Chicago teachers strike: The issues
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The teachers strike in Chicago, the third largest public school district in the country with some 350,000 students, is about more than money.
For the first time, teachers in a major school district have walked off 
Teacher Jillian Connolly helps her daughter, Mary, study math problems while picketing outside of the William H.Wells Community High School in Chicago. (Scott Olson/GETTY IMAGES)the job in part to challenge some of the key tenets of modern school reform that have been advanced by the Obama administration and by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was once President Obama’s chief of staff.
Teacher Jillian Connolly helps her daughter, Mary, study math problems while picketing outside of the William H.Wells Community High School in Chicago. (Scott Olson/GETTY IMAGES)the job in part to challenge some of the key tenets of modern school reform that have been advanced by the Obama administration and by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was once President Obama’s chief of staff.
In fact, Karen Lewis, the head of the teachers union, said the two sides were close to agreement on financial matters, but other issues remain outstanding.
While no other teachers union has gone on strike in solidarity, they will be watching to see how this turns out.
More than 26,000 teachers and other unionized school personnel went on strike Monday for the first time in 25 years after the Chicago