In mid-October, we received an updated PreK Rigor Walk Taxonomy from the Office of Early Childhood that addressed objections to expectations like posted objectives and learning targets.
Over the weekend, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates addressed more than 200 AFT members and allies in Houston at the AFT’s Civil, Human and Women’s Rights Conference, which centered around uplifting real solutions for kids, communities and educators
After a year of contract negotiations, the 50 CTU members at Christopher House Elementary School, a charter school in Belmont-Cragin, have reached a tentative agreement for their first ever union contract with the CTU.
This month, our legislative/political team is tackling two big issues for our schools and members. Read the update, followed by a list of quick things you can do to help keep public dollars in our public schools.
On October 19, parents, students, and community supporters took action at dozens of schools by sharing information and holding important conversations about ending the Illinois tax voucher scam dubbed “Invest in Kids,” a scam that has sucked $450 million out of our public schools since its inception in 2017.
During her 27 years as an educator, Lorca Elementary School teacher Jill Kehoe has developed a passion for travel — and the unique opportunity to share her adventures and what knowledge of the world with her students.
CTU and CPS have agreed to two new Memorandums of Understanding that will improve substitute teacher coverage. One relates to the number of days retirees can substitute teach and the other provides new pay provisions to help cover parental leaves under the new 12-week leave policy.
Topics include: Contract Kickoff, End Illinois vouchers, Skyline issues, new endorsements, committees take the lead, and more!
CPS needs to start addressing climate change and environmental racism immediately. While CPS must create a long-term plan to incorporate our vision for transformative green schools, CPS must not delay in taking steps necessary to secure funds and make critical green upgrades.
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 a member’s designated beneficiaries.
On Thursday, Oct. 5, the CTU hosted a webinar with our CPS counterparts to address the frustrations and concerns members have when using the Skyline curriculum. This was a new type of engagement from CPS management, but district officials still came off defensive and aloof regarding the obstacles many of us face in implementing the curriculum.
This week, Corliss delegate Quintella Bounds did an incredible job facilitating our High School Steering committee that met with Joe Stephans, president of Thornton Fractional Federation of Teachers Local 683, and Caitlin Reid from the Saint Paul Federation of Educators to discuss their transformative contract wins.
Topics this week include: End Illinois vouchers, UAW Stand Up, HS extra prep win, Vaughn High School, join a committee and more!
Apply by October 29, 2023, for this Organizer position. CTU Organizers play a key role in our fight to enforce our contract, strengthen and grow our union, and win good schools for all.
In contrast to prior mayors, Mayor Johnson’s budget recommendations demonstrate a clear commitment to partnership and a willingness to uplift forgotten communities.
Thirteen members were nominated for Functional Vice President of Elementary School Teachers at the September 27, 2023 House of Delegates meeting. One member declined the nomination. At the November 01, 2023 House of Delegates meeting, all voting delegates who are members of the Elementary School Teachers functional group may vote for six candidates to fill six unexpired terms for Functional Vice President of Elementary School Teachers on the CTU Executive Board.
Schools like Vaughn represent the best of CPS because they meet students where they are and help to develop confidence and independence along with academics. And the school day structure is something to be modeled throughout CPS.
As the entire country grapples with a shortage of qualified teachers, schools are increasingly asking our members to pick up extra classes for which they haven’t hired the necessary staff. As teachers have stepped up to take extra preps, CPS has been inconsistent in applying our contractual pay. This arbitration ruling will fix that.
Topics include: REACH Appeals, parental leave update, Skyline webinar, UAW rallies, join a committee and more!
The delegates listed below did not sign in at the September 27, 2023 House of Delegates meeting.
Evaluation systems should be about collegial feedback for improving outcomes, where teachers and evaluators are on the same side – the side of professionals concerned with support for our students.
The Human Rights Committee goals are to advance racial justice work in schools and help crystallize contract demands that can be transformational in this area.
While Joyce no longer walks with us here on earth, her legacy lives on in the work of this union, our classrooms and our fight forward for the schools our kids deserve.
At its September 27, 2023 meeting, a member moved the following endorsements in the 2023 Chicago Teachers Pension Fund election, which were adopted by the House.
At its September 27, 2023 meeting the CTU House of Delegates voted unanimously to make the following endorsements for the March 19, 2024 General Primary Election.
