Grown Ups: Work it out for the Kids | 6.18.11

In case you haven’t seen the news in a few days, there’s a big battle over teacher raises right now between the CPS board and the Chicago Teachers Union.

While everyone knows that times are bad, we think that CPS should do a better job of explaining their deficit numbers to the CTU and the public in general.

We are also disturbed by the new Mayor of Chicago’s comments that students were “left on the side of the road” and “given the shaft” as a result of the contract. If you are going to rescind the raises of the people who dedicate their lives to taking care of our children every day, why follow it up the next day with such insulting and vile language? How about more reconciliatory language to our hard-working teachers like, “we’re sorry we can’t pay you your raises this year, we are working on reforming TIF, looking at the amount of money we spend on standardized testing and test prep materials, etc.” so that we can honor our contract in the future. How about a plea to our great teachers to stay with us at CPS because we are all going to work together to make this system better? A false and insulting accusation that teachers have been giving their students the shaft is not helpful.

The CPS and the CTU need to sit down and work this out like adults. Our kids depend on them for leadership and compromise. Show the children of Chicago that you can work this out without vitriol and ongoing disrespect. 

We are tired of the old paradigm and demand something new and better for the children of Chicago.