by Lawrence J. McQuillan, PhD Chief Economist The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is on strike to get, among other things, more pay. They originally asked for a 30 percent pay raise. The current offer on the table is a 16 percent pay hike over four years. They don’t deserve a penny increase. In fact, they deserve a...
Now that Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis has announced that CTU will strike Monday morning, it is very clear: Children are not the top priority for teachers who belong to the Chicago Teachers Union. The two things that matter most to these teachers are money and avoiding accountability for poor performance. Lewis and the...
Believe it or not, late Friday afternoon the scuttlebutt was that the Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Teachers Union were close to agreeing on a contract. Progress was the word of the day well into Sunday. And we all know how all that turned out. Rumors, about how close the sides are to reaching an...
Many facts are important to understanding the strike and the demands of the Chicago Teachers Union. Here are just two of them: 1. Chicago teachers are already the highest paid in the nation when compared to the 10 largest school districts in the country, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality. The salary data below cuts...
So, the Chicago Teachers Union is on strike. You may remember that they were demanding a 30 percent raise earlier this year and that they rejected a package that included a 16 percent raise. The union’s demands would spike the average teacher’s salary to nearly six-figures, and that’s before you tally up the generous benefits they get on...
There’s a big reason why the Chicago Teachers Union fears charter schools. Charters will expose truths the CTU hoped would never be revealed. Charter schools in Chicago are already showing strong results in learning. Looking at the average ACT score, for example, you will see that last year, nine of the top 10 open-enrollment, non-selective high schools...
Strike chants pulled directly from Chicago Teachers Union’s strike bulletin issued on Sept. 8, 2012. What’s outrageous? unpaid wages! What’s disgusting? Union busting! Rahm, Brizard, we’re no fools! We won’t let you ruin our schools! Rahm, Brizard, we’re no fools! Corporate cash can’t buy our schools! Lies and tricks will not divide, Parents and Teachers side by...
As of tonight, teachers in the Chicago Public Schools are expected to go on strike, and regular classes will not be held Monday morning.
CPS will be draining cash reserves this year just to stay afloat, and will be $1 billion in the red next school year. The 30 percent raise CTU originally asked for is out of the question.
To mark the second anniversary of President Obama’s health care overhaul, voters should turn to his home state of Illinois to see how it will deliver on its promise of quality health care for the most vulnerable. When they do, they will probably not like what they see. As a state senator, President Obama sponsored...
This will hardly come as news to most readers of this blog, but an occasional reminder is still useful: the ties between unions and the Democratic Party are numerous and strong. That goes for the Chicago Teachers Union and the administration with which they are bargaining. As Randi Weingarten, the head of the CTU’s parent...
On Labor Day, the Chicago Teachers Union held its protest in preparation for a strike that is set to begin on Sept. 10, unless negotiations with Chicago Public Schools result in a contract.The protest served two functions: first, as a sort of threat display designed to demonstrate to CPS officials and Mayor Rahm Emanuel that...
During Gov. Quinn’s DNC address, he invoked John Adams’ famous line, “facts are stubborn things.” Quinn presented his facts about President Obama’s track record. Quinn presented his facts about Governor Romney’s track record. And Quinn presented his facts about Congressman Ryan’s track record. There was one track record that Quinn failed to mention. His own....
As thousands of families throughout Chicago watched anxiously, the process of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement turned melodramatic at a Chicago Teachers Union Labor Day rally. CTU President Karen Lewis called Mayor Rahm Emanuel “a liar and a bully”, while teachers and representatives of several other unions chanted “enough is enough” and other slogans intended...