Multiple Articles

Chicago Teacher Strike

Multiple Articles

Thousands of striking teachers rally in Chicago
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012/09/15/thousands-of-striking-teachers-rally-in-chicago/57785298/1
"Thousands of striking Chicago public school teachers and their allies packed a city park Saturday in a boisterous show of force as union leaders and the district tried to work out the details of an agreement that could end a week-long walkout", (Chicago AP). Teachers involved in the strike say that this strike is a symbol of hope for public teachers of the future. It has been several months of contract negotiations which came down to two main issues: job security and union opposition to a new teacher evaluation process the union felt was too heavily weighted on student test scores. Late Saturday, the union said it would present to its members a three-year contract that included a raise in each year and creates a hiring pool with the goal of giving half of open jobs to laid-off teachers. The contract also includes a new evaluation procedure based in part on student test scores, but teachers can appeal their ratings, the union said. The district and union have the option of extending the contract into a fourth year. Until this past week Chicago teachers haven't gone on strike since 1987.

Chicago Teachers Strike May Near End As Union Releases Deal
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/16/chicago-teachers-strike-m_n_1887620.html
"A deal is on the table Saturday night to end a nearly weeklong Chicago teachers strike, though classes could still be canceled Monday as the union's House of Delegates reviews the proposal. "
The deal features major concessions from Emanuel, who campaigned to become Chicago's mayor with a promise to shake up the Windy City's schools. The contract would count teachers' students' standardized test scores toward their evaluations for the minimum percentage allowed by law. The contract would last three years not four. President Karen Lewis stated no contract will solve all of the inequities in our District.

Union opts to continue Chicago teachers strike; mayor takes fight to court
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/16/us/illinois-chicago-teachers-strike/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

"The week-old teachers strike in Chicago's public schools will continue into the new week, after a representative group of the Chicago Teachers Union decided not to end the walkout even though union leaders and school officials had reached a tentative contract deal", according to Chicago CNN. This bold move left Mayor Rahm Emanuel to go to court tp force the teachers back to work, and saying that a delay of this is wrong for the children. "I will not stand by while the children of Chicago are played as pawns in an internal dispute within a union," Emanuel said. The House of Delegates will reconvene Tuesday afternoon, at which point delegates could decide to end the strike, or not. If they do, classes could resume at earliest on Wednesday. There have been no classes all last week for more than 350,000 students in Chicago, home to the nation's third-largest school system, when the union went on strike after failing to reach a contract agreement with school board officials. Also for high school athletes, this strie can put scholarships on the line.