Volume 86, Issue 8
Other Issues
Features
Meet Romel Ferguson, the man who keeps our union running like clockwork
When CTU members attend a House of Delegates meeting or other event at Jackie Vaughn Hall, CTU Operations Manager Romel Ferguson is the man behind the scenes who makes those events run like clockwork.
In Memoriam April and May 2023
Lists of deceased members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) are provided to the Chicago Union Teacher by the office of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) and are printed as received. If you notice an error or omission, please first contact the CTPF at 312.641.4464 or via email at memberservices@ctpf.org to report the information. Please contact the CTU Membership Dept. as well by phoning 312.329.9100. Both the CTPF and CTU disburse survivor benefits to deceased members’ designated beneficiaries.
2013 school closings 10 years later: promises made, promises broken
CTU members Quentin Washington, Tammie Vinson and Jeff Blackwell all taught at schools closed by Rahm Emanuel in 2013. As the city marked the 10-year anniversary of the closings, they reflected on how the disastrous decision destabilized their school communities.
CTU, CPS celebrate National Board Certified Teachers
Mayor Brandon Johnson joined CTU President Stacy Davis Gates and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to celebrate the 532 Chicago educators who earned or renewed their National Board Certification since 2019. The celebration was the first since the pandemic shut down in-person school and gatherings in March 2020.
Joint class size committee provides relief to 354 classrooms across the district
Educators know how important class size is to successful teaching and learning. That’s why we made class size relief a key demand in our 2012 strike. We are pleased to report that our Joint Class Size Assessment Council provided important class size relief this year to hundreds of classrooms throughout CPS.
Delegates Not Present May 31, 2023 House of Delegates Meeting
The delegates listed below did not sign in at the May 31, 2023 House of Delegates meeting.
Charter neutrality, PSRP pension parity top legislative wins in Springfield
The Chicago Teachers Union had a very successful legislative session this spring, including the passage of landmark legislation that could reshape the charter sector and a bill that finally brings parity to retired PSRPs. And, the state budget will include important increases in funding for CPS.
Kurt Hilgendorf left MAGA country for the big city — and privilege of working for the “baddest” union around
Senior Advisor to the CTU president Kurt Hilgendorf left his MAGA home town of Pontiac, Illinois, for the more vibrant and diverse Chicago and for the teaching profession he loves. But the privilege of working for the “baddest” union in the country stole him away from the classroom.
We Care: Solidarity is our superpower!
Tara Stamps writes that she is filled with gratitude and hope, after a brutal school year school year when we were asked to do more with less. But we rose to the occasion, to new heights, including the election of our union brother, a middle school teacher mayor of Chicago.
Learning to play with tough texts
The Chicago Shakespeare Theater Bard Core Curriculum offers a summer professional learning seminar to help educators engage their students with challenging texts, such as Shakespeare, poetry, and contemporary plays.
Educator Marguerite Mahoney hopes to ignite in her students a passion for music that lasts a lifetime
Edwards Elementary music teacher Marguerite Mahoney believes hands-on time with instruments in her classroom can ignite a passion for music that lasts a lifetime. And that’s especially true for CPS’ Black and Brown students, who often don’t have access to instruments at home.
CTU members celebrate Earth Day with week of action advocating for healthy, green schools
As part of a coordinated national effort by educators, CTU members engaged in a week of action at the end of April to draw attention to environmental hazards in our school buildings.
Whether in the classroom or in the field, Tenesha Rawls works for the greater good
On CTU Field Rep Tenesha Rawls’ first day as a CPS teacher, she stepped on to the picket line in 2012 next to her colleagues at Lovett Elementary School in North Austin. She was nervous and scared but felt at home in the unity and solidarity of the picket line.
Delegates Not Present May 3, 2023 House of Delegates Meeting
The delegates listed below did not sign in at the May 3, 2023 House of Delegates meeting.
Enamored with CTU, Field Rep Jared Schenkier found his calling in the classroom
CTU Field Rep. Jared Schenkier tried a lot of jobs before he landed in teaching. But during the historic 2012 CTU strike, Schenkier said he became enamored with the union as he watched it take on Rahm Emanuel and win — and he knew the classroom was the place for him.
Meet Romel Ferguson, the man who keeps our union running like clockwork
When CTU members attend a House of Delegates meeting or other event at Jackie Vaughn Hall, CTU Operations Manager Romel Ferguson is the man behind the scenes who makes those events run like clockwork.
In Memoriam April and May 2023
Lists of deceased members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) are provided to the Chicago Union Teacher by the office of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) and are printed as received. If you notice an error or omission, please first contact the CTPF at 312.641.4464 or via email at memberservices@ctpf.org to report the information. Please contact the CTU Membership Dept. as well by phoning 312.329.9100. Both the CTPF and CTU disburse survivor benefits to deceased members’ designated beneficiaries.
2013 school closings 10 years later: promises made, promises broken
CTU members Quentin Washington, Tammie Vinson and Jeff Blackwell all taught at schools closed by Rahm Emanuel in 2013. As the city marked the 10-year anniversary of the closings, they reflected on how the disastrous decision destabilized their school communities.
CTU, CPS celebrate National Board Certified Teachers
Mayor Brandon Johnson joined CTU President Stacy Davis Gates and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to celebrate the 532 Chicago educators who earned or renewed their National Board Certification since 2019. The celebration was the first since the pandemic shut down in-person school and gatherings in March 2020.
Joint class size committee provides relief to 354 classrooms across the district
Educators know how important class size is to successful teaching and learning. That’s why we made class size relief a key demand in our 2012 strike. We are pleased to report that our Joint Class Size Assessment Council provided important class size relief this year to hundreds of classrooms throughout CPS.
Delegates Not Present May 31, 2023 House of Delegates Meeting
The delegates listed below did not sign in at the May 31, 2023 House of Delegates meeting.
Charter neutrality, PSRP pension parity top legislative wins in Springfield
The Chicago Teachers Union had a very successful legislative session this spring, including the passage of landmark legislation that could reshape the charter sector and a bill that finally brings parity to retired PSRPs. And, the state budget will include important increases in funding for CPS.
Kurt Hilgendorf left MAGA country for the big city — and privilege of working for the “baddest” union around
Senior Advisor to the CTU president Kurt Hilgendorf left his MAGA home town of Pontiac, Illinois, for the more vibrant and diverse Chicago and for the teaching profession he loves. But the privilege of working for the “baddest” union in the country stole him away from the classroom.
We Care: Solidarity is our superpower!
Tara Stamps writes that she is filled with gratitude and hope, after a brutal school year school year when we were asked to do more with less. But we rose to the occasion, to new heights, including the election of our union brother, a middle school teacher mayor of Chicago.
Learning to play with tough texts
The Chicago Shakespeare Theater Bard Core Curriculum offers a summer professional learning seminar to help educators engage their students with challenging texts, such as Shakespeare, poetry, and contemporary plays.
Educator Marguerite Mahoney hopes to ignite in her students a passion for music that lasts a lifetime
Edwards Elementary music teacher Marguerite Mahoney believes hands-on time with instruments in her classroom can ignite a passion for music that lasts a lifetime. And that’s especially true for CPS’ Black and Brown students, who often don’t have access to instruments at home.
CTU members celebrate Earth Day with week of action advocating for healthy, green schools
As part of a coordinated national effort by educators, CTU members engaged in a week of action at the end of April to draw attention to environmental hazards in our school buildings.
Whether in the classroom or in the field, Tenesha Rawls works for the greater good
On CTU Field Rep Tenesha Rawls’ first day as a CPS teacher, she stepped on to the picket line in 2012 next to her colleagues at Lovett Elementary School in North Austin. She was nervous and scared but felt at home in the unity and solidarity of the picket line.
Delegates Not Present May 3, 2023 House of Delegates Meeting
The delegates listed below did not sign in at the May 3, 2023 House of Delegates meeting.
Enamored with CTU, Field Rep Jared Schenkier found his calling in the classroom
CTU Field Rep. Jared Schenkier tried a lot of jobs before he landed in teaching. But during the historic 2012 CTU strike, Schenkier said he became enamored with the union as he watched it take on Rahm Emanuel and win — and he knew the classroom was the place for him.
