Oct 25, 2019

Chicago teacher strike to continue as district, union fail to reach deal

Photo: Scott Heins/Getty Images

Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union failed to reach an agreement Thursday after a week-long strike, leaving classes canceled again Friday in the nation's 3rd largest school district, per the AP.

The big picture: Nearly 25,000 members of the union went on strike Oct. 17 over issues including class sizes and school staffing. Both sides say they've made progress, but have not yet reached a resolution.

Classes were cancelled for more than 300,000 students in the Chicago area, possibly rendering a slew of student athletes ineligible to compete in upcoming state competitions.

Go deeper: Unions shrink fast in swing states

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Orion Rummler

Chicago schools reach tentative agreement to end strike

Supporters of the teachers strike in Chicago, Oct. 23. Photo: Scott Heins/Getty Images

Chicago public school teachers, who have been on strike since Oct. 17, fighting for reduced class sizes, more resources and a 15% raise over the next three years, reached a tentative agreement with the city on Thursday, AP reports.

Where it stands: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot committed to making up five days of canceled classes that resulted from the 11-day strike, AP reports. About 300,000 students and their teachers are expected to return to classrooms on Friday.

Go deeperOct 31, 2019

Marisa Fernandez

America's massive teacher shortage is stunting student learning

Chicago public school teachers and their supporters picket on Oct. 17. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

There's a shortfall in education across the U.S., with more than 300,000 unfilled public teaching jobs needed to keep up with enrollment, according to an analysis from the Economic Policy Institute.

Driving the news: 25,000 Chicago Public School teachers have been on strike for more than a week, asking for capped class sizes, higher salaries and more hiring capacity for teachers' assistants and nurses. The number of teachers picketing hit a 7-year high, according to BLS data.

Go deeperOct 26, 2019

Rebecca Falconer

Kamala Harris introduces bill to keep schools open later each day

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during a Nov. 1 event in Des Moines, Iowa. Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) introduced a bill Tuesday that would encourage schools to keep schools open three hours longer on weekdays to fit better with parents' work schedules.

"My bill provides an innovative solution that will help reduce the burden of child care on working families. It is time we modernize the school schedule to better meet the needs of our students and their families."

— Harris' statement on the Family Friendly Schools bill

Go deeperNov 7, 2019