Chicago Teachers Strike tonight Midnight!!!!

This is horrible horrible news, it looks like the Chicago Teachers Union and the city of Chicago couldnt come to an agreement with their contract negotiations and word just broke here in Chicago that the union will be going on strike at midnight tonight 9/9/2012.... So that means 30,000 teachers wont be going to work tomorrow and over 400,000 students wont be learning anything... To say this is horrible would be an understatement...

"Negotiations have been intense but productive, but we have failed to reach an agreement that would prevent a labor strike," Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis told reporters late Sunday night.

The looming strike in the nation's third largest school system -- the first in 25 years -- will affect nearly 700 schools and about 400,000 students, including some from neighborhoods struggling with crime and gang problems. The union itself has about 30,000 members.

I was watching Sunday night football it was 3rd quarter and across the screen popped up Special News, I already had a feeling it was bad news, sadly, i was right...

What really worries me is knowing about the crime wave going on in the south-west sides of the city where these kids need a break from the streets and could use some definite time in the classroom...

This strike has to be resolved sooner than later, but it seems like it could be later with both sides standing tough with this negotiation.

And this last part is a little off topic, but Mayor Rahm Emanuel needs to get his a$$ to these negotiations and stop following Obama around at the DNC functions, the city of Chicago needs him, these children need him, they need their mayor to do his job resolving these issues...

www.chicagotribune.com...

Nice to see everyone putting the kids first. As usual.

reply to post by jhn7537

The only good outcome to this, would be the Teacher's Unions finally showing how utterly heavy handed they really are. They have placed their charges in danger, for the sake of power and greed. I hope people kick them to the curb....

Chicago should pull a Reagan, like during the air traffic controllers union strike...fire all their happy asses, hire all new teachers. The ones who want a job, who want to teach.

Des

reply to post by Destinyone


I dont care what they do to get teachers back in the classroom teaching these kids, just find a way and get'r done... CPS system is already struggling, any set back like this just compounds the problem we're already seeing... Hopefully an agreement is reached tomorrow... Im happy that they're keeping these negotiations open...

Just think about the parents who work and need to have their kids in school... Now what do they do to care for their kids? Maybe they didnt plan for this, maybe they need to work and cant take off time to watch their young kids...

So the teahers union (according to the OP's source) are upset over getting 71,000 dollars/year and that they have to take evaluations to determine if they are capable of teaching.

*whaa*

And people wonder why unions are looked upon in disgust.

Originally posted by beezzer
So the teahers union (according to the OP's source) are upset over getting 71,000 dollars/year and that they have to take evaluations to determine if they are capable of teaching.

*whaa*

And people wonder why unions are looked upon in disgust.

Unions definitely are a thing of the past... Thats why its tough to deal with them, its always ALL or Nothing, hard to negotiate with that...

I've been trying to find out more info to see if my school was affected.
doubt it, I'm probably too far west.
would have liked to have tomorrow off, though..

Originally posted by jhn7537
reply to post by Destinyone

 

I dont care what they do to get teachers back in the classroom teaching these kids, just find a way and get'r done... CPS system is already struggling, any set back like this just compounds the problem we're already seeing... Hopefully an agreement is reached tomorrow... Im happy that they're keeping these negotiations open...

I agree, teachers need to be in classrooms. But, when do you put your foot down, and just say no to blackmail.

So many teachers don't teach, they pull a paycheck, with immunity to any consequences for not fulfilling their duty as teachers. It has to stop somewhere...where do you suggest it stop. Our economy can't keep making these higher and higher blackmail payments in the name of the children. At the rate schools are closing due to lack of funding, in order to keep paying higher union rates, where do you draw the line. Do you wait until there are no more schools, just huge federal institutions crammed with thousands of children to keep the unions happy.

Des.....

I had no idea you people taught school at midnight. How bizarre.

The overall general level of education these days is profoundly disturbing. Rare cases of intelligence pop up from time to time, some make the news with a new idea that saves millions and detects potential cancers thousands of times earlier, while others you find can play a classical instrument like they had never played anything else...

And then. in general. YOLO!!

I wonder how much damage a teachers strike would actually cause to students who genuinely want to learn as opposed to those who would think of it as schoolies week in the middle of the year.

Originally posted by novemberecho
I've been trying to find out more info to see if my school was affected.
doubt it, I'm probably too far west.
would have liked to have tomorrow off, though..

They said its roughly 700 schools... Are you in cook county?

reply to post by jhn7537

To close a $665 million deficit for the budget year that began in July, the district drained financial reserves and levied property taxes at the highest level allowed by law.

"It is readily apparent that the district may no longer be able to afford its existing pension system," the Civic Federation said.

Chicago teachers make a mean of $61,790 annually for a primary school teacher to $69,470 for high school, according to government figures, which is slightly lower than New York City but a bit higher than Los Angeles. Chicago spends $7,946 a year on instruction per student, which is in line with most school districts in Illinois but well below some of the wealthiest suburban Chicago districts.

The union is concerned that Chicago - which has closed dozens of schools in recent years - may close scores more because of falling enrollment or poor performance. Emanuel wants to expand the number of charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run. Most charter schools are non-union and have gotten mixed student results. The union argues that the city is draining funds from public schools for charters.

More than 80 percent of Chicago students qualify for free lunches because they come from low-income households.

Factbox: Chicago teachers dispute is over school reform, money

Lots of facts here.

Looks like the Unions want to demand, but cant see the teachers are failing the students. I wouldn't want to pay ANY teacher, that cant get the job done, nor would I want them hiding behind a Union, that protects them.

Originally posted by AkumaStreak
Nice to see everyone putting the kids first. As usual.

Yeah, no kidding... I'm sure the parents are just overjoyed. An unexpected day off for the kids! Oh Ye....Oh no. Daycare? Um...I'll guess not for most people and not when it's the whole city needing it at once.

I predict MANY people are on strike tomorrow whether they ever wanted to be or not. The teachers will take a good % of the parent workforce right down with them. As a parent, just the occasional 'Professional Development" nonsense taking place on scheduled school days was bad enough to work around....this would be over the top. I'm sure all those parents can afford the time off work though..No problem.. it's all worth making sure the Teachers get a few more bucks to take home.

*Ronald Reagan had a solution for this....and he fixed the Air Traffic Controllers real good with it. Maybe Rahm needs to borrow a page from history. I know A LOT of people out of work who would likely make very good and VERY grateful teachers.

Originally posted by beezzer
So the teahers union (according to the OP's source) are upset over getting 71,000 dollars/year....(snip)

71k for 180 days.

Chicago teachers need to get back to instituting social control asap, for the children.

Originally posted by METACOMET

Originally posted by beezzer
So the teahers union (according to the OP's source) are upset over getting 71,000 dollars/year....(snip)

71k for 180 days.

Chicago teachers need to get back to instituting social control asap, for the children.

I believe they also have the shortest school day in the country, 5 hours 30 minutes long

Ah well, you barely learn in ghetto schools anyway

Originally posted by RealSpoke
Ah well, you barely learn in ghetto schools anyway

Sad but true, many of the kids dont want to learn and many of the teachers there dont want to teach... Unfortunately, for the ones who do want to learn/be there, they are the real ones suffering by this strike...

That is really a sad state of affairs. I recently saw that there are many online options for grade school and have been debating going that route. Luckily, though, I really like our school system in my small town. I do have to supplement sometimes though.

Anyway. I have a hard time being for or against unions. I understand their purpose but at the same time think they have too much power. The work I am in...we need something. There was a recent class action lawsuit that made our working conditions better but we didnt need a union..just someone tattling on them breaking the law.

I hope this gets resolved soon though. Maybe once better options gain steam, the kids will finally be the main agenda.

Ok, there's going to be a lot of homeschooled kids this next year.

reply to post by jhn7537


This is why I'm against public unions. My house is held hostage with property taxes to pay these inept teachers to under-educate our children. What the HELL gives them the right to strike for a service I PAID for? For every day they strike, from their personal pay, it should be sent back to every property tax payer.

The strike has a lot more to do with 'Teaching to the Test' than it does a 4% pay raise. The curriculum in public schools across the country is utterly disgusting. Students are taught simply to pass State Standardized tests and taught nothing of true value, this is extremely upsetting to teachers across the nation, but sure let's kust keep demonizing them because they're Union.



democracynow.org

Legally the only thing teachers can strike for is compensation so they're using it... go beyond the rhetoric people, come on.