Teachers union and CPS inch closer to a contract
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Chicago Teachers Union president Stacy Davis Gates speaks at a CTU rally. Photo: Scott Heins/Getty Images
After months of drama, the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools are inching closer to a final labor contract.
Why it matters: Labor peace could quell some of the turmoil that's plagued the district in recent months, and head off a strike — albeit an unlikely one, given the CTUs close ties with Mayor Brandon Johnson — that could keep kids out of school.
Catch up quick: Over the holiday break, Johnson's interim school board fired CEO Pedro Martinez, but without cause, allowing him to stay in the job for another six months.
- Martinez continues to lead negotiations, a point reinforced by a judge last month after the CEO accused interim board members of negotiating without him.
Here are some points of tentative agreements and areas of continued friction:
Agreements:
- Expanding the number of sustainable community schools — offering academic, health and social supports beyond the school day — from 20 to 70 over the next four years.
- Hiring more English as a second language teachers and other staffers for students with special needs.
- Looking for ways to offer housing help to homeless students.
Sticking points:
- Evaluations: The CTU wants to change the current teacher evaluation system, which is based, in part, on student progress and often unintentionally penalizes educators who teach Black students.
- Prep time: The CTU wants to give elementary school teachers more preparation time by expanding "enrichment classes" like music. CPS officials say teachers already have an average of 330 minutes per week (while New York has 240 and San Diego 90), and more enrichment would rob students of core learning time, Chalkbeat reports.
- Pay: CPS is offering raises of at least 16% over four years that would bring the average teacher's salary to $110,000 by the end of the contract. CTU called it a "decent initial offer" but continues to push for more.
- Other issues: Caps on middle-grade class sizes, more librarians and guarantees that the raises won't come with furloughs or layoffs.
The intrigue: The service workers union (SEIU) is threatening to sue over a CTU proposal that SEIU claims would replace SEIU-represented special education classroom assistants with CTU-represented teachers aids.
What next: CTU officials say they want a contract nailed down before President-elect Trump takes office because of fears he will retaliate against teachers and Chicago specifically.
- A new partially elected school board that could influence negotiations will be sworn in Jan. 15.