Teachers For Social Justice: Chicago Teachers Stand UP!

Teachers For Social Justice: Chicago Teachers Stand UP!:

Chicago Teachers Stand UP!

by sarah-ji

After 17 years of the tyranny of high stakes tests, business-managers running the schools, school closings, disinvestment in neighborhood public schools and turning them over to private operators, teachers have had enough. The 30,000 members of the Chicago Teachers Union are standing up to the bankers and corporate interests who are dismantling public education and destroying teaching and learning. The city that has been the birthplace of corporate “reform” is now the epicenter of the fight against it. Rahm and the CPS negotiators are not budging on key issues: smaller class size, adequate school support staff (nurses, social workers, paraprofessionals), rehiring experienced laid off teachers, and fair compensation. And, in many schools, CPS is not implementing the agreement for a better school day, not just a longer day, as promised. Rahm and the Board of Ed are pushing the teachers toward a strike. Teachers do not want a strike, but they are preparing to do what it takes to win a fair and equitable contract that will help children get the education they deserve and stop CPS from trampling on the rights of teachers. This is a strategic battle for public education. The eyes of the country are on Chicago.

The national education privatizers (Stand For Children, Education Reform Now, etc.) are pouring resources into Chicago to defeat the CTU. We have to mobilize all our grassroots resources against them.

Solidarity with the CTU

What we can do:

• PARTICIPATE IN A COMMUNITY FORUM
• GET INFORMED. Read: The Schools Chicago Students Deserve 
• ORGANIZE A MEETING in your home/community/place of worship to discuss the issues and what is at stake. TSJ can help with this. Email at teachersforjustice@hotmail.com
• DONATE TO THE SOLIDARITY FUND Contribute to the CTU Solidarity Fund 
• IF THERE IS A STRIKE: TSJ will mobilize to support the picket lines, get out information to the public, and support community organizations offering programs for children. Email us to get involved: teachersforjustice@hotmail.com
• WATCH THE CTU and TSJ WEBSITES, EMAILS, FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES

Delegates Vote Overwhelmingly For Union to Issue

10-Day Strike Notice; No Strike Date Set

CHICAGO – Yesterday during a labor meeting at Lane Tech High School, delegates of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) gave its president the go-ahead to issue a 10-day strike notice at her discretion.  Contract negotiations have been slow-moving and major proposals have yet to be resolved.  CTU has been in contract negotiations since November 2011.

(Click here for latest bargaining update.)

However, CTU President Karen Lewis cautioned that no one should infer when or if a 10-day notice will be issued by the Union or that an official work stoppage has been called. “Although we have inched one step closer to fulfilling the legal requirements before we can strike, we have made no decision to do so at this time,” she said. “Union leaders will go back to their schools to share the Board’s contract proposals with members and to discuss next steps. But we want our members prepared.” 

Lewis said in the meantime, teachers and other education personnel will continue informational picketing at 240 schools this week. She said the action is needed to inform parents and the public about what’s really at stake and why a fair and equitable contract will help ensure students get the education they deserve and educators’ rights are not trampled upon. 

Teachers, paraprofessionals and school clinicians are insulted by CPS’ contract proposals which they believe are bad for students. “You cannot have a first-class school system by putting students and educators last,” Lewis said. “CPS has done a yeoman’s job of taking the joy out of teaching-and-learning---26,000 of us are fighting to restore it.”

State law requires the Union to present a 10-day notice before a strike can occur.  On Thursday, August 30, CTU members will reconvene to determine if they will head for a walk-out.

###

 The Chicago Teachers Union represents 30,000 teachers and educational support personnel working in the Chicago Public Schools and, by extension, the students and families they serve. CTU, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers, is the third largest teachers local in the country and the largest local union in Illinois. For more information visit CTU’s website at www.ctunet.com.

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“Failing Schools” Narrative a Tactic to Privatize Public Education and Destroy Unions | FDL News Desk

“Failing Schools” Narrative a Tactic to Privatize Public Education and Destroy Unions | FDL News Desk:

“Failing Schools” Narrative a Tactic to Privatize Public Education and Destroy Unions

by David Dayen

(photo: ChrisM70 / flickr)

The Obama campaign has recently tried to squeeze their opponent on the issue of education, leading to anomalous situations like Obama criticizing Romney for supporting class size increases that his own Education Secretary agrees with. There is probably a debate to be had between the two campaigns over education, one that comes down mostly to resources. But the philosophy underpinning both sides on education comes from a similar place – the idea that America is slipping behind the rest of the world on education, and that drastic measures must be taken to reverse that trend. Usually these drastic measures fall directly on the heads of teachers and more specifically their unions.
There’s one problem with this scenario – the premise is wrong. An excellent article at Mother Jones takes issue with the idea that American education is all about “failing schools” and lower standards and backsliding on teaching our young people. In fact, Kristina Rizga takes a look at one so-called failing school and finds that, actually, it’s doing pretty well:

At Mission High, the struggling school she’d chosen against the advice of her friends and relatives, Maria earned high grades in math and some days caught herself speaking English even with her Spanish-speaking teachers. By 11th grade, she wrote long papers on complex topics like desegregation and the war in Iraq. She became addicted to winning debates in class, despite her 

Union head on teachers' tenure: "It can't be a job for life" - CBS News

Union head on teachers' tenure: "It can't be a job for life" - CBS News:

Union head on teachers' tenure: "It can't be a job for life"

• inShare
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Randi Weingarten, president of the national American Federation of Teachers, waits to speak to a group of teachers and union laborers on the steps of Providence, R.I., City Hall, March 2, 2011. (AP/Stew Milne)

(CBS News) Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the country's second largest union, joined "CBS This Morning" Thursday to discuss the education debate on the campaign trail and to introduce a new initiative to help teachers share resources.

Weingarten on "Waiting for Superman"

Weingarten spoke to the "CTM" co-hosts about how she thinks the presidential candidates should be framing the debate about education out on the campaign trail.

"The debate ought to be about not the rhetorical 'We want to help all kids learn and achieve their potential,'" she challenged. "The debate ought to be about the house. For the last 30 years every presidential candidate has said of course we want all kids to succeed, that is the way we build a middle a class...but what we've fallen down on is the house."

Weingarten said the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" was an "accountability test-

PENSION TELETHON « Teachers Fight Back

PENSION TELETHON « Teachers Fight Back:

PENSION TELETHON

by alkleen

I’ve thought of a way to bring public awareness to the teacher pension problem in Illinois, and at the same time to raise money for the depleted pension fund.  We need to have a “pension telethon”.
I’m sure we can convince the local public television station to broadcast it. We can get super teacher supporter Matt Damon and other celebrities to host it. It could run for the entire Labor Day weekend, oh wait, is Gerry Lewis still alive ? We wouldn’t want to interfere with his Labor Day telethon. We will find some other convenient weekend.
I can see it now. A room filled with retired teachers and others manning huge phone banks. Retired teachers with artistic talents could provide entertainment if we can’t find real entertainers to volunteer. I can hear a host saying, “we all want to help these poor (soon to be poorer) retired teachers. Who doesn’t owe some of their success to a teacher that they once had in school ? Now is the time to repay these hard-working people who are now retired and about to be asked to give up some of their guaranteed pension money.”
We can have gifts for those people willing to donate to the cause. “Donate $50 and receive this handsome engraved mug. On the mug are the words, “I helped restore the stolen pension money”.  “Donate $100 and receive this fine dart board that has the names of previous legislative leaders who sat by and did nothing while the pension fund was looted and underfunded.”  “Donate $200 and receive the mug, dartboard and this fine T-shirt with the following inscription, I SUPPORT RETIRED ILLINOIS TEACHERS.”
Very generous donors will want to contribute to the, “adopt a retired teacher program”.  For a $5,000 donation, your money will go directly to support one of our Illinois teachers who currently receives a pension of under $25,000. (Full disclosure – I would qualify for that). For your donation you will receive a T-shirt with a picture of the adopted retiree. The T-shirt will say, “Teachers helped make me a success, it’s my time to return the favor”.
All the retired teachers who are manning the phones and any retiree that makes an appearance on the telethon needs to look their worst on that day. Wear shabby clothes, have a downtrodden, weary expression on your face. We could have a physician walking around using a stethoscope on a couple of retirees who have feigned collapsing from overwork at the phone bank.
Retired teachers are currently losing the public relations battle here in Illinois.  The average Illinois resident wrongly believes retired teachers have bankrupted the state and are living in luxury. We need to do everything we can to reverse that public perception and do it quickly before the November elections. This telethon is just one possible solution among many. Let’s get to work teachers, save your pension. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Teachers For Social Justice: Teacher Activist Groups Network Stands with CTU

Teachers For Social Justice: Teacher Activist Groups Network Stands with CTU:

Teacher Activist Groups Network Stands with CTU

by sarah-ji

A Message From Teacher Activist Groups (TAG)
A National Network (including TSJ) 

Dear Educators and Allies,

Chicago has been the focus of corporate school “reform,” but Chicago is now the epicenter of the push back against it.  The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), along with parent and community allies is leading the fight, with the possibility of going on strike.  In support, Teacher Activist Groups (TAG) invites you to join our campaign, Solidarity with Chicago Teachers, a web page where you can find up-to-date information on what’s happening as well as an opportunity to pledge your solidarity by posting a testimonial, teaching a related lesson, organizing a discussion and solidarity from your union, school, or education program, and/or contributing to the CTU solidarity fund.

Last year, the Illinois legislature, with support of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, passed an anti-union bill mandating 

Campaign for an Elected Representative School Board in Chicago

by sarah-ji

TSJ is part of a city-wide coalition –Communities Organized for Democracy in Education (CODE) to win an elected representative school board in Chicago. This is a necessary first step to bring democracy back to public education and to hold those run the schools accountable to the communities they serve.

The CODE Mission - Democracy in Education

Our mission is to bring a wide range of voices together who care deeply about improving
the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) by making them run more democratically. Our first
goal is to change the way the CPS Board of Education is selected. Rather than the mayor
appointing members at his sole discretion, CODE members believe that the school board
should be elected and representative of the diverse communities of our city. An elected
representative school board would lead to CPS policies that are more in line with what
parents, students, teachers and other community members know is best for our public
schools.

Throughout July and the beginning of August, members of CODE organizations, from Altgeld Gardens, to Rogers Park, to Little Village, to Logan Square, to Bronzeville went door to door gathering peititions for an advisory referendum on the November ballot for an elected representative school board. On August 6 we turned in over 10,000 petitions, in 204 precincts, in 26 wards! This is a powerful beginning for a grassroots diverse citywide coalition fighting for equitable quality education for all our children.

For more information
https://sites.google.com/site/codechicago/

NYC Public School Parents: Do you think Class Size Matters? If so, please tell the President and Arne Duncan!

NYC Public School Parents: Do you think Class Size Matters? If so, please tell the President and Arne Duncan!:

Do you think Class Size Matters? If so, please tell the President and Arne Duncan!

by Leonie Haimson

 

Yesterday, the President put out a new campaign ad about the importance of class size (see below.).

This goes along with an excellent White House report released last weekend, prepared by the Council of Economic Advisers on the benefits of smaller classes.  

We immediately put out a press release, along with other parent leaders from throughout the country, thanking the President for this report, but pointing out that his administration has proposed an education budget that would cut $650M from federal class size reduction funds.

His Education Secretary Arne Duncan has also told right wing groups over the last few years that he thinks that schools should respond to budget cuts with “smartly targeted increases in class size.” 

Last night, the President made another speech about the importance of smaller classes in Nevada, and he tweeted the following message:

Use the hashtag #ClassSizeMatters to share why you think our kids need more teachers in the classroom.

Parsing Charter School Disability Enrollments in PA and NJ « School Finance 101

Parsing Charter School Disability Enrollments in PA and NJ « School Finance 101:

Parsing Charter School Disability Enrollments in PA and NJ

by schoolfinance101

Here are a few quick figures that parse the disability classifications of children with disabilities served by charter schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Two previous posts set the stage for this comparison. In one, I explained how charter schools in the city of Newark, NJ, by taking on fewer low income students, far fewer LEP/ELL students and very few children with disabilities other than those with the mildest/lowest cost disabilities (specific learning disability and speech/language impairment) are leaving behind a much higher need, higher cost population for the district schools to serve.
Effects of Charter Enrollment on District Enrollment in Newark:

Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan Differ On Standardized Testing In Schools

Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan Differ On Standardized Testing In Schools:

Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan Differ On Standardized Testing In Schools

by Joy Resmovits

In roundtables with teachers and visits to classrooms, President Barack Obama is continuing to attack the GOP ticket on education this week, from Mitt Romney's record to the snip-happy budget of vice presidential pick Paul Ryan.

Obama for America released an advertisement that is playing in Ohio and Virginia on Thursday, asserting that Romney "cannot relate" to public school issues, such as the need for smaller class sizes. The video also criticizes "teaching to some test," referring to an oft-repeated criticism of the No Child Left Behind law, which ties school funding to standardized test scores.

The Romney campaign quickly shot back with a statement calling the education ad one of several "misleading and hypocritical attacks." While Romney's statement responded to the ad -- such as Obama's references to 

Media Spin About Vouchers « Diane Ravitch's blog

Media Spin About Vouchers « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Media Spin About Vouchers

by dianerav

The Wall Street Journal has an odd article today trumpeting “A Generation of School Voucher Success” by voucher advocate Paul Peterson of Harvard and Matthew Chingos of the Brookings Institution.
The article is based on a study of a privately funded voucher program in New York City and its effects on college enrollments of those who received vouchers.
The study concluded that “Overall, no significant impacts are observed.”
However, there were statistically significant gains in the college enrollment rates of black students, and statistically insignificant gains for Hispanics.
Why the difference? It’s not clear, but consider what the study says about the two groups compared:

Pat Quinn. Now and always a political snake oil salesman. « Fred Klonsky

Pat Quinn. Now and always a political snake oil salesman. « Fred Klonsky:

Pat Quinn. Now and always a political snake oil salesman.

by Fred Klonsky

Jim Broadway publishes the valuable Illinois School Policy Updates. You might want to subscribe.
In his most recent edition, Broadway addresses Constitutional Amendment 49. It will be on the ballot in November.
He also reminds his readers of the political history of Pat Quinn.
Broadway also gets into some stuff about FDR’s views on public worker unions. But that’s mostly crap. After all, FDR also supported the internment of Japanese American citizens during World War II. Let’s not use him as if his words were final on all things right and wrong.
Being reminded of Quinn’s political history is interesting in light of conversations I’ve had with some progressives

Smaller class size.

by Fred Klonsky

Chicago Teachers Picket Board Of Education, Hold 'Practice Strikes' (VIDEO):

Chicago Teachers Picket Board Of Education, Hold 'Practice Strikes' (VIDEO)

Posted: 08/23/2012 11:15 am Updated: 08/23/2012 11:59 am

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Members of the Chicago Teachers Union hold an informational picket outside Willa Cather Elementary School, calling attention to ongoing contract talks with the Board of Education on Monday, Aug. 20, 2012 in Chicago. The union says it is still trying to reach an agreement on wages, health benefits, and job security. (AP Photo/Sitthixay Ditthavong)

Exactly one week after the first crop of Chicago Public School students started classes, members and supporters of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) took to the streets with picket signs.

The union has been embroiled in a months-long standoff with the school district and the city over stalled contract negotiations, and a longer school day they say was implemented without necessary input from teachers.

CTU President Karen Lewis has been threatening the school board with a strike.

"At this point we need to understand where people are emotionally and where they are in terms of how they feel about the situation at hand, and what they know,"

Daily Kos: Educators Have No Political Party

Daily Kos: Educators Have No Political Party:

Educators Have No Political Party

byplthomasEdDFollow

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For about thirty years now, public education as well as its teachers and students have been the focus of an accountability era driven by recurring calls for and the implementation of so-called higher standards and incessant testing. At two points during this era, educators could blame Ronald Reagan's administration for feeding the media frenzy around the misleading A Nation at Risk and George W. Bush's administration for federalizing the accountability era with No Child Left Behind (NCLB)—both Republican administrations.

For those who argued that Republicans and Democrats were different sides of the same political coin beholden to corporate interests, education advocates could point to Republicans with an accusatory finger and claim the GOP was anti-public education while also endorsing Democrats as unwavering supporters of public education. To claim Republicans and Democrats were essentially the same was left to extremists and radicals, it seemed.

As we approach the fall of 2012 and the next presidential election, however, educators and 

Kenzo Shibata: The Battle of Chicago Teachers Union Vs. Out-of-Town Billionaires

Kenzo Shibata: The Battle of Chicago Teachers Union Vs. Out-of-Town Billionaires:

The Battle of Chicago Teachers Union Vs. Out-of-Town Billionaires

Kenzo Shibata

Chicago Educator, Writer, Public Schools Advocate

In a recently released video, Chicago Teachers Union shows the games played by wealthy elites to smear the Union in the midst of heated contract negotiations. Chicago Teachers Union has maintained that it will not bargain in the press over a fair contract, but associates of Mayor Rahm Emanuel have apparently used backroom deals in Springfield,paid protesters and even members of the Michigan Tea Party to distort the public's image of the Union.

The video, "Astroturf Billionaires Vs. The Chicago Teachers Union" shows all of these tricks in graphic detail.

Full 24-minute video "Chicago Teachers Union Vs. Astroturf Billionaires"
The video begins with footage Tea Party blogger Andrew Marcus boasting about how he worked with Mayor Rahm Emanuel "against the Unions in this town." Marcus directed the film A Tale of Two Missions -- an anti-public school video featuring a candid interview with Mayor Emanuel. Tale of Two Missions was produced by a Tea Party-backed group in Michigan called the Education Action Group.

This one-minute clip shows Marcus and Edelman boasting.
The first half of the EAG video was essentially an infomercial for The Nobel Street Charter School Network while the second half was essentially a smear video against Chicago Teachers Union. In the video, Mayor Rahm Emanuel explains that charter schools seem to have a "secret sauce" to success.

It seemed strange that Emanuel, a longtime member and leader of the Democratic Party