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President Barack Obama's home town is in chaos as the Chicago Teachers Union has declared a strike starting Monday for the first time in 25 years, defying former Obama chief of staff, now Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel.
Parents are outraged as children struggling through the city's troubled school system will now miss critical days at the start of the year. Working families are scrambling to make alternative arrangements for child care.
The strike pits Emanuel, a key figure in Obama's political constellation against a vital left-wing constituency--namely, teachers' unions. Teacher pay, benefits, and job security were all issues upon which the two sides failed to agree. However, the broader picture is the political struggle between unions and Democrat politicians as a new wave of Republican reformers and conservative reformist policies has emerged to threaten both.
CHICAGO (CBS) – A day after Chicago Public Schools’ teachers overwhelmingly authorized a strike, CBS 2 wanted to know how much the average teacher earns.
As CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov found out, it depends on who you ask.
Salary figures provided by the Chicago Public Schools show teachers here have the highest average salary of any city in the nation. But, according to the Chicago Teachers Union’s calculations, Chicago teachers would rank second behind New York City.
How Much Do Chicago Public School Teachers Make?
Among other things, the striking teachers oppose plans to hold them accountable for what their students learn in the classroom. Given that the centerpiece of the Obama administration’s education reform strategy is teacher evaluation, the strike marks a major pushback against a national movement.
Originally posted by Kaploink
Another Bretbart biased spin article. Everything is somehow Obama's fault on that site.
From the Christian Science Monitor Link
Among other things, the striking teachers oppose plans to hold them accountable for what their students learn in the classroom. Given that the centerpiece of the Obama administration’s education reform strategy is teacher evaluation, the strike marks a major pushback against a national movement.
So, it appears among other things the teachers are opposing having national requirements placed on local schools. Basically saying they don't want the federal government telling them what they should teach though programs such as "no child left behind"'.
Interesting indeed.edit on 10-9-2012 by Kaploink because: (no reason given)
The new system would eventually use students' standardized test scores as 40 percent of a teacher's yearly evaluation. Teachers who don't improve their students' test scores would be fired.
Many Democrats, including Emanuel's former boss President Barack Obama, embrace this test-based way of judging educators. The president's "Race to the Top" federal program awarded money to states that agreed to rate teachers this way and institute other reforms, like encouraging the creation of more independent charter schools.
Working families are scrambling to make alternative arrangements for child care.
* - Chicago teachers have the highest average salary of any city at $76,000 a year before benefits.
* - Yet the teachers rejected a 16 percent salary increase over four years.
* - Teachers pay only 3 percent of their health-care costs.
* - out of every new dollar set aside for public education in Illinois in the last five years, a full 71 cents has gone to teacher retirement costs.
* - But beyond the dollars, the fact is that Chicago schools need a fundamental shakeup — which of course the union is resisting. It is calling for changes in the teacher-evaluation system it just negotiated by making student performance less important.
* - Just 15 percent of fourth graders are proficient in reading and only 56 percent of students who enter their freshman year of high school wind up graduating.
Mallory, education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet.
Sam Seaborn
Originally posted by macman
reply to post by xuenchen
Got to love the fact that the teachers there are some of the highest pay of any area in the US, yet they are whining about pay, when they were offered 16% pay increase (Who gets a 16% increase these days??) and use students to protest with them.
Chicago teachers, quit crying and go back to work.
If the pay sucks, go get a different job.
What a bunch of cry babies.
Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck
If they are turning down 16% (over how long?), then what is it that has them upset?
Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck
As to getting a different job, funny how many people are ready to cheap-out on their children's education by hiring less qualified people who will do the job for less money. Google 'race to the bottom'.
Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck
Always lots'a dough for the military, though.
Originally posted by hollwd
reply to post by jibeho
Its a F&^%N set up / plan what ever.. they do not get zip.. if they can't take the 16% it is not a real strike them. NO one has good jobs now they are just lucky they have a job and most people still have kids.. so a never ending job to boot.. GOT OVER IT.. or better yet FIRE them ALL.. I am sure there are LOTS of out of work people who would Love to move there and teach.. I hear there are LOTS OF EMPTY houses there also...A good way to grow the city..