what lobbying is all about. We believed and continue to believe that the CTU should have the legal ability to fight contractually for smaller class sizes for students with disabilities, this bill along with prior legislation effectively made it illegal for the CTU to do this if the CPS exercised its option not to bargain over this (which it now has) and numerous other issues identified in the law. In our never ending fight for children with disabilities, who are collectively the lowest performing of all subgroups, the more potential allies we can have over issues relating to these students the better as far as we are concerned. It doesn't mean we will agree with either the CTU or IFT or every thing, in fact we don't, but on this issue we agreed.
But, back to the Chicago Tonight program. Carol Marin led the discussion and most readers of Catalyst are familiar with her, but in case you are not she is the political columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, she is the political editor for NBC5 News, in addition to being an interviewer/contributor to WTTW's Chicago Tonight program. It is interesting she led the panel because Ms. Marin is a former CPS parent who years ago had a very rocky relationship with CPS in relationship to her own disabled child. Normally she has not done many education related stories because of that. She is highly aware of the limitations CPS historically has had in the provision of services to students with disabilities. She is of course highly professional and exhibited no prejudice in relation to the manner she handled the panel last night.
On this panel was Jay Rehak speaking as a CTU member and teacher. Interestingly I do not recall that WTTW noted that Jay is also President of the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund. Also on the panel was John Tillman from the Illinois Policy Institute which fairly can be called an extremely conservative organization with ideological ties to the Republican party that supports school vouchers and probably sees charter schools as a stopping point on the road to a fully voucher based education system. You also had Bob Bruno from UIC where he is a professor, School of Labor & Employment Relations. Bob is also a U.S. History high school teacher, guidance counselor. Then we had what I can only call the voice of the Chicago Metropolitan civic elite, Bruce Rauner senior principal and chairman of Chicago-based GTCR Golder Rauner LLC, a Chicago-based private equity firm. Mr. Rauner is currently a member of the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago, was rumored to be a potential Republican candidate for Governor, he is major contributor to the Republican party, and basically owns the Chicago Sun Times via Wrapports LLC. Rauner’s name was floated for Chicago Public Schools CEO after Emanuel’s election and he is a major backer of both Stand for Children and Noble charter network schools. Rauner also at one point used current Mayor Emanuel as a consultant in the purchase of SecurityLink from SBC Ameritech and to this day this is where a fair portion of our Mayor's wealth derives from.
I am not going to even attempt to provide to readers of Catalyst a blow by blow description of the panel discussion which was sharp and at times extremely heated. But I think it is important for people to watch this and in particular note how Mr. Rauner defends SB7 and basically argues that the way to fix that law is to block the CTU and probably all other public sector unions from ever striking again. Teachers and parents need to watch this discussion to understand how extreme the ruling elite of Chicago has become in relation to the future of public education in this city. As the fiscal situation of our state and city deteriorates we can expect voices of our civic elite to become even more extreme.
Rod Estvan
minor correction
Bob Bruno was a former U.S. History high school teacher, guidance counselor.
Tribune/Washington Post take
Tribune/Washington Post take on the strike:
http://touch.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-72214239/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/chicago-teachers-resisting-much-n...
Look at the word "reform". Break it down.
It simply means to take an existing structure, dismantle it and remake it in another way. It is not synonymous with "improvement". Occasionally there is a coincidental improvement when reforms are put in place but this rarely occurs in education. Educational reform is always about implementing someone's personal agenda and it is rarely backed up by anything resembling evidence. Reforms are frequently pushed through without the input of those who will be most affected by it and with a minimum of resources made available to help them to implement the new rules du jour. I have been a teacher for 24 years and have seen countless education reforms and fads pushed on us. Hunterism, Cooperative Learning, Understanding by Design, Flipped Classroom and now Common Core. The more "reforms" we throw at education the further and further behind we get compared to other countries. While we throw the kitchen sink at the educational system the larger societal issues that inhibit educational progress go completely ignored. This country has an inclination to celebrate brawn over brains, mediocrity over hard work, style over substance, religion over science, conspiracy theories over skepticism, blind acceptance over curiosity. We do not place the value of academic achievement high in our culture. In the countries where students realize success, there is already a culture that values learning. Reforms won't help us catch up.
Children should not be used as a plea bargain for strike
Children are out of school for 2 weeks for Christmas. Days for Thanksgiving. Spring Break. They have only been out of school for 2 days because of the strike. That is not long at all. Downstate strikes last for weeks. You never hear parents whining about we want the teachers to go back to work. Possibly you're saying Chicago teachers are also babysitters. So; what are they suppose to do? Walk out the contract meeting and just accept the idea that Principals will hire and fire teachers. Because Principals have been told to fire teachers. Just happen CTU caught on to this. That is why so many teachers lost their jobs. And now; they do not want to recall teachers they have laid off. But yet they are hiring teachers. No! No! These teachers have been framed and thrown out of their jobs. They told Principals to rig up the magic unsatisfactory word and lock them out. This way we will get rid of them and they are gone. All of this is cruel and very unfair. A LOT of these teachers were highly qualified. A lot of those teachers made a difference. Those teachers were REAL teachers. Not little teeny boppers trying to teach. Yes; youth is what it is. But experience is the best teacher. That will NEVER change. The strike should continue until education in Chicago is placed back on the right track. It is not on the right track now. The whole city is up for grabs. Not just at Cps. Also; in regards to the crime rate. This is a big mess. A new Mayor and CEO is needed. So parents need to make provisions for their children; and wait this out. CTU do not give up on your mission. Schools will be there when you return. This is Union busting.
Taxpayer
I am all for a fair deal and all that for teachers. Teahcers are the backbone of our educational system and are major contributors to nation building. Problem: as it currently stands CPS and CTU need a...what's that word...turnaround. Educational reform will continue and no amount of striking, kicking, and screaming is going to stop it. Work with the situation to bring about the best possible educational outcome for the students. The CTU could get away with mess in 1987, this 2012 and in THIS economic and political landscape, the public, expecally taxpayers, have no patience for this fiasco. This isn't about the kids, this about politics and power. Educational change will not stop, the train has left the station.
Since 1995, CPS-BOE did 'turnarounds' to neighborhood schools
It did not work. Time for BOE to be turned-around.
CPS disables CTU members from email and other systems:
Now CPS cannot spy on what teachers are emailing to each other--like 'let's all wear red tomorrow,' or 'can you donate a couple of sweaters for my students that your children do not use any more.'
They also knocked-off employees who were NOT CTU members too. I wish I could laugh, but cannot laugh at silliness and incompetance.
CTU members cant get CPS Peoplesoft-may be a violation of
labor rules/regs. you worked these last 2 weeks, you have a right to see your paycheck, insurance, deducations and taxes on Peoplesoft--your personal info. This franzick $$$ contract law firm is a joke!
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