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Friday, March 22, 2013

UPDATE: The zombies have left the building + The big noise from Springfield. | Fred Klonsky

The big noise from Springfield. | Fred Klonsky:



Illinois Senate adjourns until April. No pension deal. You can let the children out now. The zombies have left the building.



Ten minute drawing. Every public school is my school.

dewey

Click on drawing to enlarge.



The in box. Jackson Potter, CTU Staff Coordinator.

You probably heard yesterday that the school district plans to close, co-locate and turnaround 70 schools this year. Your sisters and brothers in the CTU will stand tall with you during these difficult times. You have newly won rights in this situation, and our field staff will help you assert them, should the need arise.
The CTU will continue to fight any and all school closings or other actions that displace our members and harm the education of our students. We are planning a mass rally on March 27th, we are developing legal challenges to these closings, we will continue to pursue legislative action, and we will continue working with our members and community to build a mass movement to stop this massive privatization drive. Rahm Emanuel and his handpicked Board of Education are attempting the largest mass school closing in the history of the nation—but the mayor is more vulnerable now than ever, thanks to the strength we have all built together with parents, students 


The big noise from Springfield.

klickna
Wednesday the Senate passed SB1 by one vote. It is a bad pension bill sponsored by Democratic Party Senate President John Cullerton. It was directed only at current TRS members, excluding retirees.
Yesterday the House passed a HB1165 – a bad pension bill that includes cutting the benefits of current retirees.
Lawyers on all sides are sharpening their knives.
And Madigan is by all accounts, not done.
Glen has supplied a list of “screw-the-constitution” Senators to call.
The thing I have been wondering about is why has the IEA been so quiet (even by their standards) in the days