It's "Back to School" season and a good time to take a few minutes to thank teachers, especially now when teachers are being marginalized. And, specifically in Chicago, where teachers are being demoralized and polarized by CPS and our Mayor. Most of my teacher friends spend a paid 6.5 hours in the classroom and another 3 hours/day preparing, researching and investing their free time in our kids education.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
My kids have had awesome teachers at Norwood Park School. I will always support CPS teachers because I know the school systems makes their job that much harder.
ReplyDeletewho would want to be a teacher today?
ReplyDeleteSo teachers at three schools break from the union on the longer day issue. Principals probably coerced them, "your life will be hell if you don't agree to the longer school day". Bullies at the top are rewarding this stuff. Better stick together - or you will be divided and conquered.
ReplyDeletewhy are we bent out of shape about education? The only jobs left in the city will be Casino jobs in a few years. You don't need a world class education to deal black jack.
ReplyDeleteRahm and his Hatian Henchman are doing everything they can to demoralize teachers, including busting their union. FOP and CFF - you will be next, mark my words. CTU, FOP and CFF better join voices to deal with this evil mayor.
ReplyDeleteMary O'Connor was endorsed by the CTU. Where is her voice in this mess? She hasn't said one word in support of the teachers. Rahm is trying to exterminate the CTU and O'Connor says nothing. Rahm raises our property taxes with out a full forensic audit and she says nothing. COme on Alderman O'Connor, where is the "voice" you promised us over and over during the election? If you don't start supporting the hardworking city employees and the unions who supported you, I will not vote for you again. I didn't vote for the do nothing republicans because I wanted an alderman that isn't afraid of work. If you are just more of the same, you will be eliminated in 3.5 years, mark my words.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read about the three schools whose teachers voted to seperate from the union on the longer day issue, I thought about how that move could effect the labor movement. How sad that on labor day weekend we have to be made aware of the oppressiveness of government and elected government officials like Rahm Emanuel. He is trying to oppress workers and we can not allow him to succeed. This mayor is a sociopath who can not be allowed to promote his own political agenda under the guise of caring about kids. Those very kids have parents who are in the middle of a class war. The mayor target the low wage earners first. What does that tell you? It means he thinks they are expendable - they probably don't pay much in property taxes, and they are the first to go.
ReplyDeleteHe is working his way through easy targets. First the janitors and the traffic aides - they are less educated and less likely to fight back. Next he targets the CTU - predominately women. He goes after the CTU because he sees a woman lead, professional union comprised of mainly women an easy target.
Once he destroys the CTU, the cops and the firemen will be demoralized and broken, then the trade unions..
Beware. Demand these do nothing alderman grow a pair. Demand that the cowering media start to really cover the mayor with something besides softball questions.
I asked about the plan for the 90 extra minutes, and was told there is no plan yet. But most likely, will add recess, lengthen lunch and add an additional 5 to 7 minutes per class to the day. So the additional time isn't mainly instructional time.
ReplyDeleteI doubt this will be posted, but I just have to say I am really mad. Rahm found three small schools with shrinking enrollment and said to them...if you want to stay open you will do what I tell you and that is break from your union.
ReplyDeleteSo the 3 small schools did break.
Next he tells people, the teachers are evil because they won't add 90 minutes to the school day and take a pay cut, "for the children".
Next time the sociopath, mayor says something is for the kids remind him that the "kids" need the money going to fund Alderman Burke's and former Mayor Daley's security details. WHo the hell would want to do anything to those two has beens - they think far to mauch of themselves.
Next ask the Mayor to think of the kids when he REFUSES to go after the fraud and mismanagement of the Minority and Women's Business Programs, or the bloated layor of middle management/patronage army for the dem party.
This mayor is nothing but a phoney liar. People need to call him on his lies and misrepresentions. The media needs to come out of hiding and act like professionals.
teachers: don't underestimate the power you hold.
ReplyDeletekind of a weak argument. 6.5 hr days, 3 outside the classroom bringing in a whopping 9.5 hr day.
ReplyDeleteTake a walk in the corporate world 9.5 hr day is typical and most don't a pension and 3 months off in the summer.
Don't get me wrong I support teachers but a 9.5 hr day isn't a solid argument.
Oh yeah the only companies giving guaranteed 4% raises are companies like Google these days.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMary O'Connor was endorsed by the CTU. Where is her voice in this mess? She hasn't said one word in support of the teachers. Rahm is trying to exterminate the CTU and O'Connor says nothing. Rahm raises our property taxes with out a full forensic audit and she says nothing. COme on Alderman O'Connor, where is the "voice" you promised us over and over during the election? If you don't start supporting the hardworking city employees and the unions who supported you, I will not vote for you again. I didn't vote for the do nothing republicans because I wanted an alderman that isn't afraid of work. If you are just more of the same, you will be eliminated in 3.5 years, mark my words.
September 4, 2011 7:04 AM
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Maybe she is in agreement the school day is too short. I know I certainly am.
9:09pm
ReplyDeleteYou are a corporate chump. Most of us want to be paid for the hours we work.
And don't say you support teachers with your lame ass arguement.
to 9:11pm
ReplyDeleteThen we are to assume that Alderman O'Connor's silence also means she supports the property tax hike?
A longer school day may or may not be a good thing. Since I haven't seen nor heard of a specific plan for the 90 minutes, I'm thinking there is no plan. We need parents more involved, not less involved.
ReplyDeleteI think a longer school day might be a good idea, if the time is instructional time. Sitting in a computer lab with an "aide" for an extra sixty minutes/day, playing on facebook, and extending recess doesn't sound like much of a plan. Without a solid, contractual plan for 90 minutes of professional teaching time - we aren't going to see any improvements. Might as well call it an additional 90 minutes/day of babysitting.
ReplyDeleteThis whole "longer school day" plan seems real fuzzy to me, and I am seriously concerned when I hear a mayor brag that he increased the police force by 750 officers when he did no such thing - he merely shuffled people around - he never hired an additional body. Rahms planning and math skills are deceptive and we need to watch him carefully and call him out on his deceptions.
@9:09pm:
ReplyDeleteTeachers are currently working 6.5 paid hours for direct instructional class time, and an average of an additonal unpaid 2 to 3 hrs of prep/day. If the longer day goes into effect, that would mean teachers would be working 10 to 11 hours/day. And, the compensation for that additional time is $800/year? Sounds like the teachers have a stong arguement for additional pay. Moreover, the teachers are the educators and should be the professionals overseeing the longer day plan...
Hey 9:09pm-
ReplyDeleteAs I recall the aldermen voted themselves a nice 6% cost of living raise.
My kids go to Edison Park school and have had great teachers - they are worth their weight in gold.
ReplyDeleteThe aldermen, the mayor and the school board - not so much.
I took my kids to school this morning for the first day of school and everyone was trying to focus on the kids and be upbeat. Many of the parents were concerned about the uncertainy of the school year and thought CPS is disorganized. While some parents thought a longer school day might be ok, there were concerns about the quality of the extra time and if there kids could sit through another hour and a half of school.
ReplyDeleteOne teacher came out and said she is learning to live day to day because nothing is certain in CPS.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteto 9:11pm
Then we are to assume that Alderman O'Connor's silence also means she supports the property tax hike?
September 5, 2011 10:24 PM
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She doesn't pay property tax as she doesn't own a house. She rents. So yeah, she probably could care less.