Pres. Sharkey to CTU Members: Time for mayor to put promises into action in enforceable contract
Dear CTU Members: By now you may have heard—or even received an email from CPS—about Mayor Lightfoot’s promise to improve staffing in our public schools. Let’s be clear. Chicagoans voted for a candidate that said she would transform our public education... CTU to mayor: Put promises into action in enforceable contract
We’ve been down this path of unfulfilled promises before with the previous mayor, who promised to expand early childhood education and improve special education—when today parents struggle even more to access these services for their children.
Adequate school staffing among key CTU contract demands
Union bargaining team is fighting for staffing commitments in critical areas that impact students’ readiness and ability to learn. CHICAGO, May 16, 2019—In 2012, Chicago Public Schools staffing of nurses, social workers, psychologists and counselors was...
‘They beat us down’
The following is testimonial from CTU member Bessie Tsitsopoulos at a March 21 Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) open hearing for the public inquiry examining special education services and procedures in Chicago Public Schools. Good afternoon. My name is Bessie...
Students with Incarcerated Parents
The Illinois prison population has doubled in the last twenty-five years, mostly due to the “war on drugs,” and incarceration rates tend to be concentrated in high-poverty communities. CPS does not have enough social workers or counselors to help students…
CPS Suspensions: Breaking the Cycle
While researchers have known for years that African-American students are more likely to be suspended than their peers of other races, a new report from the Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) dives deeper into who is getting suspended, and why, in CPS.
School districts fail to address trauma
A suit filed last month by students, parents and teachers of Compton Unified School District (CUSD) charges the school district for abrogating their responsibility to provide equal access to education for students who have experienced complex trauma. The class-action...
