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News for Members
Intent to Appeal Deadline Oct. 3 and REACH Appeals Workshop Oct. 5
The REACH rating appeal process is available now on the RLS website. Oct. 3 is the first deadline in the appeals process. Learn more about it below and at the Appeals Workshop on Wednesday, October 5 at 4:30 p.m.
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Our annual Legislators and Educators Appreciation Dinner — LEAD — is an opportunity for rank-and-file members to engage elected officials in an evening of celebration and coalition-building for legislative initiatives in Chicago, Springfield and nationwide. Don’t miss it!
4:30 Social Hour
5:30 Dinner
The REACH rating appeal process is available now on the RLS website. Learn more about it below and at the Appeals Workshop on Wednesday, October 5 at 4:30 p.m.
Who is eligible to appeal their SY 21–22 final summative rating?
The appeals process is available to:
- Any educator (probationary/untenured and tenured) who received a SY 21-22 final summative Unsatisfactory REACH rating (a score of 209 or below).
- Tenured educators who received a REACH summative rating in the lower half of Developing (an emerging Developing score between 210-250).
Additionally and separately:
- Educators who are laid off out of seniority order may appeal at the time of layoff whose rating is Unsatisfactory (209 or below) or Developing (score between 210-284).
Details about the Appeals process can be found in Article 39-9 of the contract.
How does the REACH final summative rating appeal process work?
All appeals are completed through the Reflect and Learn System (RLS). Educators eligible to appeal should be able to access the “Appeals Process” tab in RLS now.
There are two parts of the appeals process and each has a specific deadline:
- Educators have 10 calendar days (by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 3, 2022) to file an Intent to Appeal on the RLS website, and
- Educators have 30 calendar days (by midnight on Friday, October 21, 2022) to upload Evidence for the Appeal including all relevant documentation to the RLS website to complete the appeal.
Both parts of the process must be completed in order for the appeal to proceed and be reviewed. We encourage all eligible educators to complete this step so they have the option of completing an appeal.
The CTU Grievance Department will be conducting a virtual REACH Appeals Workshop for members who are eligible to appeal their SY 21–22 final summative rating on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.
Additional Appeals Support
Rating Appeals Drop-In Support Sessions will be held on the following days from 4:00–6:00 p.m. at the CTU Center (1901 W. Carroll Ave):
- Tuesday, October 11, 2022
- Thursday, October 13, 2022
- Monday, October 17, 2022
- Wednesday, October 19, 2022
No RSVP is needed for drop-in sessions. Please be sure to bring a laptop.
Does your Rating Contain Procedural Violations?
Procedural violations should be addressed through the grievance process. Please refer to the updated CTU Grievance Checklist on the Teacher Evaluation page to identify whether evaluation procedures were followed during your evaluation plan. You will also need to complete a Grievance Authorization Form and return to your field representative by Tuesday, November 22, 2022.
For work performed September 11 through September 24. See our Payroll Page for the full year’s information.
Visit the CPS calendar page for other dates and to download a PDF calendar.
General Meetings will be hybrid. Zoom links will be provided in the week leading to the meeting. Find the Zoom link and other relevant information on the AFT Black Caucus, Chicago Chapter website, specifically the website Events Page.
Visit the CPS calendar page for other dates and to download a PDF calendar.
For work performed September 25 through October 8. See our Payroll Page for the full year’s information.
Visit the CPS calendar page for other dates and to download a PDF calendar.
Professional Development
Restorative. Relevant. Reflective. The Chicago Teachers Union Foundation QUEST CENTER for Professional Learning and Teacher Leadership is the premier professional development provider supporting Chicago’s public school educators through re-licensure, National Board Certification, and endorsements in which pre-service through veteran educators collaborate, network, and learn to improve their practice by addressing students’ cognitive development and social-emotional well-being through culturally responsive, trauma-sensitive learning environments.
National Board Certification
Nurturing Teacher Leadership, established in 1997, is the Chicago Teachers Union/Chicago Public Schools 2-year program of professional development and candidate support that prepares Chicago Public School teachers for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification, the highest credential a teacher can earn.
Nurturing Teacher Leadership has a success rate of more than 94%, twice the national average!
Learn more by attending our next Cohort Informational Meeting!
CTU Speaks! Podcast
Our podcast, CTU Speaks! is hosted by Andrea Parker and Jim Staros. We’ll chat about our union, enforcing our contract, and our fight for the schools our students and educators deserve.
