Strike cost Chicago students 5 days; Amendment 1 could cost them many more

By Ann Miller

01/12/2022

Voters will decide Nov. 8 whether the Chicago Teachers Union will have a permanent right to walk out on students for whatever reason union bosses decide.

TAGS: Amendment 1, COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago Teachers Union ends walkout after students lose 5 days

By Dylan Sharkey

01/11/2022

Chicago students will be back in classes Jan. 12 after losing five days of instruction thanks to a walkout by the Chicago Teachers Union. The union forced more COVID-19 testing, but damaged students’ educations for the third time in 27 months to do so.

TAGS: COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago Public Schools rejects opt-out testing solution

By Dylan Sharkey

01/10/2022

CPS rejected a proposal from the Chicago Teachers Union that would have tested randomly selected students. Mayor Lighfoot says parents opting in is non-negotiable

TAGS: COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Nonprofit offers $5 million in grant money for Chicago families harmed by CTU walkout

By Dylan Sharkey

01/07/2022

A nonprofit is dedicating $5 million in rescue funds to create more opportunities for students shut out of classrooms while negotiations between Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools drag on.

TAGS: COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Lightfoot fights back against CTU, withholds pay and considering legal action

By Dylan Sharkey

01/06/2022

In the ongoing CPS-CTU feud, Mayor Lightfoot says teachers on strike will be docked pay, and the city is considering legal recourse. The union says classrooms aren’t safe, and they won’t budge until COVID cases drop or demands are met.

TAGS: COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, Lori Lightfoot

Day 2 of Chicago Teachers Union walkout costs students

By Brad Weisenstein

01/05/2022

The Chicago Teachers Union’s refusal to conduct in-person classes is idling students for a second day. Students pay the price for a union ignoring the public health experts and other large districts.

TAGS: COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago parents had 8 hours’ notice of teachers union walkout

By Dylan Sharkey

01/05/2022

Not only were there few hours to find child care for working families, but the word came as most people were asleep that the Chicago Teachers Union was forcing schools to close the next day.

TAGS: COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, remote learning

Lightfoot trying to save Chicago youngsters from kids’ meal soda pop

By Patrick Andriesen

12/17/2021

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants to require Chicago restaurants to first offer a selection of government-approved healthy drink options for kids’ meals. Restaurants would be barred from advertising sugary beverage options.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, Lori Lightfoot, soda

Chicago schools prep for omicron, let some unvaccinated students test out of COVID-19 quarantine

By Dylan Sharkey

12/02/2021

Chicago Public Schools will increase testing and give unvaccinated students a chance to test out of quarantine after exposure to COVID-19. Administrators are bracing for the omicron variant

TAGS: COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, vaccine mandate

Chicago schools cancel class for COVID-19 ‘Vaccine Awareness Day’

By Dylan Sharkey

11/05/2021

Chicago Public Schools declared a day off for students ages 5 to 11 to get their COVID-19 shots. But little notice and the fact the vaccines were just approved for younger children mean parents face challenges to actually getting shots for their kids.

TAGS: COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Unions flood politicians with cash: How it buys clout in Illinois General Assembly

Government unions in Illinois have tremendous power. Most are allowed to go on strike and can bargain over virtually anything.1 It creates an uneven playing field, with unions able to demand costly provisions in their contracts and threaten to strike – denying Illinoisans needed services – to get what they want.2 Until recently, the potential...

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Unions flood politicians with cash: How it buys clout in Illinois General Assembly

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Toni Larocco

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students