CTU members at Instituto del Progreso held a week of action in response to the employer proposing that many of contract articles, including Non Discrimination, not be subject to the grievance procedure, making them, in effect, unenforceable. CTU members circulated a petition which all members signed, held a sticker day in which all participated, and held a rally with about 75 staff and supporters. Members also scheduled a protest which led the employer to cancel a PD scheduled for today.
On Tuesday, CTU members at ChiArts held a protest at the charter operator’s regularly scheduled board meeting. The protest showed the unity of academic educators, students, parents and the newly organized arts educators. When the charter’s Board got wind of the protest, it canceled the meeting rather than face public scrutiny.
On Wednesday, educators at the Hope Learning Academy voted 47 – 0 to join the Chicago Teachers Union! Shortly after educators announced their organizing campaign, the employer informed parents and staff that it would close the school. Hope educators are known for their success with special needs students and management claims the closing is because the school’s students, who are 95 percent Black and 97 percent low income, are “failing to turn a profit.”
