Press Room
Latest Press Release
Chicago needs police-free public schools and an elected, representative school board accountable to the people
Battle to win real equity and justice for students and Chicago neighborhoods is just beginning. CHICAGO, June 24—The Chicago Teachers Union issued the following statement this afternoon in response to the vote by a majority of Mayor Lightfoot's hand-picked board of...
Older Press Releases
The mayor must fund social workers, counselors and restorative justice, not police in our schools
The Chicago Teachers Union stands in solidarity with student protesters challenging Chicago Public Schools’ use of public funds to militarize their schools. CHICAGO, June 4, 2020—CTU President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statement today in support of today's...
Mayor must stop starving South, West Side schoolchildren, say CTU, SEIU Local 73 in joint statement
In move Unions decry as collective punishment, CPS cancels food distribution at schools late Sunday night, after assuring families earlier Sunday that food would be available. CHICAGO, June 1, 2020—CPS is already forcing children living in areas of extreme unrest and...
CPS must empower families, students and educators in planning for fall school year
As students struggle to access remote learning, top-down CPS planning undercuts voices of families, insights of educators, and needs of district’s most disadvantaged students. CHICAGO, May 27, 2020—CTU President Jesse Sharkey released the following statement today in...
Lawsuit against U.S. Department of Education, mayor’s appointed Board of Ed moves forward
DeVos, Lightfoot on same page in blaming teachers and clinicians for agencies’ ongoing and chronic failure to adequately support special needs students. See links to press conference here and lawsuit here. CHICAGO, May 20, 2020—The CTU blasted Chicago Mayor Lori...
1:30 p.m. TODAY: CTU sues DeVos, CPS for failing to support special education students
Press conference: 1:30 p.m. TODAY, May 20 VIA ZOOM: email chrisgeovanis@ctulocal1.org for link. Deficient federal regulations dovetail with ill-conceived CPS special education policies to undermine education and supports for thousands of special needs students....
NLRB backs EPIC charter workers, mandates mail-in vote on workers’ bid to join CTU
Labor Board also disappoints frontline workers by excluding three from bargaining unit. CHICAGO, May 19, 2020—Educators at EPIC Academy College Prep seeking to join the Chicago Teachers Union celebrated Monday afternoon when the NLRB -- the National Labor Relations...
Mayor is either misinformed or dishonest about ‘consulting’ Union on dangerous, irresponsible mandates
CPS has tried to force school clerks back into buildings without guarantees of PPE or clean facilities, while mayor's school bosses have imposed dangerous, irresponsible mandates on CTU rank-and-file. CHICAGO, May 8, 2020—CTU President Jesse Sharkey issued the...
CTU, local FOX stations partner on educational programming during pandemic
“We Still Teach” initiative will connect Union’s dynamic teaching force with students sheltering in place, particularly those who continue to lack broadband access and/or electronic devices to work remotely.
CPS must move equity from paper to reality for students
We remain committed to working with the mayor and her appointed Board of Education collaboratively, and we’ll continue to bargain with management to ensure that its promises become real in our schools and in our communities.
Charter operator defies safety, demands in-person election during pandemic
EPIC management's dangerous demand for in-person elections at school whose community is ravaged by COVID-19 cases mirrors other charter operators’ misdeeds. CHICAGO, April 22, 2020—Workers at EPIC charter school have been organizing to unionize for months. An...
Administrative Transfer Window
Teachers will be able to transfer schools for Fall 2020 without principal permission between April 8, 2020 and May 23, 2020.
