Chicago Teachers Union tweaks Emanuel
School reform legislation portrayed as a loss for mayor-elect
The Chicago Teachers Union jabbed at Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel on Thursday over education reforms pending in Springfield, a sign that upcoming talks on a new contract might not be easy.
The changes would require that 75 percent of union members approve a strike and allow Chicago Public Schools leaders to lengthen the time kids are in school without having to negotiate. Unions still could bargain over additional pay or benefits if more time is added.
The teachers union supports the measure, but its president, Karen Lewis, tried to portray the breakthrough as a loss for Emanuel.
"Mr. Emanuel came to Springfield looking to tack on two hours to the school day and two weeks to the
Brizard at the center of lawsuits stemming from his time in Rochester
In three years as superintendent of the school district in Rochester, N.Y., Jean-Claude Brizardwas targeted in at least two federal lawsuits, including an ongoing discrimination case, that hint at a leader impatient with those unable to match his aggressive pace of reform.
A high-ranking administrator in Rochester whom Brizard fired last year accused Chicago Public Schools' newly appointed chief executive of making derogatory comments about age, including saying "You all are old" to top management staff.
He also was accused in a federal lawsuit filed in July 2010 of bias against "strong black women" on his staff and contributing to a hostile working environment. Brizard, a Haitian immigrant, is black.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission previously had determined there was enough evidence to proceed with a suit, saying in a non-binding opinion that Brizard dismissed the longtime
