Despite strike tension and disagreement, teachers unions will push hard for Obama
The head of one of the country’s largest teachers unions knows all too well the frustrations of her rank and file – many of whom vehemently disagree with some of President Barack Obama’s education policies.
Chicago Teachers Union members picket Monday morning at John Marshall Metropolitan High School on the city’s West Side. Marshall is one of 144 schools where Chicago Public Schools is inviting parents to bring students for morning activities and meals during the strike. (WBEZ/Chip Mitchell)
At the same time, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, is clear in both her support for Obama and her solidarity with Chicago’s teaching force as their strike over unfair labor practices continues into its second day.
And she is prepared to go head-to-head with Obama’s former chief of staff and key advisor, Chicago’s
The strike over student ‘growth’: Chicago teachers’ protest reflects a national feud
Striking teachers in Chicago are fighting a contentious education reform that could overhaul how teachers are paid and evaluated, highlighting the difficulty of judging teachers by the performance of their students.
A 2010 law passed in Illinois requires that all schools in the state adopt a new evaluation system by the 2016-
Chicago Teachers Union members picket Monday morning at John Marshall Metropolitan High School on the city’s West Side. Marshall is one of 144 schools where Chicago Public Schools is inviting parents to bring students for morning activities and meals during the strike. (WBEZ/Chip Mitchell)
While the debate plays out dramatically in Illinois, new teacher evaluation systems have created conflict in other states, including Florida and Tennessee, which now use students’ standardized test scores in their evaluations of teachers. And the stakes of such evaluations are increasing in many places, with personnel decisions often hinging on the results.A 2010 law passed in Illinois requires that all schools in the state adopt a new evaluation system by the 2016-