Teachers Union Chief Calls CPS' $100M in School Cuts an 'Act of War'
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis and Vice President Jesse Sharkey (r.) say CPS' actions could speed a teacher strike. DNAinfo/Ted Cox
THE LOOP — Rebuffed by teachers who rejected a contract proposal Monday, the Chicago Public Schools chief announced $100 million in cuts Tuesday to take effect "as quickly as possible," while halting the so-called 7 percent pension pickup for teachers.
"We're gonna do our very best to avoid teacher layoffs," Chief Executive Officer Forrest Claypool said in a news conference at CPS headquarters. He added that the $100 million in school budget cuts meant support staff would be "disproportionately affected," and that individual principals would be consulted on the best ways to cut costs as the second semester begins Monday.
"This is something I'd hoped to avoid at all costs," Claypool said. "We do not want to do this. ... [But] we can no longer wait."
According to Claypool, the cuts were necessary as CPS has not received an extra $480 million in funding the district budgeted for this school year even though it was never authorized by the General Assembly. Many of the cuts were targeted to take effect for the second semester beginning Monday.
"We all have to move with very deliberate haste," said CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner.
Combined with layoffs at the CPS Central Offices announced last month and other cuts, including a total annual pension reduction of $170 million, Claypool estimated the total worth at $320 million.
That includes a halt to the so-called pension pickup for teachers. CPS pays 7 percentage points of the 9 percent of pay teachers are obliged to contribute for their pensions. According to Bittner, the district also plays 9 percent as an employer contribution, or 16 percent points of the teachers' overall 18 percent contribution.
Claypool said halting the 7 percent pension pickup would save $130 million annually or $65 million for the rest of the school year. An additional $40 million a year would come from pension cuts for other staff.
Yet that's been a hot-button issue for teachers, with Chicago Teachers Union President Teachers Union Chief Calls CPS' $100M in School Cuts an 'Act of War' - The Loop - DNAinfo.com Chicago: