Update: 03 October 2011 22:17
Teachers union officials discuss 'better school day' in meetings with aldermen
CTU president Lewis says union was 'blindsided' by resolution calling for longer day
Hoping to tell their side of the longer school day story, Chicago Teachers Union officials met with 25 aldermen in private briefings Monday.Union president Karen Lewis said the union was "blindsided" by a City Council resolution last month supporting a longer school day, so she asked to meet with local elected officials. Another eight aldermen sent representatives to the gatherings at the Hotel Al "The big problem is this started as a political football when our 4 percent raise was denied us and then (longer school days) was kind of crammed down our throats," said Lewis after the meetings.
She said the union took the opportunity to explain why it has focused its discussion on having a "better school day" filled with extra instruction in science, social studies, physical education and the arts, rather than supporting Chicago Public Schools' plan to add 90 minutes of instruction a day this year at schools that approved the idea in exchange for incentives and teacher bonuses.
The union's own proposal, which was added to the packet handed out to aldermen, included adding only 65 minutes of instruction, which will require no extra teacher pay. An earlier CTU proposal had advocated an extra 75 minutes.
Lewis, who has rejected the district's offer to serve on an advisory committee for instituting a lengthened school day next fall, when the district can do so without teacher approval, held her position Monday.
But she seemed open to at least talking to schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard about his latest request that she help pick 25 more schools that could implement longer hours beginning in January.
"We're always open to discussion," Lewis said. "I'd be willing to talk to him about that, at this point."
CPS officials said they were encouraged and they still hoped to persuade Lewis to join the advisory committee.
"Karen has refused to serve herself, but she is the voice of the 23,000 teachers in our system and it is important that she is at the table with us and others on the committee," said district spokeswoman Becky Carroll.
At the briefings Monday, union officials also discussed issues like tax increment finance district reform, charter schools and merit pay, another thorny issue that will be raised when contract negotiations start soon.
As for the longer school day, a handful of aldermen Monday urged CTU to work with the school district on getting more schools to sign up for the CPS pilot program in January.
"Not one alderman is opposed to adding 90 minutes," said Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th. "The only hurdle is how do we implement it. … If everyone can put their differences aside, we can come up with a happy medium."
Ald. Robert Fioretti, 2nd, said the turnout was larger than most briefings with the mayor.
"There was nothing negative said about the mayor in my discussion at all," Fioretti said. "We need a broader discussion. This is not all one way."
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Readers,
The Chicago Teacher's Union has called meetings with Chicago Aldermen for Monday, October 3, 2011. Not all aldermen are comfortable with the manner in which Chicago school teachers have been treated by the Mayor and his administration. Two local aldermen (Sposato and Cullerton) are quoted in the Chicago Tribune article (below) with their concerns.
Chicago Teachers Union officials want to make their case directly to aldermen to counter the blitz Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration has undertaken to institute a longer school day.
Union president Karen Lewis sent out letters to aldermen Wednesday, inviting them to attend one of three private meetings at a Loop hotel Monday to “share our vision for Chicago’s public school educators and students.”
“In the wake of ongoing media attention and dueling sound bites, CTU has been working effortlessly to engage leaders, parents, educators and community partners in substantive conversations about the important issues at hand,” the letter reads.
The City Council approved a resolution earlier this month supporting a longer school day.
Ald. Nicholas Sposato, 36th, said it will be helpful for the teachers union to explain their position directly to him and his colleagues at the Monday meetings.
“I think teachers have gotten vilified lately,” said Sposato, a Chicago firefighter who supports a longer school day. “Somehow or another, things got twisted around about this.”
Ald. Timothy Cullerton, 38th, said a longer day is a good idea, but trying to implement it school-by-school is not the right way to go about it. “It’s just how we implement it and what we do with these extra minutes. . . .I don’t agree we should entice one school against another school,” Cullerton said.
The meetings also will touch on issues of school funding, teacher retention, merit pay and school violence, according to Lewis’ letter.
In addition, the union hopes to gain aldermanic support for two ordinances the union wants to get introduced to the City Council, spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said. One would declare a surplus in the tax increment financing districts that pull property tax revenue away from schools. The other would require vacant buildings near schools to have watchmen.
Union president Karen Lewis sent out letters to aldermen Wednesday, inviting them to attend one of three private meetings at a Loop hotel Monday to “share our vision for Chicago’s public school educators and students.”
“In the wake of ongoing media attention and dueling sound bites, CTU has been working effortlessly to engage leaders, parents, educators and community partners in substantive conversations about the important issues at hand,” the letter reads.
Emanuel has made lengthening the school day at Chicago Public Schools a cornerstone of his first months in office. He got state lawmakers to approve a plan to allow additional time, and has pressed the teachers union — publicly and in private meetings with Lewis — to enact the change sooner than next school year.
When the union didn’t agree, district leadership reached out to teachers at individual schools to buy into the plan, and 13 schools have agreed to extend their days. Lewis has said that the union wants to make sure a longer day is “a better school day.”The City Council approved a resolution earlier this month supporting a longer school day.
Ald. Nicholas Sposato, 36th, said it will be helpful for the teachers union to explain their position directly to him and his colleagues at the Monday meetings.
“I think teachers have gotten vilified lately,” said Sposato, a Chicago firefighter who supports a longer school day. “Somehow or another, things got twisted around about this.”
Ald. Timothy Cullerton, 38th, said a longer day is a good idea, but trying to implement it school-by-school is not the right way to go about it. “It’s just how we implement it and what we do with these extra minutes. . . .I don’t agree we should entice one school against another school,” Cullerton said.
The meetings also will touch on issues of school funding, teacher retention, merit pay and school violence, according to Lewis’ letter.
In addition, the union hopes to gain aldermanic support for two ordinances the union wants to get introduced to the City Council, spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said. One would declare a surplus in the tax increment financing districts that pull property tax revenue away from schools. The other would require vacant buildings near schools to have watchmen.
I'm glad to see some of the aldermen with open minds, questioning what has been happening to teachers. I think the mayor has alot of nerve trying to demonize teachers in this mess. He is using children as political pawns in a very nasty chess game
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope the aldermen go to this meeting and try to work with the teachers. I read in this morning's Sun Times, that Norwood Park schools have been identified as better achieving schools over the last decade. I attribute this to dedicated teachers and parents. Time for us to support our teachers as the valued members of the community they are. On my block alone, we have three CPS teachers. As a community, we must rally support for them during this time of the city admin treating them so poorly.
ReplyDeleteI hope the aldermen work with the teachers and circumvent our insane mayor
ReplyDeleteSo, will Alderman O'Connor be attending the meeting?
ReplyDeleteI believe the city should work with the teachers for a quality driven longer day. We can achieve a solid longer day plan without berating teachers. Wrong approach, Mr. Mayor and I am relieved to see some aldermen looking at the issue objectively.
ReplyDelete~ Norwood Park Teacher and Mom
the process the mayor is using to get his way with the longer day is polarizing the city. Sending the wrong message. I want a longer day for my kids, but I want professional educators to be on the front lines with its implementation - not CPS administrators and the mayor, who are only interested in numbers and their political careers.
ReplyDeleteWildwood School parent
The teachers union wants aldermen to pass an ordinance declaring surplus TIF dollars to the tune of 500 million dollars, of which 250 million could go to CPS.
ReplyDeleteImportant for tif dollars to go to education rather than places like the mercantile exchange who are on target to gross over 2 billion dollars in 2011.
those extra tif dollars need to go to the kids!
The alderman just commented on her facebook page that she will be attending...
ReplyDeletewonderful!
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful news, and I am happy the aldermen are having a private meeting with CTU. But, in reality, the aldermen are really powerless when it comes to the anything related to CPS.
ReplyDeleteThe school board is NOT an elected school board, it is an appointed school board. The school board was appointed by the mayor and they bow to his every wish. They will do whatever Rahm wants. The aldermen have NO power when it comes to CPS and therefore sit on the sidelines when it comes to property tax increases, passing one of the largest school budgets in the entire country and even with dealing with the Chicago Teachers Union. Brizard is powerless too.
The aldermen may be able to get a few ordinances by the mayor for CTU, but the STRUCTURE of the school board will NEVER be fair to taxpayers, teachers or the union until there is an ELECTED school board.
No one person should have sole power over a school board like our mayor does. Hard to believe we live in a democratic society when a process like this is allowed to happen with regards to the school board.
If the aldermen were smart they would pass an ordinance mandating the school board be ELECTED, with specific slots in place for a few parents, a teacher, the CTU president (or delegate) and perhaps one high school student.
Rahm isn't going to go along with the TIF ordinance declaring a surplus and assigning 250 million to CPS. He wants TIF money to go to corporate causes and his business pals.
ReplyDeleteThe vacant building ordinance is a win/win. Safe er passage for kids and incentive for banks to deal with forclosed properties
ReplyDeleteWednesday's City Council meeting will be interesting. Waguespack, Fioretti, Moore and Moreno will run with an ordinance declaring a TIF surplus and returning TIF taxpayer money to the schools and other city services. Rahm, and the aldermen afraid of Rahm, will oppose. Safe passage ordinance might fly.
ReplyDeleteBut, the aldermen have very little power to change anything regarding CPS. The CPS school board, appointed by Rahm, will do whatever Rahm tells them to do. Meanwhile, CPS will certainly fail without an elected school board and strong leadership.
I'm glad the 30 alderman who attended the CTU meeting yesterday went. I think the mayor can get what he wants by working with the teachers. If he breaks the teachers spirit and ruins the teacher/parent relationship, it will only adversely effect the children. Political gain seems to be this mayors motivation to do anything. He will leave a mess in his wake unless he is kept in check.
ReplyDelete