Chicago Teachers Union

CHICAGO—Members of Chicago’s religious communities are expected to join faith leaders of all denominations for Prayer Vigil for Our Schools, a day-long prayer vigil Wednesday, May 15, at Chicago Public Schools, 125 S. Clark Street. The vigil will unite congregations from across the city in prayer in advance of the May 22 meeting of the Chicago Board of Education on the proposed closing of 53 elementary schools and one high school program by the mayor’s office and CPS. The proposal—the largest school action in U.S. history—would impact the lives of nearly 50,000 students and their families, and further disrupt communities long destabilized by crime, foreclosure and unemployment.

Prayer Vigil for Our Schools comes days before the “Our City, Our Schools, Our Voice,” three-day march May 18-20 on the South and West sides to protest school closings. Thousands of parents, students, teachers, clergy, citizens and community leaders will walk each day past many of the 54 school communities slated for closure, ending in a mass demonstration in Daley Plaza.

“We must be strong in our fight and vigilant in our faith as the Board vote approaches—a decision that will affect thousands of students and families, as well as thousands of city and school employees,” said CTU President Karen Lewis.

WHO:                   Reportedly, more than 20 members of the clergy and members of their congregations and Chicago’s religious communities

WHAT:                 Prayer vigil or “pray in” for Chicago’s public schools and against school closings

WHEN:                 Wednesday, May 15

                                8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE:               Chicago Public Schools

                                125 S. Clark St., Chicago

WHY:                    To pray for all of Chicago’s students and families; for those who make the decision to close our schools; for alderman and legislative leaders to stand with our students in support of a moratorium on school closings and legislation to elect a representative school board; for student safety; and for the strength and salvation of the citizens of Chicago and for our communities.

All Out May 18-20 in Support of Chicago Teachers Union!

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

The September 2012 strike of 26,000-plus Chicago teachers — organized by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) — was undeniably one of the most significant labor struggles in decades.

What was at stake was not only the working conditions of Chicago teachers but also their job security and preservation of their union. Moreover, the teachers were fighting for the survival of public education in the face of the campaign waged by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago School Board to charterize and privatize the nation’s school system — a plan laid out by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, formerly the head of the Chicago public school system.

Under this plan, “failing schools” would be closed and turned over to private interests or made charter schools employing non-union teachers and free from state supervision.

CTU Forces Rahm Emanuel to Retreat

Throughout their one-week strike, the CTU members stood their ground and asserted their independence in relation to the bosses and the politicians. And they ultimately prevailed in wresting major concessions from Emanuel and the board of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and winning a huge political victory for all working people.

At a time when education unions across the country are being forced to accept Merit Pay (a major blow to the unions and to seniority), larger class sizes, and huge cuts in pay and working conditions, the Chicago teachers defeated the Merit Pay proposal and held on to significant gains in their contract. They even forced the school district to make numerous concessions of their own.

How was this possible?

Labor activist Bill Onasch summarized some of the main lessons of this strike. He wrote:

“While the CTU’s experience cannot be exactly and immediately replicated in every union, much of what enabled them to prevail against long odds is universally relevant for worker struggles. …

“The CTU leadership departed from the prevailing strategy of ‘partnership’ with the employer. They not only correctly viewed the Mayor and unelected Board of Education as adversaries, not partners; they also understood that the national ruling class sees public education as a long neglected opportunity for expanded private profit.

“At the same time, the CTU did not hesitate to expose the impact of social conditions in the Urban Core abandoned by white flight on learning. They faulted Chicago Public Schools management for their neglect of the worst schools in the poorest neighborhoods of color. …

“The CTU also proved to be legitimately committed to promised democratic functioning. All of their strategy was discussed, modified and decided with near consensus before negotiations began. The bosses knew the union bargaining team had solid backing from the members — crucial to any successful outcome.”

Equally important, the CTU reached out to their community allies and built a powerful labor-community alliance that turned into a huge army of strike supporters. On the first day of the strike, 30,000 rallied for the teachers in the Loop.

Rahm Pushes to Close 52 Public Schools!

Despite their partial victory, the Chicago teachers understood clearly that the forces pushing for privatization of public schools would not relent in their efforts. They understood that the “budget deficit” card, plus legislation adopted by the Illinois state legislature in August 2012, would be used to fire teachers and close public schools.

Thus, they were not surprised when Rahm Emanuel announced his plan to close 52 public schools — a plan that will put almost 50,000 students at academic and physical risk, put the jobs of thousands of teachers and other school employees in jeopardy, and lead to massive destabilization in predominantly African American neighborhoods.

Immediately, the CTU leadership called on its members and community supporters to take action in the streets. On March 27, thousands rallied and marched in opposition to the mayor’s and school board’s plan for mass school closings. With the support of other Chicago unions and community organizations — including UNITE HERE Local 1, SEIU Local 1, and the Grassroots Education Movement — the CTU members and supporters called on the city of Chicago and the Chicago Board of Education to stop all school closings and stop the expansion of the charter schools to focus investment in public schools, working-class families and the city’s struggling neighborhoods.

At the rally, CTU President Karen Lewis urged Chicago parents, CTU members, and all school employees to stand strong against continued attempts to sabotage education in Chicago. She stated:

“As CPS and the mayor’s office wage war on our schools and neighborhoods, the union is prepared to do whatever is necessary so our voices are heard. … We must continue to challenge the status quo and the condition of one set of schools for children who are relegated to minimum wage careers, and one set of schools for the elites who are taught how to rule the world. The playing field must be level for all. So while the mayor says there will be no further negotiation and the media thinks this is over, we must let them know, brothers and sisters, that this isn’t over until you say it’s over.”

“It’s Not Over Until You Say It’s Over!”

The Chicago Teachers Union has stepped forward and said “Enough!” to the cutbacks, concessions and “shared sacrifices” that have resulted in massive layoffs, cuts in wages and benefits, and worsening working conditions.

Their fight is our fight. We urge all unions throughout the country — joined by defenders of public education, parents, students, and community allies — to demonstrate solidarity with the embattled Chicago teachers.

On May 18-20, the CTU will be organizing “freedom marches” across the city of Chicago. They are fighting to save their schools and their communities — and they will be taking their voices for justice to Chicago’s City Hall.

They deserve — and need — our visible solidarity!

We urge all labor and community activists to do one or more of the following:

* Go to Chicago for one of the May 18-20 days of action,

* Contact your local union affiliate and encourage them to participate,
* Pass resolutions of support of Chicago in your unions,

* Organize solidarity call-ins to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office (312-744-5000, or 312-744-3334) during one of the march days — flood his office!

CHICAGO – On Wednesday afternoon, lawyers of the Chicago Teachers Union are expected to file two federal civil rights lawsuits on behalf of a number of Chicago Public School parents to stop the Board of Education from closing 53 elementary schools.  The attorneys will conduct a press briefing about the specifics at  2:00 p.m. at the law offices of Despres, Schwartz and Geoghegan Ltd, 77 W. Washington, Suite 711.

“At Ames, we are working hard,” says Delia Bonilla, mother of two and Local School Council member at Ames Middle School. “We have a health clinic. Our Elev8 program just received an award from the White House. It’s more than a school. It’s a community center.”

But, the Ames community could soon be dismantled due to a closed-door deal.

Alderman Roberto Maldonado is boosting a proposal to the Chicago Board of Education to convert Ames into a 7^th-12^th grade Marine Academy. Alderman Maldonado has pushed for this proposal without a community process and despite overwhelming community opposition.

On Thursday, November 1^st, Ames parents hosted a packed “Community Meeting on the Future of Ames” at Ames Middle School, 1920 N. Hamlin. Alderman Maldonado declined the invitation.

Maldonado’s Marine Academy proposal, which did not come from the community, would make Ames the first military middle school in Chicago and firstneighborhood school to go military. In other words, all area 7th graders would have to accept the Marine uniform just to go to their neighborhood school.

At the meeting, Ames parent Tamera Gardner stated her frustration at the lack of respect for parent voice. She explained that Alderman Maldonado “has not talked to parents.  He has not talked to the Community.  He has not sat down to talk with the Logan Square School Facilities Council.  

Ames parents, together with the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA), urge Alderman Maldonado to drop his Marine Academy proposal for the following four reasons:

A View From the Classroom: Chicago Teachers Talk About the Strike will air on CAN TV

CAN TV is available to cable subscribers in Chicago. 

Sunday, October 21st, 10:00 AM, Channel 21
Wednesday, October 24th, 8:00 AM, Channel 19
Thursday, October 25th, 12:00 PM, Channel 21

Pre-School Teachers 

All schools that wish to provide early childhood education programs beginning next school year must submit an application by November 2, 2012, even if they already receive funding for early childhood. The applications, instructions, and evaluation rubrics are on Chicago’s Ready to Learn! website. There is also a 20-minute webinar available here.  It will give you an orientation to the process and an overview of the application.

The application process is very detailed and time-consuming. The rubric criteria includes more than simply the quality of education that children receive, but also places an emphasis on a program’s outside funding sources.

CPS is planning a number of open sessions for principals to help them write the applications.  They are welcome to bring along another staff member. You should find out which session your principal is planning to attend and ask to attend as well. Each session will start with a brief update and overview of the application, followed by a question and answer session.  Then there will be open computers and staff available on-site to assist with any questions.

All sessions will be held at Coleman located at 4655 S. Dearborn St, Room 101

Thursday, October 11— 3:30-6pm

Monday, October 15— 8:30-11am

Tuesday, October 16: 2:30-5pm

Wednesday, October 24— 8:30-11am

CPS has provided this address for answers to additional questions:    ReadytoLearnRFP@cps.edu, or ext. 3-1507.

• Old sick day banks are protected and can be used as they have always been used.   They can be cashed out upon retirement. 
• All employees will begin accruing a new sick bank, that accumulates up to 40 days totals.   Cannot be cashed out, but may be used for pension service credits at retirement.
• Every employee now receives Short Term Disability (STD) benefits which can be utilized after the use of the sick days received that year: 
• 100% pay first 30 days
• 80% pay days 31-60
• 60% pay days 61-90
• May be used for personal illness or maternity leave. 
• Sick days may be used to supplement STD benefits to receive 100% pay.  

 Dear Mayor Emanuel, 

We are writing to express growing concern among Chicagoans about recent changes to the City budget process that, taken together, represent a complete break with past precedent and serve to virtually eliminate public participation in the process. The City of Chicago has a long history of engaging with communities as part of the budgeting process; however, your refusal to release any specific information regarding the budget, potential cuts and to hold town hall meetings prior to your October 10 city budget address are a troubling development, and demonstrate your administration’s lack of transparency with respect to our communities. 

At a time when Chicago is experiencing record unemployment, record foreclosures, record poverty, and continuing school closures, the City must ensure that the budget does not further burden Chicago’s working families. Budgets are moral documents – they lay out a city’s values and priorities. Our members have credible solutions to offer – progressive revenue solutions that need to be heard. It is negligent to leave those who are most impacted by spending cuts—our neighborhoods and communities—out of the budget process. Community groups and concerned citizens should be given ample time to review the proposed budget and to engage with their Aldermen and your office prior to the city budget meeting as part of the democratic process. Further, we are deeply concerned about your administration’s lack of transparency with respect to our City’s budget process. 

As a recent article in the Chicago Tribune noted, you have indicated that you will not increase taxes, fines and fees, and will include a number of unspecified cuts to essential programs and services, in next year’s budget. It is highly unusual that at this point in the process—less than two weeks before the October 10 budget meeting—we do not have a preliminary budget to review, especially considering the impending cuts that may impact the programs and services which Chicago’s most vulnerable depend on. 

As members and leaders of Chicago community, labor and faith organizations, we the undersigned are joining together to request that the City honor past precedent and provide for transparency and community participation in the budget process. We demand that you release a proposed budget immediately and schedule public town hall meetings to ensure that our communities are included in all steps of this process. 

Signed, 

Concerned Chicago Residents 

Logan Square

We Love Our Teachers/Nosotros Amamos A Nuestros Maestros

Rally!

Polls Show 66% of Public School Parents Support the Teacher Strike

“Why not talk to the students who are most affected instead of talking for them? Why not ask

a parent volunteer who dedicates time without pay because they see the need in the classroom?” asks Logan Square Neighborhood Association parent leader Maria Marquez.

On Friday, September 14^th at 10:00 a.m. (if teacher strike continues), Logan Square residents will gather at the Logan Square Monument to hear from students and daily parent volunteers—people who see firsthand, on a daily basis, the hard work of teachers and the real challenges they’re up against.

Often overlooked in the national conversation about the Chicago teacher strike is that parents—especially parents who are actively involved in schools—trust and respect their teachers and their neighborhood schools.

Polls show that public school parents overwhelmingly support the teacher strike. Yesterday’s We Ask America poll of voting households found that 66% of public school parents supported the teacher strike, compared to only 31% who disapproved.

On Friday, Logan Square parents and students will put a face to those polls. Students will show their appreciation for teachers by giving them homemade valentines and singing them a song.

WHO: Hundreds of parents, students and their teachers from 12 schools across Logan Square

WHAT: Valentines, March, Rally, and Songs for Teachers

WHEN: Friday, September 14, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Logan Square Monument at Milwaukee/Logan/Kedzie

Visuals: Neighborhood children will present their teachers with homemade valentines

Entrevistas Disponibles en Español

Written by Englewood Students about their Teachers and the Strike

“I Support my teachers cause they need more pay so they can help us get ready for the future”-Hakeem

“I honestly think you should go on strike. I don’t think it’s fair that you have to work longer hours without getting the pay y’all deserve. Even though we gonna be out of school and we gonna make up those days it’s fine.” Chakira

“I really support the teachers for going on strike, because I think teachers should fight for their rights.” Harvey

“I 100% support my great teachers because the board isn’t treating them right” Davon

“I do agree with teachers they should get paid more for their jobs.” Terryon

“I support the teachers. Teaching sounds like an easy job but it really isn’t. These teachers go through a lot with coming and having the audacity and courage to teach these students. Teachers are like friends, parents, and mentors at times.” Shartone

“I support teachers all the way for the strike. Why? Because without teachers what is school? Teachers work their butt off every day to make students become successful. My Englewood teachers really are for the students here and I really appreciate it.” Ashten

“I think the teachers should go on strike because if they don’t the school system will forever be messed up. Another reason I think the teachers should go on strike is because we don’t have to come to school.” Tamara

“Teachers should strike because they work their butts off at work every day teaching children like me. I support the teachers because these are the people that teach us everyday not the board.”Jerome

“I am for the teachers. If it were me being treated unfairly I would do the same. “ Ariel

“The teachers should go on strike. The mayor is wrong and lying about there not being enough money. We shouldn’t have the longer day either. Some kids have to travel far and in the winter time it gets dark early.” Mckyila

“Everyone deserves justice and this situation with CPS must be justified. I am definitely with the strike and I do support the teachers.” Elijah

“As a student it feels right to fight for the teachers to have a better environment for work. For one they’re not getting paid for extra hours trying to teach students. Lastly we need more things going into our schools to make them better” Ashley

“Teachers work hard and don’t stop until all the students leave the building and they are still working after school hours to help us.” Dontai

“Teachers want their students to have counselors, librarians,  and nurses.” Alicia

“Teachers actually love us like we’re their own. They want to see us make it big in life & not be on the streets.” Shiquita

“The comment “teachers are walking out on their student” is not true because they don’t want to strike, but they have to.” Ray

You have undoubtedly heard the news reports, radio attack ads, CPS representatives, the “CEO” of Chicago Public Schools, and the Mayor saying how teachers are walking out on the students if we strike. Parents, students, residents of this city, as a teacher let me tell you, comments like that rip teachers to our core. As cliché as it sounds teaching is a calling. It’s not as if one day we just said, “I guess I’ll just be a teacher.” It takes skill and dedication to stand in front of 30 (sometimes more) young people in a classroom and truly care and be able to teach every one of them. It is not possible to just be mediocre when it comes to teaching students. A young person is the first to let you know if you aren’t doing a good job at teaching the lesson, not getting graded work passed back quickly enough, heck, they will even let you know if you look bad that day.

Teachers just can’t punch in, start thinking about kids then punch out and stop. Teachers are always trying to improve our lesson plans, grade, figure out ways to reach the students who are withdrawn, quiet, confrontational or disrupting class. We just can’t shut our students out of our lives when the bell rings.

Unless you are a teacher you have no idea the pain, frustration and intrinsic anger we feel when some paid radio ad claims, that “teachers are walking out on students.” Some days after teaching, I honestly wish I could walk out on my students and never come back. But no matter how frustrating our day may have been, it is the kids that always bring us back. Teachers spend our lunch periods, before and after school helping, coaching, and listening to our students.

After days of teaching, we spend nights in grad school, trying to make ourselves better teachers. We raise children and think about how we want our own child to be like __(insert name here)__ who we taught a few years back.

There is nothing about our careers, our schools, and our students that we take lightly. 
So please understand, teachers are trying to teach you that our careers and professions are under attack. Please understand we are trying to teach you about how your child’s education is under attack.

You may find this dramatic, but education is at a crossroads in our country and our neighborhood, our city is right at the intersection of these crossroads. There is an attempt to make schooling privatized, charter-ized, and more inequitable than it already is. There is an attempt to get rid of experienced teachers who have built relationships with families, who truly know how to teach and replace them with less expensive, inexperienced teachers who likely will only be at the school for two years.

There is an attempt to teach through testing, to make your child so bored in school from over-standardized testing that students aren’t excited for school anymore. There is an attempt to further cut librarians, counselors, nurses, PE, World Language, Art and now classroom teachers, in order to “save” money. A budget is a political document, not a financial one, it’s about priorities. Some priorities obviously need to be re-evaluated.

Teachers in no way shape or form want to strike, we want to be working with and educating your children. The CTU, which represents and is elected by 26,000 educators across this city has had over 50 negotiation meetings with CPS since November 2011. In all of that time “CEO” Brizard has attended zero of those meetings, which means there was no one from CPS at the bargaining table with any educational experience.

So I ask, how do you bargain on what is best for students with people who have never taught students?

At stake is way more than pay. At stake for us is doing what is right for our community, our city, and yes our students, because as teachers it is always about the kids.

~*~

David Stieber is a CPS teacher, and is currently completing a Masters degree in Urban Education Policy Studies.

08/31/2012

A letter went out to Teach for America corps members in Chicago from TFA explaining that they can join their brothers and sisters on the picket line in the case of a strike and not lose their TFA or Americorps status. 

From Josh Anderson - Teach for America:

“In the event of a strike, the normal schedule of classes will be cancelled. It is up to you to decide what you do during the strike day(s)…The choice is truly and fully up to you and we hope you will give it thoughtful consideration. Being a TFA corps member does not prohibit you from making any specific choice.”

 “We’ve heard several people ask the question of whether being an Americorps award recipient means you cannot strike or picket. The simple answer to this question is that being an Americorps member does not prohibit you from striking or picketing. The only stipulation is that you cannot count strike days towards your Americorps hours. This is not a problem because you will work more than enough time to qualify for your award.”

Dear Editor,

The Tribune’s editorial of August 23 was full of misleading and false statements. Its general premise is that the way to improve teaching and learning is to identify the best teachers and fire the rest. In the real world, teachers become great through experience, self-reflection, and collaboration. Researchers at University of Virginia found that students taught by seasoned grade level teachers for 4 years in a row scored approximately one grade level more than students taught by beginning teachers. University of Pittsburgh researchers found that teachers working collaboratively raised student math scores by 6 percent. Great teachers employ practices to teach the whole child, not just to teach to the test. Yet, if teachers’ jobs depend on their students’ test scores, they are more likely to do just that.

The idea that education will improve if we rank and sort teachers according to their students’ test scores, is wrong for many reasons.  Ranking tells us nothing about quality. The last place runner in an Olympic event is not a slow runner. The standardized tests used to judge “teacher quality” are invalid for this purpose. For example, an Op Ed piece in the Tribune Friday described a teacher who changed the author’s life. There is no standardized test to measure compassion or the ability of a teacher to instill confidence in students.

The Tribune should not celebrate the fact that so many New York teachers were denied tenure. There is already a revolving door of young teachers who leave the profession because they are unsupported and expected to work long hours for low pay. In Chicago, over half of new teachers leave their schools within five years. This instability in the education profession is harmful to students, particularly those without other sources stability. Research done in New York City schools found a negative and significant effect of teacher turnover on student achievement.

Tenure is not, as the Tribune says, an “inviolable job guarantee”. Teachers receive tenure after four years only if school administrators have found them to be a good fit for the profession. Many leave before achieving tenure. In a recent period, 32 percent of teachers left CPS before attaining tenure. Before celebrating, the Tribune should have the decency to see if their prediction is correct—that denying tenure to so many will improve student performance.

Socio-economic status is the largest predictor—up to 75 percent— of student success. All the talk of reforming teaching ignores that fact. Finland has the top schools in the world because they have chosen to value equity. In Chicago, over 100 schools needing the most support have been closed and replaced with low-performing charters that make money for their owners but do nothing to improve instructional outcomes. Recent state tests show that only one group of charters beat the CPS district-wide average passing rate.

Finally, the editorial says that CTU wants to water down standards. This couldn’t be further from the truth. CTU wants evaluations to be fair, to be done in a way that helps teachers grow, and to be based on proven measures, not just another experiment on low income students! Follow the research-based practices proposed in CTU’s “Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve,” and then there will be progress in Illinois.

Sincerely,

Karen GJ Lewis

President, Chicago Teachers Union

Inflatable rats, or union rats, are commonly used in the United States of America by protesting or striking trade unions against their employers or against nonunion contractors, serving as a sign of opposition and to call public attention to companies employing nonunion labor. Unions have been using them for years against companies that employ nonunion labor. The practice of using inflatable rats in union protests may have something to do with the usage of the word “rat” to refer to nonunion contractors.

While the inflatable rat sometimes varies in appearance and size, it generally features large teeth and grotesque features. Many unions have nicknamed the inflatable rat “Scabby the Rat”, a reference to scabs — people who cross a picket line. 

On the other side, the Chicago Board of Education—which is managed by out of town reformers and Broad Foundation hires with little or no Chicago public school experience—has pushed to add two weeks to the school year and 85 minutes to the school day, eliminate pay increases for seniority, evaluate teachers based on student test scores, and slash many other rights.

Teachers, parents and community supporters in Chicago have fought valiantly—marching, filling auditoriums at hearings and parent meetings, even occupying a school and taking over a school board meeting. Most recently, 98 percent of our members voted to authorize a strike. But now we find ourselves facing new opponents—national education privatizers, backed by some of the nation’s wealthiest people. They are running radio ads, increasing press attacks, and mounting a PR campaign to discredit the CTU and the benefits of public education.

We are asking you to support our struggle for educational justice. You and your organization can show your support by making contribution to our Solidarity Fund. All donations will be used to conduct broad outreach throughout Chicago and nation-wide. Specifically, we plan to print educational materials, to distribute information about our positive agenda, such as the CTU report The Schools Chicago Students Deserve, and to mobilize massive support for educators in rallies and gatherings throughout the city. Any amount you can give will be a great help.

Please go to ctunet.com/fund to make a donation.

Thank you for your support.

In Solidarity,

Karen GJ Lewis, NBCT
CTU President

The Chicago Teachers Union is currently in contract negotiations with the Chicago Public Schools and has been since November 2011. While much has been made of the interim agreement in which the Union was able to successfully stop the threat of a 7 hour and 40 minute work day as well as force the District to hire displaced (tenured) teachers in over 500 new positions, the parties have not reached a new contract agreement.

Educators have been without a contract since June 30.

Despite the interim agreement, there are many open issues still on the negotiating table in which there has been little movement. Public school educators also remain concerned about the District’s refusal to provide adequate wrap-around services for students severely impacted by poverty and violence in addition to threats of ballooning class sizes. Teachers are concerned about the new evaluation process of which 40 percent of the review is based on how students perform on standardized tests. Job security, health benefits and teacher pay have not been resolved.

While we continue to bargain in good faith, CTU members continue to prepare for a work stoppage in September when most of them are required to return to the classroom.    State law requires a “cooling off period” of 30 days after the issuing of a fact-finder’s report. At the end of this period, or thereafter, the CTU may strike provided it has first given the District a 10-day notice of the intent to strike.

It should be noted that movement at the bargaining table came only after nearly 10,000 people marched in downtown Chicago in support of a fair contract and more resources for neighborhood schools. This dramatic action was followed by a historic vote, where 90 percent of CTU members voted 98 percent to authorize a strike.

We recognize strikes are not popular. However, they are the strongest tool public workers have in ensuring their rights are not trampled upon and working conditions are fair and equitable. The CTU is fighting for strong, well-resourced neighborhood schools where students, regardless of their zip code, will have equal access to a high quality education.

Chicago is a world-class city and it deserves world-class neighborhood schools. Teachers, paraprofessionals and school clinicians are prepared to do what it takes to protect their jobs, their students and their schools. ###

This article on the Chicago school day originally appeared on CNN.com. Click here for the original link. 

Editor’s note: Xian Barrett teaches law and Chicago history at Gage Park High School in Chicago, Illinois. In 2009, he was selected one of ten Classroom Teaching Ambassador Fellows by the U.S. Department of Education. This article is in response to comments on a previous story about Chicago teacher work days.

Educators will often observe with some frustration that our profession is one of the few that people from all walks of life feel comfortable commenting on and often criticizing. Precious few know the intimate details of what our days are like. While the negative feedback can often be disheartening, I think we must regard the public’s interest in our work as a great opportunity—it shows that people care deeply about the calling to which we have devoted our lives.

If some people’s perceptions of what we do with our workdays does not match up with the reality, we have an obligation to inform them of that reality. This need has been particularly noticeable in the public discourse on the length of our school day.

Much has been made of the shortness of our school day, especially here in Chicago. The oft-cited 296 minutes is the amount of time Chicago elementary school teachers are in front of students. As a high school teacher, my contract requires that I teach five 45-minute periods each day. On Fridays, each class is shortened by 4 minutes to allow for a 30-minute homeroom period. Doing the math, that’s 225 minutes each day, with 235 minutes on Fridays.

I can understand how that sounds like a short day.

However, to count a teacher’s working minutes by looking at the time we are directly teaching students is like only counting the minutes that a dentist has the drill in your mouth.

Just as you want to your dentist to prepare before operating on your teeth, parents should want educators to prepare before we teach your child. We have many duties beyond the time we are directly instructing students.

How much time do I really spend each day?

Most Chicago teachers give our all in very challenging conditions. A recentGates study suggests that the average teacher works 53 hours per week, whileUniversity of Illinois researchers found that Chicago teachers work approximately 58 hours per week. Several years ago, I counted my own hours and found that I was consistently working between 70-90 hours each week.  Through challenging conditions, we impact hundreds of students positively every day; sometimes in small ways, sometimes in earth shattering, life-changing ways.

I teach 9^th grade world studies. In a given day, between classes, organizational activities, hallway interaction, phone calls and social media interaction, I will engage between 200-250 students, former students and parents.  At my current school, I report to work at 7:22 a.m. and can clock out at 2:15 p.m. with a 45 minute lunch period. This compares similarly with the lengths of school days in the higher performing suburban districts. In Chicago, public high school days that are the “shortest in the country” exist only in the minds of those attempting to impose a longer school day.

In addition to teaching five classes, one 45-minute period at school is reserved for preparation; we get four of these each week. There is little time to prepare anything as students are there as well, catching up on work or participating in our “restorative justice program,” where students help each other design constructive programs to restore damage they caused by breaking rules. This program saves us time in the long run; a reduction in student misconducts has reduced missed time dealing with discipline and has lowered the number of students failing for disciplinary reasons.

Another period is dedicated to our mandated common planning time. We review the district’s latest initiatives or analyze our student achievement data. The students spend nearly four weeks of class time taking standardized tests

The last period of the day is spent with my cooperative special education teacher as we plan for the next week. We trade advice on how to support some of the students struggling a bit in each other’s classes.

When the end of the school day comes, I head down the four flights of stairs to the basement where I meet our Youth Summit organization members. Our meetings last until 3:30 and we often will schedule collaborations with other student groups or trips in the late afternoon. We also travel and perform service-learning projects most Saturdays during the school year.

On any given day, I will spend two hours at home creating my own lesson plans or adjust existing materials to the specific needs of my students. I will also sit down to grade papers and return calls and messages. Many of my texts, emails, Facebook, Twitter and phone messages are from current students, usually regarding homework and several are from former students needing a letter of recommendation or support on some life emergency.

The other day, I finally called back my mother who’s been calling me for days. She says, “You sound tired, I’m going to let you go.” I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m., and glanced at my cell phone. It was 1:14 a.m. I fell asleep on the couch.

Last month, our hundreds of elected union representatives voted unanimously to reject a recommendation of an 18.2% pay raise in compensation for an extended school day. We want improvement in our schools, and we would like to be compensated fairly for our work. There are just far more effective ways to support our students’ learning.

Both the Chicago Teachers Union and the VIVA (Voices, Ideas, Vision, Action) teacher group I work with have created reports on how to better use time in our day to maximize student learning.  (You can click on the links on their names to see those plans.)

Personally, I simply wonder where the extra time would fit in. I don’t want less time with my students, I want more self-directed time where I can give my students what they need rather than give them more district proscribed testing and test preparation.

I am happy to work on solutions—one year I did a policy writing fellowship with the U.S. Department of Education while teaching five classes—but too often community, student, parent and teacher-generated solutions are ignored. I don’t think this is unique to Chicago.

My hope is that we can get beyond the common teacher bashing narrative to acknowledge that we share a great deal: we all want what’s best for the children of America; I and those in my profession just express that desire through our direct work while others express it through their desire for school improvement. If we can respectfully dialogue and build solutions, we can reach the best possible future not only for our students but also for our nation at large.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Xian Barrett.

This reader writes about the teachers who changed his life:

I had four CPS public school teachers to thank for recognizing and nurturing my strengths in English, writing and creativity, in 7th through 10th grades: Miss Fox, Mrs. Langdon, Miss Schwartz and Mrs. Gordon.

Until middle school, I did not think I had any academic strengths. In part, this was because, in 4th grade, when my mom remarried, I gained a step-father who frequently referred to me as “dumb”. He often said that, in his estimation, I was just too stupid to be able to excel at school. He turned out to be an example of how wrong non-educators can be about students and learning.

Thanks to these great CPS teachers, I developed confidence in my abilities, was inspired to broaden my interests, and I graduated with straight A’s from high school and summa cum laude from college. I will be forever indebted to them for rekindling my love of learning, because in spite of my achievements, my step-father never did change his views about my capabilities and always found a way to downplay my academic success. Thank goodness I learned at an opportune time in my development that his opinion didn’t matter as much as the professional judgments of those who are skilled in learning and teaching.

Click here for the original link.

Click here to sign up to march with Chicago Teachers Union.

When the 83rd Bud Billiken Parade steps off on Saturday, it will be hard to underplay the importance of the event for Chicago’s African-American community — and the whole city.

But at its roots, it’s a parade, and kids love a parade.

Chicago Defender founder Robert Abbott in 1929 wanted to do something for the youngsters who sold his newspaper, so he arranged an outing at a South Side park. According to a Tribune story in 1975, the name was the brainchild of the Defender’s executive editor, Lucius Harper, who was inspired by a Chinese figurine that Abbott kept on his desk. It was the mythical figure Billiken, who protects children everywhere. Harper added “Bud.” The outing grew quickly to become a communitywide event that drew thousands of people to the Washington Park picnic and parade.

Even as it was becoming a can’t-miss part of the summer for families, it developed into a can’t-miss appointment for politicians who wanted to join the fun — and court the black vote. In 1940, Chicago “Mayor (Edward) Kelly and other civic leaders” gave speeches. In 1956, former President Harry Truman joined Mayor Richard J. Daley and Chicago Defender publisher John Sengstacke at the head of the parade.

But despite seeing a president, plenty of U.S. senators and a flock of governors over the years, parade-goers in 1983 were truly star-struck. That year, the parade was led by Harold Washington, the city’s first black mayor.

“I touched him,” 12-year-old Paula Johnson was quoted as saying in the Tribune. For longtime parade director Marjorie Joyner, that year’s parade “was the best yet” because Washington was there.

Bud Billiken also boasted a number of heavy-hitting celebrities and civic leaders, including boxing champions Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis. Others included former Olympian Jesse Owens, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan and many other singers, athletes and entertainers.

But each year, two youngsters got to rule over them all. They were the parade’s king and queen. In 1983, that honor went to Alvin Jefferson, then 11, who sold the most Defender subscriptions to earn the crown — and a free trip to Disneyland for him and his family. Jefferson, who said his family attended the parade “pretty much every year,” remembers that time vividly. “It was really an eye-opening event,” he said. “It wasn’t just being a king for a day. It was almost a monthlong series of activities.”

Jefferson, who now lives in Des Moines, said the whole experience changed the way he thought about himself and what he could do with his life. “It was definitely one of those experiences that you remember,” he said.

BY LINDA SUE COLLINS - LIBRARIAN KELLER GIFTED CENTER  |  08/03/2012

People have no idea what the lives of educators are really like, and neither did I 12 years ago. 

I also once didn’t understand the need for membership in the Chicago Teachers Union. I now fully respect the value of CTU, serving as a school union delegate. The union is instrumental in protecting our profession.

Though CTU and the Chicago Public Schools have reached an interim agreement concerning the longer work day, many pressing issues remain unresolved. Does a proposed teacher salary increase of only 2 percent and the elimination of annual increases for experience fairly compensate us for our efforts? How will merit pay be fairly applied?

Great teachers aren’t motivated solely by compensation. We demonstrated that last year by working without a promised increase. But we do want a lifestyle compatible with the demands of our profession.

Teachers put in countless unpaid hours. We plan units and lessons and devise instructional activities, do research for engaging resources and grants, grade student work, confer with parents, collect student awards and incentives, serve our school communities by volunteering for extra-curricular programs, and more.

We do this work outside of our daily teaching schedules, at our expense! We create a work and storage space at home for piles of resources and teaching materials, and we invest in computers and other technologies to use in lesson planning.

We burn the midnight oil to meet deadlines. We set aside 45 minutes for parent phone calls that often turn into far longer sessions. We even recruit members of our families to help us because the workload is just too heavy to accomplish single-handedly.

We bring passion, commitment, empathy, creativity and a sense of collective responsibility into classrooms to increase student achievement. Teaching is a huge investment because, when dealing with human lives and minds, the possibilities are infinite.

Does a 2 percent raise value this work?

Other contract issues are subject-specific. For example, library media specialists (librarians) face losing four weekly scheduled periods to manage the library, process materials, shelve books and obtain collection resources. We invest time and funds to complete library science courses and earn state credentials. How can school libraries support curricula and be maintained without giving librarians time to do so?

In addition, there are the major issues of class size, teacher evaluation policy, merit pay, sick day policy, health benefits, school physical condition and other concerns, all of which must be resolved for a successful CTU contract.

Class size is very important. At two former schools, I managed my 5th grade classroom of 43 students and my 7th and 8th split classroom of 38 students (including 13 who were supposed to be in a self-contained special education class) with hope, intense strategy and perseverance. It is extremely difficult to work with such large numbers of students, but we forge ahead, always focused on student growth.

Providing quality education is a complicated matter. The CTU’s leadership will remain unrelenting in negotiating a comprehensive contract that addresses the entirety of CPS education. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Board of Education must consider our expertise!

Linda Sue Collins is a library media specialist at Keller Gifted Center in the West Morgan Park neighborhood.

Click here to read the original post at SunTimes.com.

Question: Why am I losing my morning prep as an elementary school teacher and what can be done about it?

Answer: One reason why we are able to achieve a longer day without significantly increasing the instructional responsibilities of the average teacher is because CPS has agreed to hire additional staff to create a “better school day.” This requires a program that allows some teachers to teach while others are on their preparation periods; similar to the schedules of high school teachers. Accordingly, the scheduling of prep periods has changed, but not the amount of prep time, which will increase to an average of 64 minutes as duty-free preparation time four days a week and principal directed one day a week. Additionally, a 45 minute, duty-free lunch period will provide additional time for teachers to take a substantial break and reenergize before afternoon classes.

Click here for answers to all of your questions about the interim agreement between CPS and CTU. 

The Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve is a new Chicago Teachers Union study which argues in favor of proven educational reforms to dramatically improve the education of more than 400,000 students in a district of 675 schools.

These reforms are desperately needed and can lead Chicago towards the world-class educational system its students deserve. As CTU President Karen Lewis stated, “This report will quickly become the leading public policy platform for all people truly interested in how to reverse the status quo in our city’s public schools.”

Click here to download the free report. 

CPS’s Jennifer Cheatham will advise principals that they must provide teachers at least one half of a professional development day during the first week of school (next week for Track E) to permit teachers time to prepare their classrooms and engage in other self-directed preparation work. Dr. Cheatham will also encourage principals to provide teachers additional time in which to do this work as the PD schedule permits. 

Click here for details.