Chicago school teachers give us all a lesson - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Chicago school teachers give us all a lesson - Opinion - Al Jazeera English:

Chicago school teachers give us all a lesson

Two-thirds of parents supported the Chicago school teachers' protest in spite of the inconvenience caused by the strike. Last Modified: 17 Sep 2012 10:13 inShare1 Email Print Share Feedback

Firings based narrowly on test scores may cause "many dedicated and competent teachers to lose their jobs" [EPA]

We don't know the final terms of the settlement yet, but it appears that the Chicago public school teachers managed to score a major victory over Rahm Emanuel, Chicago's business-oriented mayor. Testing will not comprise as large a share in teachers’ evaluations as Emanuel had wanted; there will be a serious appeals process for teachers whom the school district wants to fire, and laid off teachers will have priority in applying for new positions. If these seem like narrow self-interested gains for the teachers and their union, think again. Teaching in inner city schools is a difficult and demanding job. Most of the children in Chicago's public schools are poor. Their families are struggling with all the issues presented by poverty. Many of the schools are in high crime areas and serious crimes often take place on school premises. It can