rahm-STOP THE RAuner aTtAcks DESTROYING our schools Harming our communities serving the rich and powerful ■ Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has ■ As Mayor, Rahm has laid off 7,000 ■ Bruce Rauner owns nine homes been a top advisor to Chicago Mayor teachers and severely cut retirement worth a combined tens of millions of Rahm Emanuel on school closings and income for thousands of seniors who live dollars. Rauner spent more than other harmful education policies. and spend money in our communities. $100,000 to join an exclusive wine club. Juan Rangel, the disgraced former CEO His friend Rauner wants to cut even Asked whether he’s a member of the 1 of charter-school giant UNO, has also more from the limited income of the percent, he responded, “Oh, I’m been a close advisor to Rahm. Rangel elderly. probably .01 percent." stepped down as UNO’s CEO after a ■ Both Rahm and Rauner oppose a ■ After leaving his White House job, series of corporate scandals and minimum wage hike of $15 an hour for Rahm made $18 million working for two federal investigations into UNO’s misuse working families in Chicago despite the years in private equity—essential to his of public funds. need in our communities. An early 2014 success was Rauner’s support. How did ■ Both Rahm and Rauner back budget poll found that nearly two-thirds of Illinois he make so much so quickly? According cuts for public schools and sending voters support a minimum wage of $10 to Ron Suskind, a Pulitzer Prize–winning school money to private an hour. former reporter for the Wall Street organizations beyond the democratic Journal: "Paying someone who will be a control of our communities. future government of cial a lot of money for doing very little? On Wall Street, we A Rahm-Rauner agenda threatens ALL OF US. call that an investment."

We must build our capacity to fight misguided politicians, well-financed corporate school Contribute to reformers, and people who want to turn back the clock on workers’ rights. Visit CTUnet.com/PAC, and make a monthly donation of $5, $10, or $20. the CTU PAC. ChicagoUnionTeacher

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ∕ Stephanie A. Gadlin

ASSOCIATE EDITOR ∕ Ronnie Reese

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ∕ Gloria Bashir, MSW, Carol Caref, Ph.D., Matthew Clam, MA, M.Ed., Susan Hickey, LSCW, Lillian Kass, John Kugler, Ph.D., Audrey May, Kathy Murray, Regina O’Connor, Helen Ramirez-Odell, RN, BSN, MA, Kirstie Shanley, Kristen Sudnik

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS ∕ Howard Heath, Sarah E. Hertel, Tyler LaRiviere, Charles Edward Miller, Kathy Murray, Jackson Potter, Bob Simpson, Sarah-Ji, Tonya Werner-Martin

ADVERTISING MANAGER ∕ April Stigger

GRAPHIC DESIGN ∕ Eric Ruder

PRODUCTION ∕ Eric Ruder ∕ Progress Printing Corp., Inc.

OFFICERS Karen GJ Lewis, NBCT ∕ PRESIDENT Jesse Sharkey ∕ VICE PRESIDENT Kristine Mayle ∕ FINANCIAL SECRETARY Michael Brunson ∕ RECORDING SECRETARY

Th eChicago Union Teacher is published eight times a year in September, October/November, December, January, February, March, April, May/June. Th eChicago Union Teacher is the offi cial publication of the Chicago Teachers Union, which is the exclusive bargaining agent for teachers, counselors, librarians, clinicians and paraprofessional and school-related personnel in the Chicago Public Schools.

Chicago Teachers Union • Local 1 • American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.

Th eChicago Union Teacher is affi liated with the International Labor Communications Association and the AFT Communications Network.

Chicago Teachers Union affi liations include the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), the Illinois State Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (ISFL-CIO), the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

222 MERCHANDISE MART PLAZA SUITE NO. 400 CHICAGO, IL 60654-1016

TELEPHONE: 312-329-9100 E-MAIL: [email protected] (GENERAL) [email protected] (ADVERTISING) WWW.CTUNET.COM ChicagoUnionTeacher

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ∕ Stephanie A. Gadlin

ASSOCIATE EDITOR ∕ Ronnie Reese

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ∕ Gloria Bashir, MSW, Carol Caref, Ph.D., Matthew Clam, MA, M.Ed., Susan Hickey, LSCW, Lillian Kass, John Kugler, Ph.D., Audrey May, Kathy Murray, Regina O’Connor, Helen Ramirez-Odell, RN, BSN, MA, Kirstie Shanley, Kristen Sudnik

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS ∕ Howard Heath, Sarah E. Hertel, Tyler LaRiviere, Charles Edward Miller, Kathy Murray, Jackson Potter, Bob Simpson, Sarah-Ji, Tonya Werner-Martin

ADVERTISING MANAGER ∕ April Stigger

GRAPHIC DESIGN ∕ Eric Ruder

PRODUCTION ∕ Eric Ruder ∕ Progress Printing Corp., Inc.

OFFICERS Karen GJ Lewis, NBCT ∕ PRESIDENT Jesse Sharkey ∕ VICE PRESIDENT Kristine Mayle ∕ FINANCIAL SECRETARY Michael Brunson ∕ RECORDING SECRETARY

e Chicago Union Teacher is published eight times a year in September, October/November, December, January, February, March, April, May/June. e Chicago Union Teacher is the offi cial publication of the Chicago Teachers Union, which is the exclusive bargaining agent for teachers, counselors, librarians, clinicians and paraprofessional and school-related personnel in the Chicago Public Schools.

Chicago Teachers Union • Local 1 • American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.

e Chicago Union Teacher is affi liated with the International Labor Communications Association and the AFT Communications Network.

Chicago Teachers Union affi liations include the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), the Illinois State Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (ISFL-CIO), the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

222 MERCHANDISE MART PLAZA SUITE NO. 400 CHICAGO, IL 60654-1016

TELEPHONE: 312-329-9100 E-MAIL: [email protected] (GENERAL) [email protected] (ADVERTISING) WWW.CTUNET.COM ChicagoUnionTeacher

AROUND THE UNION 5 President’s Message 6 Letters 9 Union Strong Retirees 9 A PSRP Poem: “We Don’t Sleep” PENSION FUND 10 Why Does Your Pension Matter? 12 Quick Takeaways: Understanding Pension Funding CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT 14 Another Victory: Bill Hannah Made Whole 17 Labor Relations 101: What Every Principal Should Know 25 OSHA Rights We Need to Enforce 26 One-Day Strike Focuses on Revenue Solutions for Schools OUR DISTRICT 28 Mayor’s Handpicked Board Issues New 1.6% Pay Cut 28 One Step Closer to Elected School Board 29 Keep on Pushing for a Fair Contract and Progressive Revenue 30 CPS Mismanagement Traumatizes Frontline Trauma Workers

APRIL 1 ∕ OPT OUT ∕ NURSING IN CPS ∕ UNDERSTANDING edTPA POLITICS 32 Our Emerging Strength ChicagoUnionTeacherapril 2016 / vol. 79 / number 6 FIGHTING FOR TESTING OUR FUTURE 36 Myths and Facts About PARCC in Illinois 39 Testing Reform Victories Surge TEACHER EVALUATION 43 How the edTPA Continues Privatization RESEARCH 46 Nursing in CPS: On the Verge of a Health Crisis EVENTS ▲ 49 Introducing a New Generation to Teacher Unionism Marching on April 1 50 Contract Summit; Polar Plunge Photo: Danielle Villarreal Cover design: Eric Ruder BOOK REVIEW 51 Pedagogy of the City COMMENTARY 52 SEC: It’s Time to Hold the Banks Accountable IN CLOSING 54 Delegates Not Present; In Memoriam THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Sisters and Brothers, Last month, Chicago Public Schools prepare for the SAT and ACT. backed down from CEO Forrest Clay- Children are exposed ever more to pool’s Feb. 2 announcement to temporarily violence and prolifi c poverty, and yet there discontinue the 7 percent pension pickup. are few counselors to help guide them Th e pension pickup is part of the status through this trauma. Students exposed quo that CPS is required by law to main- to rising homicide rates in our city still tain during bargaining, so unilaterally show up to school, bringing their sorrows, discontinuing the pension pickup would fears, anger and despair with them. surely be illegal. We regret, however, that Principals have been forced to cut it took the threat of an unfair labor practice their staff to bare bones, and therefore, strike to induce CPS to reconsider—for class sizes have ballooned and continue now—its ill-advised action of enforcing to grow. All of these cuts, reductions and this cut on teachers, paraprofessionals and actions by the mayor’s handpicked Board clinicians who have borne the brunt of of Education are punitive and do nothing horrifi c attacks against their profession and to improve the quality of education we the students in their classrooms. off er more than 350,000 school children Unfortunately, for us, CPS has a cred- each day. Th ese budget cuts, furloughs, ibility problem. We do not trust what layoff s and a refusal to honor steps and they say. We only brace ourselves for what lanes are all short-term fi xes. they do. While we joined parents, students and Mr. Claypool rescinded his threat, but allies in rejoicing in the Illinois House of he is clear that he will enforce a 7 percent Representatives’ successful passing of elect- April 1 was for communities. April 1 was pay cut “at a future date.” Th is is unwise ed school board legislation, we know that for equitable funding and good governance. and not productive toward concluding a our fi ght is not over. Much like the fair April 1 was for education justice. labor agreement, so therefore, this unfair contract we deserve, we also deserve democ- April 1 was for every single teacher, labor practice remains a concern. But let’s racy and we deserve it right now. So with paraprofessional and clinician who is ded- take a closer look at some other unfair continued threats to our working condi- icated to their craft and who rises each circumstances in our schools. tions, learning conditions, most vulnerable day to provide instruction and education Th e working conditions in our schools students and our pay and benefi ts, the CTU that nurtures our students, and so we are directly tied to the learning conditions continued with our April 1 unfair labor joined with thousands of others who for our students. We are dealing with practice strike and day of action against the believe it is time for us to unite to fi ght unclean schools, and our most vulnerable austerity agenda imposed upon us by the the mayor, the governor and the billionaire students are without school nurses. High likes of the mayor and our governor. Ken Griffi ns of our state who are united school seniors have no librarians—and April 1 was for a fair contract. April 1 in a Donald Trump-like campaign to turn yet they are to do endless test prep for was for progressive revenue for our schools. back the hands of progress and destroy CPS-imposed standardized tests and April 1 was for our students and parents. public education.

In solidarity,

Karen GJ Lewis, NBCT

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 5 LETTERS

Claypool: Trust a “Two-Way” Street? Prove It. This is in response to Forrest Claypool, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, and his Chicago Sun-Times editorial that ran on February 5, 2016. In this editorial, Mr. Claypool stated that trust should be a two-way street between the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools in order to agree on a contract that would create stabil- ity for the school district. Mr. Claypool cites examples of trustworthy actions that he has taken since becoming CEO of Chicago Public Schools. He stated when the community has to go to numbers. 1 that teachers should view the lay- such extreme measures to secure I believe that CPS and the CTU Rahm offs of bureaucracy within central quality schools for their children. can come together to negotiate a Emanuel office as one of his positive actions. Although Mr. Claypool is by no contract that provides stability for and Forrest He fails to state that many of these means the only person to blame for our school district. Many of the Claypool cuts happened in the special edu- the lack of trust between CPS and contract articles were a good start, Photo: Ashlee Rezin for Sun- cation department, the Office of the CTU, he has perpetuated it but they need to be bolstered with Times Media Diverse Learners Supports and since becoming CEO. The pro- language that makes the articles Services. Special education admin- posed contract did not contain enforceable—not empty promises. istrators, who work within the language that would secure stability There needs to be action on the part schools to help our most needy across the district. It hinged on a of the mayor and the school district students, were laid off, further call for veteran teachers (eligible for to secure sustainable revenue destabilizing the services that are retirement) and paraprofessionals streams. Make no mistake, teachers mandated by federal law to be (with just 10 years of service) to agree with CPS that there needs to provided to these students. These leave the profession, with no agree- be equitable school funding within employees were by no means ment that these positions would be our state, but the city needs to take “bureaucrats” whose services were filled. Without replacing these some actions, too. The CTU and unnecessary—they are essential to teachers, there will be larger class other community organizations assist individual schools in provid- sizes and a lack of diverse courses have been providing options to ing holistic services to students. to offer students. The contract also CPS and the City Council on ways Mr. Claypool also says that the contained an article which stated to attain revenue at the city level. creation of a new high school in the that there would be “no economic Thankfully, aldermen throughout Washington Park neighborhood layoffs” for staff, but provided no the city are starting to step up to was a positive action. He failed to wording that these layoffs would the plate, alongside community mention, however, that this school, not be affected by the district’s his- advocates and teachers, to fight for the former Dyett High School, was torical practices of reconfiguring the schools our students deserve. only agreed upon after community school enrollment areas to decrease Christa Lohman, members and parents staged a attendance, reducing student-based Citywide Itinerant Teacher,

34-day hunger strike. It is alarming budgeting and eliminating position Big Bargaining Team member

6 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER LETTERS

We Shouldn’t Have to Live on Borrowed Dimes This summer, when thousands in interest. That $61 million will municipalities and public entities of Chicago teenagers are without provide absolutely nothing for Chi- such as school boards—a higher meaningful employment, consid- cago’s students, and every cent of interest rate because of the uncer- er what a $30 million jobs pro- that interest payment will be tainty of the marketplace. Second, gram might have provided. Con- sucked out of the city’s economy the mayor has lost the trust and sider a summer jobs program that forever. The absolute tragedy of confidence of the citizenry, and his hired students at $10 an hour to that high cost borrowing is the city public “battle” with the governor clean the schools or help paint could have done better and would fuels the speculation that the city over graffiti tagged on public have done better if its political lead- and state are in extreme economic buildings; or hired students to be ers and the leaders of the state had distress. This provides bond dealers a part of a creative arts program. not driven up the interest rate with additional leverage in extracting That $30 million would have pro- their own irresponsible rhetoric higher interest rates out of the city vided hours of honest work for and irresponsible inaction. and Chicago Public Schools. many thousands of otherwise Let me be clear: there is no So this summer, when thou- idled, unemployed teenagers. defendable reason why CPS should sands of children in Chicago are But where would Chicago find not have been able to borrow that not working, and the city’s infra- $30 million? According to the same $725 million at the still exor- structure continues to crumble, governor of Illinois, the mayor bitant—but much more responsi- remember the CPS bond deal at and the business community, the ble—4 percent interest rate. In 8.5 percent. That deal symbolizes city is broke. Chicago could hard- 2015, according to City of Chicago the $61 million Wall Street is going ly be expected to come up with Treasurer Kurt Summers, the City to get each year for loaning CPS an extra $30 million for a jobs of Chicago paid 3.9 percent inter- money at a rate that should have program, right? Well, how about est on their short-term borrowing. been half as much. It will be the this—what if instead of CPS bor- While that is still an extremely $30 million summer works pro- rowing $725 million at 8.5 per- high rate, CPS would have saved gram that wasn’t. And if you’re a cent interest, CPS had borrowed $30 million per year just for this Wall Street banker, don’t forget to that money at 4 percent? single bond deal had it borrowed thank Gov. Bruce Rauner and According to the Chicago Sun- the $725 million at that rate. Mayor Rahm Emanuel for unnec- Times, on Wednesday, February 3, So what happened between this essarily driving up the borrowing 2016, the Chicago Board of Edu- year and last? First, the governor costs for schools. cation borrowed $725 million at and the legislature have failed to Jay Rehak, Whitney Young, an astounding interest rate of 8.5 pass a budget. This continued fail- Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund percent. This means Chicago will ure to act allows bond dealers to Board of Trustees President

pay, this year alone, $61,625,000 charge all of Illinois—state, cities,

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 7 LETTERS

One of Our Littlest Biggest Supporters When those less-informed complain about teachers not paying our fair share, they forget that in addition to being educators, teachers are also Chicago residents, parents and taxpayers. Th is is one of our biggest supporters, Franklin Fine Arts kindergartner Kyle Spears, and his teacher Jillian Bertag- na. Kyle’s mother, RaShonda Spears, is a third grade teacher 7 Photo: at Mason Elementary. Says mom: “He supports teachers for RaShonda a fair and decent contract.” —Ronnie Reese Spears

“I Can’t Go Home No More...They’re Shooting” I am a teacher in a low-in- shootings are happening a lot, writing letters to Mrs. Rauner, come school. A 5-year-old boy or a family member is a gang an advocate for the importance in my class told me yesterday: member and there is some retal- of early childhood develop- “I can’t go home no more… iation and they are actually ment. Write stories like mine my mommy said I have to live shooting at his house. about how important our expe- with my tee tee because they are Does Gov. Bruce Rauner rience in the inner city plays shooting at my house.” have any idea about the type of into the work we do. Now, this could be two work I do, all before 9 a.m.? United, for the children, things—either the neighbor- Probably not. Sarah Anderson, hood is gang infested and Teachers should start Cameron Elementary

8 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER RETIREE CORNER PSRP CORNER

We Don’t Sleep A PSRP POEM BY shots to sound the alarm. LUWANDA JOHNSON-HARPER Crime is on the rise like never before but most of it trickles down from When you asked us were we ready for the city’s front door. a new direction in our state, we Power and corruption walking hand assumed you meant up, but as soon in hand, taking down the innocent Union-Strong Retirees as you took office you started with child, mother and man! budget cuts and suggested the city You tell us to back down and take a BY KATHY MURRAY go bankrupt. seat, but we think it’s time we hit When you said the most vulnerable the streets. n Tuesday, March 1, Chicago Teachers amongst us needed our help, we Protesting against overcrowded class- Union retirees along with active mem- thought you were talking about rooms and poverty, picketing Obers and community partners boarded helping our children, the homeless against the unjust done to all buses on various sides of the city at 6 a.m. and the mentally ill, but as it stands humanity. Striking for what we to take a day trip to Springfield to rally and now, they are ones who have to foot know is right. In unity we stand, support our Elected Representative School the bill! in unity we fight! Board bill (HB557). The contingent met The devilish duo is what many of the Letting you know who’s really in con- with state representatives asking or thank- city residents and visitors call you, trol, you don’t own us, you’re just ing them for their support of the bill, which and from where I’m sitting you’re a stronghold. passed out of the Illinois House of Repre- proving it to be on point and true. You’ve used our pension money as sentatives on March 3 by a vote of 110-4. I am the high school graduate hoping you’ve pleased, now you want us to This dedication on behalf of CTU to go to college; I am the Afri- beg for it back on bended knees. retirees is always appreciated. Retired can-American you refuse to This will never happen, so let’s members meet monthly to discuss political acknowledge. Stripping us of our make that perfectly clear; we stand action that is needed to support not only hard-earned revenue makes it eas- united both far and near. their pension rights, but also legislation ier for us not to trust you. The TIF funds my friends, where did that affects Union members in the schools You said in your own words that we it go? Was it used to fund charter and their children in the classrooms. are the generation of children that schools and help them to grow? Retiree meetings are held monthly at needs the city’s help, yet you choke No, we will never sleep, not even a the SEIU-HCII building at 2229 S. us financially like we’re a loop in nod; making sure you acknowledge Halsted St. in Chicago. Coffee and sweet your leather belt. us will be a permanent job. rolls are served at 9:45 a.m. and the meet- No, we are not suggesting you have an So now that you know that all lives ings begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. easy task ahead, but don’t promise matter and you can’t do with us as The dates for the next two meetings job security then change when you you please, know that we’re stand- are Thursday, April 14, and Thursday, think we are in bed. We will never ing close, so don’t close your eyes June 16. The retiree spring luncheon will sleep while you are on the job—no, for a moment—not even to sneeze! be held on Tuesday, May 10. not once, not even a nod! Ahh-choo! CTU You promised to serve and protect us Kathy Murray is a CTU organizer and staff Luwanda Johnson-Harper is a teachers’ and cause no harm, but it took 16 liaison to the Retiree Functional Group. aide at Nobel Elementary School.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 9 PENSION FUND

Why Does Your Pension Matter? BY CHICAGO TEACHERS’ PENSION ber asked. The woman nodded. FUND COMMUNICATIONS STAFF “We don’t. We have a pension. I will pay into that pension for the length of my career and, in ou never know where you might be or what return, I will get monthly payments just like you. you might be doing when someone will bring And, I also pay those same taxes.” The woman Yup the subject of pensions and pension fund- acknowledged she had no idea that Chicago Teach- ing. We can turn on our televisions and radios, or ers’ Pension Fund (CTPF) pension recipients didn’t search the Internet daily, and find some mention get Social Security, and they share the same tax of underfunding or overpayment of teacher burden. pensions. In fact, about 30 percent of state and local pen- The other day, one of our members was having sion recipients—or about 6.5 million people a conversation with someone she just met. When nationally—are not in the Social Security system.* she told the woman where she worked, the woman So a pension may represent that household’s only asked, “I don’t understand why my taxes could be source of guaranteed monthly income. raised for your pensions.” Even though the member It is important to know how to respond when was stunned by the directness of the statement, people ask questions—or make assumptions— she understood the woman’s concerns. because the more people understand how your “You have Social Security don’t you?” the mem- pension is funded and where pension funding has fallen short, the better they will understand the importance of full and equitable funding. Here are some facts to help you talk to others About 30 percent of state and about the importance of pension funding: local pension recipients—or CTPF members do not contribute to or about 6.5 million people receive Social Security retirement benefits A pension is the primary source for CTPF nationally—are not in the Social members’ retirement security. Most Americans contribute 6.2 percent to Social Security for retire- *2014 Annual Security system, so a pension ment, but CTPF members currently contribute Survey of Public Pensions: State 9 percent of their earnings to fund their retirement may represent that household’s and Locally- pensions. Benefits earned over a lifetime of service Administered only source of guaranteed are deferred compensation, guaranteed by Illinois Defined Benefit law. The average CTPF retiree receives about Pension Systems monthly income. $44,600 annually after investing 28 years of ser- and the U.S.

vice in the Chicago Public Schools. Census Bureau.

10 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER PENSION FUND

property tax levy. In 1995, Chicago Public Schools sought and received a change in the law which allowed it to keep pension tax revenue (PA 89-0015). This law redirected more than $2 billion in funds designated for pensions into the CPS operating budget. A 2010 law (PA 96-0889) granted CPS an additional $1.2 billion in pension funding relief and extended the funding schedule by 14 years to 2059. These “pension holidays” simply deferred the pay- ments owed to the Fund—they didn’t eliminate them. The CTPF can’t invest dollars it is “supposed” to have—only the dollars is really has. The State of Illinois provides minimal CTPF funding The CTPF serves about 18 percent of Illinois teachers, but receives less than 1 percent of state funding for teacher pensions. For 2016, the State of Illinois appropriated $3.7 billion to support TRS and $12.1 million for CTPF (PA 98-0017). That means that for every dollar allocated to downstate and suburban pensions, Chicago’s teachers received about three cents. Chicago’s taxpayers bear a double burden, funding TRS and their own system, with- out equal benefit. This is why the fight for pension Pensions create a positive parity is so important. impact on Illinois’ economy Retirees depend on the More than 85 percent of CTPF beneficiaries CTPF for health insurance live in Illinois, and 50 percent live in the city of Chicago. This means our beneficiaries spend their The CTPF offers comprehensive group health pensions close to home. Pension benefits generate insurance for members who must pay for their cov- $1.7 billion in total economic impact on our state erage after retirement (many do not qualify for “free” and create more than 12,628 jobs for Illinois—6,459 Medicare Part A). The fund offers a health insurance in Chicago alone. That’s good for Illinois and good premium subsidy to help offset insurance costs, but for Chicago. You can read more about the economic it is limited to $65 million per year. The CTPF was impact pensioners and beneficiaries are making in recently forced to cut benefits to retirees, and the our publication “The Buck Stays Here,” found at amount will continue to decline as the number of www.cptf.org. retirees and their health insurance costs increase. You don’t have to wait until someone stops you A lack of funding, not generous benefits, on the street or at the grocery store to start sharing caused the current pension problems the facts about pension funding. You can start today. Prior to 1995, the Chicago Board of Education First read the 2015 Economic Impact statement,

funded pensions on an annual basis through a “The Buck Stops Here,” on the CTPF website. (A

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 11 PENSION FUND Quick Takeaways: Understanding Pension Funding fund with a sound investment 1 policy and 8.94 percent 6 return during the past 35 Chicago’s educators fulfill Pensions benefit Illinois and years. their portion of the retire- the City of Chicago, generat- ment promise, contributing ing more than $1.7 billion in from every paycheck they 4 economic activity and gener- receive. ating more than 12,628 jobs CPS did not make normal in the state. cost contributions for a 2 decade from 1996-2005. Contributions resumed in The average beneficiary 7 2006 under a payment plan, received $46,947 in 2015. Funding reform—a guaran- but another holiday was Approximately 76 percent of teed revenue source for declared in 2011-2013. the recipients are female and CTPF—must be undertaken the average recipient’s age is before benefit reductions can 72.6. 5 be considered. This means pension parity across the A lack of Board of Education state. CTU 3 and state funding has led to the current fiscal situation— The Chicago Teachers’ Pen- not poor investments. sion Fund is a well-managed

2016 version will be released later this year.) You un-retire AT THE BREAKERS can also contact your state senator or representative AT EDGEWATER BEACH letting him/her know you have an impact—not only as a retired or current teacher, but as a resident of Illinois. Pushing for parity in funding and insisting on fulfillment of their pension promise should be a priority. CTU

Established by the Illinois State legislature in 1895, the With countless resident programs, groups and friends, Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund is the administrator the hardest part of joining our community is deciding of a defined benefit public employee retirement system. what you want to do when you get here. The fund serves approximately 63,284 active and Your apartment is waiting. No guarantee retired educators, and provides pension and health you’ll spend much time there. insurance benefits to more than 27,700 beneficiaries. CALL 866-527-5436 TO SCHEDULE A PERSONAL TOUR TODAY!

INDEPENDENT LIVING 5333 N. SHERIDAN ROAD | CHICAGO, IL 60640 WWW.SENIORLIFESTYLE.COM

12 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER DEPARTMENT XXXX Chicago Teachers Union Retired Chapter ANNUAL SPRING LUNCHEON

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Harry Caray’s Restaurant Water Tower Place 835 N. Michigan Av., 7th Fl.

(Take the Harry Caray’s Express Elevator) Entrance located between Macy’s & the Ritz Carlton

The social hour will begin at 11:30 a.m. Family style lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m.

Price: $45.00 No refunds after a reservation has been made

Parking: Water Tower Place - $12.00 (entrance on Chestnut) Valet Parking - $17.00 ------Please Print RESERVATION FORM Return by Monday, May 2, 2015 Chicago Teachers Union, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60654

Member’s Name ______Telephone ______

Guest’s Name ______

Guest’s Name ______

Make check payable to: Chicago Teachers Union, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60654. A reservation will be made after payment has been received in the Union office. There are no refunds after a reservation has been processed. Enclosed find payment of ______for ______reservations. (Tickets will be held at the door) MB:oteg-74-djl CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 13 CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

Another Victory: Billy Hannah Made Whole BY THADDEUS GOODCHILD redefinition of the position was a ruse—the posi- tion number hadn’t been redefined on the staff illy Hannah was a 20-year special education seniority list for 2014-2015, and the teacher who teacher when he was issued an “unsatisfac- held the position in 2014-2015 didn’t hold the Btory” rating for the 2013-2014 school year redefined endorsements either. In light of all this, and laid off out of seniority order. Under a recent the Union was able to persuade the Board to settlement, the Chicago Board of Education will settle. pay Hannah a total of $89,882.79 in back pay Hannah worked as a cadre for the 2014-2015 and compensation for unused sick days and school year before retiring, effective June 26, 2015. remove the improperly issued rating from his When he retired, the Board also refused to issue record. him a payout of the 102.5 unused sick days he Chicago Teachers Union teacher field repre- had accumulated over the course of his time work- sentative Adriana Cervantes filed a grievance ing for the district. This is remedied by the set- challenging Hannah’s 2013-2014 rating as the tlement, along with the difference between what principal had failed to hold pre-observation con- he made as a cadre and what he would have made ferences with him and held two of his observations had he not been laid off. CTU nine days apart, amongst other violations. The Thaddeus Goodchild is in-house CTU counsel. Board partially sustained the grievance and rescinded the 2013-2014 rating, but claimed that Hannah would have been laid off anyway using his last prior rating as his rating of record. The Board also asserted that Hannah’s position was “redefined” to “9-12 SPED LBS Science” and he didn’t have a science endorsement. The Board granted that there were other positions Hannah was qualified to teach at the school held by less senior teachers (he was the most senior in the department), but claimed that he had received a “satisfactory” rating in 2011-2012 and the less senior teachers had ratings higher than “satisfac- tory,” making him unable to bump. Hannah main- tained he never received a rating for 2011-2012, which is consistent with this principal’s track record of not complying with evaluation proce- dures in this and other cases, and the case was advanced to arbitration. Prior to arbitration, the Board was unable to produce a copy of the 2011-2012 rating which it claimed justified his layoff. Moreover, the CTU

was able to uncover evidence that the supposed

14 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER Illustration: Ellen Gradman WRITE TO US Agree? Disagree? Send Chicago Union Teacher your feedback, your compliments and your criticisms. Send letters to the editor to [email protected] or Chicago Union Teacher, 222 Merch andise Mart Plaza, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60654. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. WRITE FOR US The Chicago Union Teacher is published for the members of the Chicago Teachers Union. It is your magazine. Members can—and should!—submit articles about whatever topics they consider relevant to our overall project of fi ghting for quality public education and justice for all. Email submissions for consideration to [email protected].

ADVERTISE IN THE CUT The Chicago Union Teacher accepts classifi ed advertisements from CTU members at a sub- stantial discount. For more information, contact April Stigger, advertising manager, at [email protected] and 312-329-6225.

Illustration: Ellen Gradman CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

LABOR RELATIONS 101: What Every Principal Should Know

BY JOSEPH MCDERMOTT future principals on respecting due process, fol- lowing the contract and collaborating with demo- n the March 2014 issue of Chicago Union cratically elected teacher-leaders on LSCs and Teacher I profiled two delegates. One was Professional Problems Committees (PPCs). IWashington High School’s David Arredondo The common theme among many new princi- and the other was Harlan High School’s Robert pals—and U.I.C.’s program is not exclusive to Pincham. In the article I described both of their this—is that “dynamic leaders” can transform efforts to advocate for members. Both pushed back school cultures. The school leaders create “high against principals and put their neck out on the accountability” that is “data driven” and adapt a line to stand up for their colleagues. “no excuses” mindset. They promise to create a In the case of Harlan, the principal resigned “college-going” culture and to create it in a rap- for unknown reasons at the end of last year and id-fire amount of time. The promises of quick left the district. Many concluded that it did not results, the drive to succeed and faith in a “great reflect well upon his performance to have such leader” can lead to cutting corners when it comes conflict with his union delegate. The Chicago to respecting due process and contractual rights. Board of Education laid Pincham off out of The following is a “baker’s dozen” list of advice seniority in the summer of 2015. He and the for principals inspired by the situations at Harlan Union fought back, advanced cases to arbitration and Washington, along with other experiences of and filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge. recent principal leaders who demonstrate the new In the end, the Board conceded and Pincham principal leadership mindset: walked back to into the school victorious. At Washington, the Local School Council voted not to renew the contract of the principal, despite 1 the school showing improvement under his lead- Use your PPC as a test run for any new ideas ership. The stories of these two principals are very you have. Every worker has gone into a staff meet- common within the district. Arredondo’s principal ing where the boss presents their latest, greatest was trained by the University of Illinois at Chicago new idea. The boss only spoke to other bosses, and doctoral program in principal leadership, where never really spoke to the people who will do the principals learn data-driven instruction and how actual work implementing this new idea. At the to create “teacher leaders.” The problem with pro- end of the meeting, many staffers walk out telling grams like U.I.C.’s, however, is that they don’t train each other, “This is never going to work.” The PPC is a vehicle for getting staff input and teacher voice in the creation of school initiatives. A sick teacher is just going to get sicker 2 if they work someplace where they Do not let your obsession with data dictate are bullied and demeaned. everything. Washington’s PPC had an issue with

safety during the principal’s first year. The

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 17 CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

principal reportedly dismissed the concern as a minor issue. The PPC created a survey, compiled 5 data and created pie charts. The principal then When it comes to remediation, there are no allegedly dismissed the data as not being consis- short cuts. The contract and school code call for tent with the University of Chicago Consortium a remediation period for unsatisfactory teachers. on School Research’s standards on data This is a right that’s not optional for a principal— collection. it’s been negotiated between the Chicago Board The principal had been so well-trained by aca- of Education and the Union. In the end, the prin- demia in data-driven decision making that he cipal has to follow the rules. When they do not, seemingly couldn’t listen to the concerns of his that means the person they believe to be “bad for PPC. But data isn’t always going to be neat. Some- children” is back in the classroom because the times it’s anecdotal and it’s staring you right in the principal didn’t take the time to respect the rules. face. 3 6 Do not deprive teachers of supplies. Principals Refrain from interfering with Union meetings. like to punish teachers by assigning them to mul- A union meeting is a place where members need tiple classrooms, not providing book or resources, to freely express their concerns and frustrations. or creating brand new courses for the teacher to Some principals entertain members who report instruct. Pincham’s principal went two years in a to them who said what at a union meeting. Once row without purchasing textbooks for his law a principal has done this, you are walking down course. Arredondo’s principal put one teacher into a path of distrust, fear and dysfunction among four classrooms, teaching three new courses with your staff. These are not the elements of a positive no textbooks and no curriculum. These types of work culture. People need to feel safe so they can actions make principals look like bullies and create take risks and contribute to a collaborative team. a culture of fear, and it becomes clear that the principal doesn’t care about students because they 4 put teachers in a position where they were most likely to fail. That doesn’t help to create a sense Do not threaten your delegates. Arredondo’s of trust and faith. principal wrote in his Domain Four comments, “Dave’s activity in the building creates a toxic cli- mate…his peers have complained about this.” The 7 fact that the principal claims that “peers” com- Learn to compromise. The 2012-15 contract plained about their delegate is a problem. An had a process to settle schedule disputes created astute leader should know not to get involved in in the fall of 2012 when we worked under an those situations. The principal also describes Arre- expired contract. Board and CTU officials met dondo’s activity as “toxic.” The problem is that more than 20 times to resolve these disputes, and delegates have a lot of activity that principals only two schools failed to find a resolution. George might not like and find “toxic.” In this case, the Washington was one of them, where the lack of principal took it to another level, and used the compromise led to a grievance being field over exact same references to “activity” and “toxic cli- shortened lunches. One option would have been mate” with the school’s other delegate. an early release for teachers with a shortened

18 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER 3 Robert Pincham’s principal went two years without purchasing textbooks for his law course. Photo of books: Zbigniew Bzdak/ Chicago Tribune

lunch, which was refused, and now the district must pay more than $60,000 in back pay to more 10 than 30 teachers. Do not redefi ne positions and then assign the same work duties. Arredondo’s principal laid 8 off a counselor and then hired the person back as a post-secondary liaison. Th e problem was that Do not direct bargain with teachers. Pincham’s the former counselor—now post-secondary liai- principal created a schedule that gave teachers a son—maintained the exact same student home- mid-morning lunch. Th e contract calls for lunch room caseload as the previous year. Now, the during a time when the cafeteria is open. Th e prin- person is entitled to back pay and time toward cipal approached several teachers and asked their tenure. Th e abuse of redefi nition cost the Board permission to change their lunch time to the morn- of Ed thousands. ing. Th is is direct bargaining. Pincham fi led a griev- ance which ended the process the following year. 11 9 Respect the integrity of the interview process. Arredondo’s principal redefi ned a position to Respect lunchtime and medical needs. Arre- require International Baccalaureate training. Th e dondo’s principal reportedly questioned teachers’ Board told the principal to list the position and needs for a 50-minute lunch, yet one teacher, in conduct interviews, which the principal never did. particular, got so sick from altering her lunchtime When asked the reason for this, the principal medicine schedule that she was forced to take stated, “I already knew who I wanted to hire.” Th is medical leave and miss months of work. Th e prin- is very poor practice. A good manager goes into cipal attempted to discipline this member despite an interview with an open mind and wants to give multiple notes from physicians. A sick teacher is teachers, especially displaced teachers, a fair just going to get sicker if they work someplace chance. where they are bullied and demeaned.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 19 CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

7 Photo: Kohei Hara/Getty Images

listen to them. If you ignore them, and it becomes 12 apparent that ignoring those who know best was When the Union wins arbitration at another a mistake, acknowledge fault in your decision. A school, do not continue the same practice at mea culpa can go a long way in earning trust, faith and respect from your staff. As our mayor likes your school. An arbitrator issued a decision in early August of 2013 that required any counselor that to say, “I own that.” taught classes for credit to be paid extra. The Union sent the arbitrator’s decision to principals at Wash- The problems listed above cost the Board of ington and Lincoln Park High Schools, yet the Ed hundreds of thousands of dollars and princi- principals at these schools continued their practice pals spent hours attending grievance hearings and for another year. This sends the wrong message to arbitrations. Further, principal actions served to the counselors who are forced to do extra work make the delegates heroes to their colleagues. without pay. It portrays the principal as someone Pincham walked back into his school after being who thumbs their nose at the Union and does what- unjustly fired, and Arredondo helped his teachers ever they desire. To say the least, it doesn’t endear win a $60,000 lunch grievance. In all of these much trust or good will toward the principal. cases, there was a climate of fear at the school accompanied by a lack of trust, which is why all principal leadership programs should help their 13 participants understand that trust is always better The Union believes in due process and reme- than fear when it comes to creating a positive diation is at the core of its values. This should school culture. CTU extend to principals as well. When your delegates Joseph McDermott is a CTU teacher field call you out on an error or make a suggestion, representative.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 21 22 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 23

Get Paid to be Certified!!!! OSHA Safety Certification and Training for Teachers (10-hour and 30-hour General Industry Certifications)

When: July 25 – 29 and four days in August 15 – 19 Time: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm with an hour for lunch

How Much: All participants receive a stipend of $110/day Mileage paid Breakfast and lunch provided

Location: Illinois Federation of Teachers Robert M. Healey Center 500 Oakmont Lane Westmont, IL 60559

What: The OSHA Outreach Training Program provides training for workers and employers on the recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of safety and health hazards in workplaces. The program also provides information regarding workers' rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint.

Through this program, workers can attend 10-hour or 30-hour classes delivered by OSHA-authorized trainers. The 10-hour class is intended for entry-level workers, while the 30-hour class is more appropriate for workers with some safety responsibility. Through this training, OSHA helps to ensure that workers are more knowledgeable about workplace hazards and their rights, and contribute to our nation's productivity. On completion of this program participants can become OSHA Authorized General Industry Trainers.

CONTACT: Dr. John Kugler to reserve your spot in this training -- [email protected]

Done in house by CTU staff CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

OSHA Rights We Need to Enforce BY JOHN KUGLER, PH.D. ers, strippers, paint, adhesives, toners) » Contaminated workplace (mold, mildew, fun- e union workers are always looking for gus, communicable diseases) help and solutions to our workplace issues. » Exposure to violence in the workplace Our contract protects our right to a safe W In each specifi c case, the employer will have to place, but in many cases, workplace safety is document in writing to the state OSHA agency ignored by Chicago Public Schools administrators that there is no safety risk and that they are in full and the Central Offi ce. One of the least-used compliance with federal safety standards. Th e rights we have is our protection under the Occu- employer has to provide a list of any and all per- pational Safety & Health Administration sonnel exposed to the reported safety violations. (OSHA). Specifi cally, all CPS employees are Th e employer will have to document the remedi- covered under the General Duty Clause [29 ation taken to fi x the violation. Last and most U.S.C. § 654, 5(a)1], which states: important, the employer needs to include what Each employer shall furnish to each of his prevention training regarding a specifi c workplace employees employment and a place of employ- hazard has taken place with all employees. ment which are free from recognized hazards that In the instance of violence, which could include are causing or are likely to cause death or serious just one incident in the workplace, CPS would have physical harm to his employees. to provide a comprehensive workplace violence In cases where the Chicago Board of Education prevention program that included documentation is slow to protect our safety, it is best to use our of employee training for violence prevention. If you federally protected rights to have a safe work envi- know of any cases where CPS workplaces are unsafe ronment. As employees, we have a right to ask for for any reason, including violence, contact your any information, training and methods to prevent Chicago Teachers Union fi eld representative imme- exposure to those hazards. A few examples of diately and fax all violations to the CTU Grievance hazards in school buildings enforceable by OSHA Department at 312-329-6203. standards are: More information on our rights under OSHA » Exposure to asbestos (fl oor tiles, duct work, can be found at www.osha.gov and complaints pipe insulation) can be fi led at www.osha.illinois.gov. CTU » Lead and copper levels in water John Kugler, Ph.D. is a CTU teacher fi eld » Hazardous chemicals used in buildings (clean- representative.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 25 OUR DISTRICT

One-Day Strike Focuses on Revenue Solutions for Schools, City and State BY CTU COMMUNICATIONS April 1 highlighted proposals from the CTU and its education and community partners for win- he Chicago Teachers Union House of Del- ning school funding and funding for other important egates voted overwhelmingly on March 25 services. The only solution that doesn’t involve a Tto authorize an April 1 unfair labor practice complete downgrade of the teaching profession and (ULP) strike to bring attention to the need for teachers’ standard of living, and that protects quality critical revenue solutions to stabilize the city’s public education, requires new revenue sources in school district and protect students and their fam- the form of progressive tax reform that would get ilies. The vote passed by a tally of 486-124, or 80 the super wealthy (top 5 percent) to pay their fair percent, and on the subsequent April 1 strike and share in state taxes. This could generate up to $6 day of action, the CTU joined a larger coalition billion in new revenue for education and other social of labor, student groups, community-based orga- needs. In addition to progressive tax reform, the nizations and activists in standing in solidarity Union continues its demands about toxic swaps and against Chicago’s “business as usual” politics and staging a variety of non-violent actions throughout the city. CTU members began picketing at their schools as early as 6:30 a.m. and throughout the day before joining tens of thousands in an evening That’s what I’m fighting for. rally and march from the Thompson Center. That’s what I focus on. CPS has to stop making cuts to The strike was a call for increased revenue for Chicago Public Schools and its students, and a my non-core and core colleagues regardless of experi- direct response to continued attacks and efforts ence—to “save money.” They need to stop privatizing toward union-busting from Gov. Bruce Rauner, “ Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the mayor’s hand- “ education and get away from high-stakes testing that picked CPS CEO, Forrest Claypool. For the past year, the district has stalled contract negotiations damages our students more than helps them. They need with the CTU, threatened and mandated furlough to start investing in our educators, our staff and our stu- days, cuts and layoffs, and removed step and lane increases for educators—the latter of which is the dents to make meaningful education the priority. They legal basis for the April 1 strike. Gov. Rauner, while need to reallocate funds to public education that they are unable to pass a state budget and putting the wel- fare of thousands of his constituents at risk, is on currently investing in opening more privatized schools. record in his desire to break unions and is currently starving city and state schools—at elementary, n MONICA FUENTES, Washington H.S. high school and university levels—unless down-

state legislators accept his “turnaround” agenda.

26 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER 1 CTU President Karen Lewis addresses the April 1 rally Photo: Powell Photography tax increment financing (TIF)—swap terminations

cost the district $240 million this year alone, and the TIFs could put enough money into the schools to completely reverse this year’s cuts. The Union’s

In many schools around Chicago calls for increased revenue for the district are now an issue on the national stage, and there is legislation teachers experienced losing their colleagues through the pending in Springfield that would take TIF control recent cuts. When a teacher leaves a job they do not sim- out of the mayor’s hands and force the release of “ these funds to our schools. ply pack their personal effects into a banker’s box and In joining with dozens of labor unions and com- “ munity organizations, the CTU took a stand in the walk out the door. Most teachers need a U-Haul to pack fight for funding for the city of Chicago and its up all the materials they have personally brought into the nearly 400,000 public school students. The Chicago Board of Education cannot continue to cut its way school. And they leave behind them grieving children (los- out of CPS’ budget problems. The public does not trust the mayor and the CPS CEO to fix the finan- ing your teacher is akin to losing a parent) and colleagues cial mess they have created, and the Board’s only solution is to force teachers and education support who must take up the additional workload. staff to pay in the form of pay cuts and benefit reductions, to slash school budgets, and to continue n MICHELLE GUNDERSON, Nettelhorst E.S. to close schools. Unless new revenue is found, this year’s cuts will be followed by additional cuts in

subsequent years. CTU

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 27 OUR DISTRICT

NEWS FROM AROUND THE DISRICT Mayor’s Handpicked Board Issues New 1.6% Pay Cut

BY CTU COMMUNICATIONS

n March 3, the Chicago Board of Education added insult to injury Ofor every teacher, paraprofessional and clinician by announcing it would impose three furlough days this school year, which, combined with the pro- posed removal of the 7 percent pension pickup, would cause educators to potentially suffer a whopping 8.6 per- cent loss in pay. The first furlough day, Friday, March 25, marked the start of the Easter holiday season. The final two days are the last two days of the year, specifically designated for profes- sional development with time for teachers to close out the semester. Photo: Isaac Krantz-Perlman 1 “[CPS CEO] Forrest Claypool CPS CEO Forrest Claypool has said contributions to the Public School issues a letter chastising us for one day that the pension pickup will be phased Teachers’ Pension and Retirement of action to demand funding for our out at the conclusion of the fact finding Fund of Chicago. The elected school city and our schools, but mandates three period of contract negotiations in May. board bill passed with a vote of 110-4, furlough days to cut teacher salaries?” Such action would constitute a pay cut while pension levy legislation was said Chicago Teachers Union President and make a strike permissible under moved by a 98-14 vote. Karen Lewis. “That’s the ultimate an interpretation of state law. “Overwhelming votes with bipar- hypocrisy.” “The mayor is already seeking a 7 tisan support for pension levy resto- percent pay cut, and this directive adds Chicago Closer ration and an elected, representative another reduction in salary and ben- to Elected School school board (ERSB) are examples of efits,” Lewis added. “They should have Springfield heeding the will of taxpay- never extended the school year in the Board; Pension Levy ers, parents, students and educators first place if they couldn’t afford to do Bill Passes Illinois who have been calling for democracy in our school district,” said CTU Pres- so.” House The 7 percent pay cut is the pension ident Karen Lewis. “For more than a pickup, which has been in CTU/Board By a wide margin, the Illinois House decade, communities throughout the of Ed contracts since 1981, and was of Representatives on March 3 passed city of Chicago have worked to estab- agreed to in lieu of salary increases. It HB557, which provides for the gen- lish a stable, well-managed and fiscally requires the district to pay 7 percent eral election of the Chicago Board of responsible Chicago Board of Educa- of teachers’ salary to the pension fund Education, and HB4579, which pro- tion, and with today’s vote, the Illinois instead of to the teachers. If the 7 per- vides that a separate tax shall be levied House took an important step toward cent is not paid, teachers must pay this by the Chicago Board of Education recognizing the diversity of our city pension fund requirement themselves. for the purpose of dedicated employer and improving democracy for all.”

28 february–march 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER OUR DISTRICT

The Union thanks parents, students to highlight the mayor’s immediate abil- protestors targeted a prime example of and retirees, and members of the Grass- ity to access hundreds of millions of the type of project the mayor has been roots Education Movement, the Grass- dollars in surplus tax increment financ- approving while making massive cuts roots Collaborative and other commu- ing (TIF) funds for CPS that he is to school budgets. The $30 million nity-based organizations, for two decades instead protecting for future develop- River Point development is owned, in of tireless lobbying for an elected school ment projects he hopes to approve. part, by Larry Levy, a multimillionaire board. Nearly one year ago during Chi- Mayor Emanuel continues to ignore real estate investor and owner of high- cago’s municipal election, 90 percent of revenue and school funding options that end restaurants around the world. Levy voters expressed their support for the are completely under his control as TIF has donated thousands of dollars to Elected Representative School Board resources sit in mayoral-controlled the campaigns of Governor Bruce referendum, and now, the city’s public accounts, unspent and uncommitted. Rauner and other Emanuel allies— school students and their families are Legislation in Springfield— including CPS CEO Claypool. closer to ending the devastation of may- HB4560—sponsored by Illinois House “The Grassroots Collaborative has oral control and Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie fought against the River Point plaza handpicked Board of Education. The would force the release of these funds TIF handout since it was first CTU now calls on the Senate to pass to Chicago’s public schools. A majority announced in 2012, and it was obvious this bill and give the voters what is long of Chicago City Council members have then as it still is today that making overdue—democracy in our district. signed on in support of a resolution wealthy developers wealthier is an irre- “We are confident that strength and backing the release of the TIF surplus. sponsible use of taxpayer dollars,” said voice will continue to be on the side of Rallying at River Point, a TIF Amisha Patel, Grassroots Collaborative the people, and in an atmosphere of development that highlights unneces- executive director. “Our dollars belong deep division, state lawmakers will sary corporate handouts being priori- in our communities.” CTU embrace this awesome responsibility tized at the expense of education, of restoring faith in the leadership of our public schools,” Lewis said.

‘Keep on Pushing’... for a Fair Contract and Progressive Revenue More than 100 Chicago Teachers Union members and allied parents and community leaders from the Grassroots Collaborative gathered downtown Feb. 25 on one day’s notice for an urgent rally against Chicago Public Schools class- room layoffs and educator pay cuts mandated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Demonstrators protested at City Hall 1Photo: Ervin Lopez

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER february–march 2016 29 OUR DISTRICT

CPS Mismanagement Traumatizes Frontline Trauma Workers at the Expense of Students

BY SARAH HAINDS other support to parents and their families. We link families to resources for food, cloth- We are spread too thin to perform our jobs professionally ing, housing, mental health care and a host of and the toll it is taking on me is huge. I have students who other services. We cannot walk away from those are suicidal, have had multiple psychiatric hospitalizations in need so we stay at work beyond school hours and students who are suffering from terminal cancer. The to make sure that we help those who are truly in needs are enormous and the demands are more than is need of our support and expertise. humanly possible for me to meet on a consistent basis. In order to professionally meet the needs of our students and Since 2002, there has been an 11 percent decline families, we need more time in our schools and less demands in the number of psychologists and a 22 percent from our managers—as well as more support from them. decline in social workers in CPS schools. Charter schools, however, have been added to their work- he school psychologist quoted above describes loads, often mid-year. As one clinician reported: the tragic dilemma faced by every Chicago My schedule is constantly in flux. Just as I feel TPublic Schools clinician. Those choosing to like I can start making a positive, school-wide work in urban school districts see the results of impact, I get moved to other schools or have student trauma daily—trauma due to poverty, com- schools added/removed. munity violence, inadequate health care and a cha- otic, under-resourced school system. Chicago Teach- Seventy percent of social workers are assigned ers Union social workers and psychologists respond two CPS schools each week, 76 percent of psy- directly to student trauma, yet their work is under- chologists work at three or more schools each mined by excessive paperwork, unsustainable work- week and 5 percent service five or more schools. loads and night/weekend responsibilities. As the table below indicates, many clinician posi- Recently, the CTU surveyed social workers tions remain unfilled, adding to the workload. and psychologists about their experiences in CPS. Clinicians also report high levels of stress, feelings In all, 58 percent of CPS psychologists and 37 of being overwhelmed, inadequate and unable to percent of social workers responded. The CTU comply with impossible workloads and mandates. followed up with a citywide meeting in February I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work to share the survey results and probe deeper into I am expected to do, especially as a psychologist the issues revealed in the survey. who is early in their career with minimal men- Typically, respondents described the myriad toring support. For example, I did over 130 spe- of responsibilities they must juggle. As one social cial education evaluations my first year in the worker wrote: district; by comparison, the suburban district I Social workers must do assessments, write IEPs interned in had me do 12 evaluations during my and 504 plans, provide crisis intervention services, year-long internship, which is about half of what provide multi-tiered support services (MTSS), counsel children with IEPs and 504 plans and serve the general education population, as well as consult with teachers regarding how to provide effective services to students in need of help. We also do

student observations and provide counselling and

30 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER OUR DISTRICT

their full-time, hired psychologists do in one year. The students at my underfunded schools have significant needs outside of these evalua- tions that I am unable to fully meet because I am only part-time in each building and con- stantly doing evaluations. There simply is not enough social-emotional support to meet the needs of students, parents and staff. I could make do with the limited material resources if I had more psychologists around, and therefore more time to do my job. Additionally, general education students are also not receiving the social-emotional services they need. Many students need help coping with evaluations to complete. I never take lunch and the trauma and violence in their communities. I work before school starts and after school ends Many students have mental health issues or because I have to complete the paperwork. suicidal ideation and need proper attention from Most survey respondents felt that CPS man- trained clinicians. agement does not understand their work or the Since 2002, I have been assigned to two schools this year but time it takes to comply with mandates. They feel I am a city-wide psychologist and I get deployed underappreciated, and many reported that their there has every so often to complete evaluations anywhere work assignments are primarily testing, assessing in the city. Every year I have been assigned to and reporting, rather than using their clinical skills. been an 11 different schools... I was a psychologist at a sub- The fight for social work and psychology ser- percent urban school prior to working for CPS and I find vices for every student in need is a crucial one. the conditions for psychologists at CPS harsh This fight belongs to all of us—not only to clini- decline in the and bordering inhuman. I do not have a limit to cians. The CTU has filed a workload grievance number of the cases I have to complete in a year or monthly, and we need members to keep detailed records and therefore I am asked to do the impossible. I of the time they spend working beyond the con- psychologists work on weekends at least six hours on Saturdays tractual workday to help us fight for reasonable and five hours on Sundays to complete my caseload limits. CTU members interested in fight- and a 22 reports… I constantly feel like I am on a treadmill ing back against the repressive workloads that are percent that is unstoppable and I cannot do my duties preventing students from getting the services they the way they should be done. To serve the stu- deserve should contact field representative John decline in dents in the schools, the psychologists should Kugler at [email protected] or Susan social workers have a limit to the cases they are asked to do and Hickey, liaison to the CTU Clinician Steering a limit to the services they are asked to offer. I Committee, at [email protected]. The in CPS would like to offer services to regular education steering committee meets the third Tuesday of schools. students in the schools but there is no time every month at the CTU office. CTU allowed for that when we are given so many Sarah Hainds is a CTU researcher.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 31 32 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER Our Emerging Strength

BY THE CTU POLITICAL DEPARTMENT

hicago Teachers Union political action cleared the

pathway for major victories in March, starting with the C passage of elected school board and pension restoration bills out of the Illinois House of Representatives,

and continuing with contested victories for eight out of nine

CTU-endorsed candidates during the March 15 general

primary election. When grassroots movements engage with

voters, we begin to shift the manner in which people consider

issues and candidates. In doing so, we change the

political landscape.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 33 POLITICS

Almost two years ago, the CTU joined parents and community organizations in canvassing wards Our political success is energizing and makes across the city and asking voters to sign a petition to put the Elected Representative School Board future successes more likely, even as our work (ERSB) referendum on the 2015 municipal ballot. We were able to do so in 37 wards. This effort terrain shifts to the streets and Springfield. helped energize voters and our members, 60 per- cent of whom voted in the subsequent municipal election, where a number of Union members vied Jay Travis. These two fearless leaders went to the for aldermanic seats. When the smoke cleared, mat against two candidates who accept political Addams Elementary counselor and CTU Area contributions from billionaires who work to pri- Vice President Susan Sadlowski Garza was elect- vatize public resources, close schools and promote ed alderman of the 10th Ward, every member of policies that strip workers of their retirement secu- the Chicago City Council Progressive Caucus won 5 rity. They forged tough campaigns against moneyed 10th Ward re-election and Cook County Commissioner Jesus interests. We thank them for their commitment to “Chuy” Garcia pushed Mayor Rahm Emanuel to Alderman and public education, workers and their communities. Committeeman the city’s first-ever runoff election for mayor. Their willingness to lift up the work of the Chicago Susan Sadlowski Our members have injected educational and Teachers Union is what made this campaign cycle Garza (fourth social justice issues into the electoral politics of one of the best in the history of our union. from left) and her the city in a bold and unrelenting manner. The staff standing in CTU’s power comes from our ability to articulate, Why did we have success? solidarity with the advocate for, and implement an alternative vision We were successful for many reasons, but our CTU’s fight for for how schools and government should operate. success begins with the rank-and-file leadership of a fair contract. Voters in 2016 responded to the need for an elect- our Political Action and Legislative committees. Photo courtesy ed representative school board; for ending dan- of Ald. Susan Our members spent considerable time vetting can- Sadlowski Garza gerous and unnecessary privatization schemes like didates and deliberating over their decisions. They charter school proliferation; for progressive rev- Photo courtesy met with the candidates, asked incisive and pointed of Ald. Susan enue options to fund schools; for fully resourced questions, and assessed the implications of a CTU Sadlowski Garza schools with rich and broad curricula and appro- priate wraparound services; and for restorative justice in our schools. This message was central in many races leading up to March 15. One of the most significant vic- tories was in the Cook County State’s Attorney race, where Kim Foxx won on a platform that includes an end to the school-to-prison pipeline, and we look forward to working with this CPS graduate (LaSalle Language Academy, Lincoln Park High School) on this and other criminal justice issues. We also want to honor and lift up the work of Illinois State Senator-Elect Omar Aquino and

34 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER POLITICS

3 CTU President Karen Lewis announces the CTU endorsement of Kim Foxx at a Feb. 29 press conference prior to Foxx’s March 15 victory over incumbent Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. Photo: Brandon Johnson endorsement. These members then spent time workers and provides safe harbor for all of our cit- winning the debate with their colleagues on the izens. The decisions being made by political leaders Executive Board and in the House of Delegates. like Bruce Rauner and Rahm Emanuel are harmful. Additionally, our union’s work was evident We must continue to fight back against austere pol- throughout the city. We had volunteers in polling icies that harm our families and communities. places from South Shore to Galewood on Election The power of our collective action and resolve Day. Members knocked on doors and made phone is undeniable. Our ERSB bill passed overwhelm- calls for ten straight hours. We thank every member ingly in the House by a vote of 110-4, and our and staffer that contributed to the results. It would pension restoration bill passed by an impressive have been impossible for the broader public to hear 98-14 vote. Now both bills head to the Senate and support our positions without the contribu- where we will have to continue to push our legis- tions of thousands of CTU Political Action Com- lators to abide by the will of the people. Despite mittee members who helped to fund our endorsed our advances, we still have a ways to go. Our rev- candidates’ communications to voters. enue-generating legislative proposals also need your The CTU is growing its influence and is doing action. Take a moment to call your state represen- so through an agenda that includes education, labor, tative and ask for a hearing on HB4560, sponsored economic and social justice. Our political success by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, which a bill that is energizing and makes future successes more likely, would release tax increment financing funds to our even as our work terrain shifts to the streets and school district automatically. Springfield. Thanks again to everyone who voted, talked with your neighbors, volunteered for a campaign What’s next? and helped build our electoral and legislative pow- April 1 isn’t simply about a work action—it’s er. You are our strength, and the force behind the also about reimagining a Chicago and Illinois that fight for the schools our students and their fam-

fully funds the futures of our children, supports ilies deserve. CTU

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 35 TESTING

Myths and Facts about PARCC in Illinois BY MORE THAN A SCORE CHICAGO

MYTH: Federal and state governments will withhold Title I Funding for our schools because of opt outs FACT: No state or district has ever lost federal funds because of opt outs There is no federal or state law that requires financial or other penalties for schools or districts if parents opt out or refuse the test. After two years of mass opt outs across the country, the US Department of Education (US ED) has still never penalized any states or districts for having high opt- out rates on state-mandated tests. Restriction of funding to a state or district is a mechanism that the US ED has to enforce any provision of federal 1 Photo: Sarah-Ji education law in order to impose sanc- “will factor...into the statewide account- MYTH: PARCC is a valid tions for serious, willful violations by ability system” to be implemented for and reliable measure states and district officials. Parent and 2017-18. [Sec. 1111(b)(4)(E)] of student learning and student refusal to participate in test- Federal and state education author- school performance ing—when a district or state makes a ities will likely continue to make threats FACT: PARCC has not been good faith effort to administer the test about withholding funds as they have shown to be valid and to all eligible students—does not fall in the past, including in December 2016. within that parameter. However, given the wide-ranging sup- reliable The Illinois No Child Left Behind port for opt out in Illinois and around A year after PARCC testing first took (NCLB) waiver in force until August the country, it would likely be extremely place and two years after field testing, 2016 has no financial penalties for low politically damaging for any public offi- neither PARCC nor Illinois have participation rates. The 2015 “Every cial to actually carry out such a threat. released any technical reports on the Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA), which We judge the risks for our public validity or reliability of PARCC scores. replaces NCLB, requires states to school system of continuing to partic- Even though passing rates on administer the test to not less than 95% ipate in high-stakes standardized test- online versus pencil-paper tests dif- of all students but leaves it up to the ing used for accountability to be greater fered by as much as 18 percentage state to determine how this requirement than the risks of non-participation. points in Illinois and elsewhere,

36 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER TESTING

PARCC officials have no plans to District of Columbia are still participat- refusals on behalf of their children; spe- adjust scores to account for this. Nor- ing in PARCC testing this year: Colo- cial needs children, children with anxi- mally, standardized test developers rado, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, ety and children as young as 8 are still spend considerable effort to counter New Mexico and Rhode Island. Since expected to refuse the test themselves. what are known as mode effects. its inception, 18 states have dropped out We are working to get an opt-out Only a single study exists of of the PARCC consortium. bill passed in Illinois, HB306. We PARCC’s value as a predictor of col- need your help; please call and tell lege performance. It administered MYTH: There is no “opting your state senator to support HB306 PARCC to college students and found out” of PARCC so that there is a clear and humane that PARCC scores correlated with FACT: Your child can policy for families who do not want college grades about as strongly as refuse the test their children to take PARCC or oth- SAT scores. But high school report er state-mandated assessments. card grades are the best predictor of Students can refuse PARCC testing. college performance, better than any Parents should notify their school in MYTH: Illinois would lose standardized test scores. writing that their child is refusing the millions in federal funding test and that they expect their child to if the opt-out bill HB 306 MYTH: PARCC is the only be treated with kindness and respect. became law Although the Illinois State Board of way to truly assess our FACT: Other states Education has said that “Opting out is students already have laws clearly FACT: Standardized not an option,” they have also said dis- tricts “can develop a policy for those permitting opt out of testing provides an students who refuse to take assessments state-mandated testing incomplete picture on testing days.” The state instructs The following states have opt-out of what students are schools not to acknowledge parent learning and how schools laws: California, Wisconsin, Utah, are performing Teachers assess students every single day in the classroom. Parents see the results through quizzes, tests, projects, home- work and through these results have the ability to see how their child is learning and what problems they may need to work on at home and school. PARCC results will not be provided this year until early summer--so the results have little use for teachers. In any case, stan- dardized testing is primarily a measure of the socioeconomic characteristics of a school’s community. At this time, only six states plus the

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 37 TESTING

Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Oregon, Col- 20,000 students refused. Across the FACT: PARCC is not orado. Other states, like Washington, country about 620,000 students opted attached to any high have allowed parents to opt their chil- out, including 200,000 in New York stakes decisions for dren out without formal provisions State even though NYS has no laws students this year with no adverse consequences. Some about opt out. other states, including North Carolina Ask to be shown policies in writing if and Massachusetts, with no opt-out MYTH: Children opting administrators make threats like this. provision in law or regulation have out of PARCC must be There has only been one year of informed school districts they should kept home during the test PARCC testing, so schools and dis- create alternative education settings window tricts have little basis for attaching their own high-stakes policies to for children whose parents refuse the FACT: Your child can PARCC scores. tests. In addition, ESSA is explicit refuse the test at school that its provisions do not preempt a The Illinois School Code was mod- and do an alternative state or local law allowing parents to ified in July 2015 to require the high decline to have their children partic- activity school test required for graduation to ipate in the academic assessments Write a letter to your child’s principal be a college entrance exam. ISBE [Sec. 1111(b)(2)(K)]. to let them know that your child will approved the SAT for this in Novem- refuse testing. Explain that ISBE says ber. PARCC is not accepted as a col- MYTH: Students have that districts can create their own lege entrance exam (and is unlikely to never opted out of a state refusal policy. State that your child be any time soon). Individual districts test; it can’t be done will be reading a book or engaging in could make PARCC a graduation FACT: Hundreds of another quiet activity during testing requirement, but high school PARCC tests are tied to coursework, and so thousands of students time. some students in every grade are not opted out of state tests even eligible to take it, making a grad- last year MYTH: Students might be held back or not graduate uation requirement difficult to formu- late. CTU Some 44,000 students across Illinois if they refuse PARCC this did not participate in PARCC last year year. In Chicago alone, more than

38 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER TESTING

Testing Reform Victories Surge: Growing National Grassroots Movement Rolls Back Testing Overkill BY LISA GUISBOND, MONTY Parents, students and teachers who must be given at least half the weight. NEILL AND BOB SCHAEFFER launched campaigns against standard- In an important victory, federal law no ized exam overkill in their schools and longer mandates a menu of escalating he growing strength and sophis- districts have emerged as effective sanctions, including school privatiza- tication of the U.S. testing resis- leaders who continue to build a stron- tion and closures. Instead, ESSA tells Ttance and reform movement ger movement. The mainstream media schools and districts to implement their began turning the tide against stan- no longer ignores or marginalizes calls own three-year improvement plans. If dardized exam overuse and misuse for “less testing, more learning” and these plans are not successful, then the during the 2014-2015 school year. “an end to high-stakes testing.” Instead, state must either provide assistance or Assessment reformers scored signifi- the assessment reform movement and intervene. cant, concrete wins in many states, the reasons behind it are consistently Now it is up to states to use the thanks to the intense pressure brought covered in-depth by major newspa- opportunity ESSA provides to over- by unprecedented waves of opting out pers, television and radio outlets from haul many of the policies they put in and other forms of political action. coast to coast. Public opinion shows place under NCLB. But winning nec- Even President Barack Obama and a powerful shift against overreliance essary changes will require strong Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, on test-and-punish policies and in grassroots pressure. long advocates of test-and-punish favor of assessment reform based on The testing resistance and reform “reform” strategies, conceded, “There is multiple measures. movement has already won concrete too much testing.” The Every Student ESSA essentially ends NCLB’s “ade- victories at the state and local level. Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaces quate yearly progress” requirements and These include repeal of exit exams in No Child Left Behind (NLCB) this its punitive accountability. States must several states, elimination of many summer, incorporated some but not still rank their schools and identify the tests, reduction of testing time, a surge all of the movement’s demands. lowest performing; and they must test of colleges going test-optional and Across the country, educators, par- in grades 3-8, rather than in just two development of alternative assessment ents and students launched petitions, of those grades as the movement and accountability systems. The past organized mass rallies and held public demanded. ESSA requires states to year’s victories include: forums. More than 650,000 students expand the indicators used to judge »»A sharp reversal of the decades-long refused to take state exams. High schools to include things like discipline trend to adopt high school exit exams. schoolers walked out to protest exces- and school climate, though test results Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, sive testing. Teachers struck to demand (and win) testing reforms and better learning conditions. Administrators and elected school boards adopted strong resolutions against high-stakes testing, while some districts cut back and even eliminated their interim tests. All this growth built on the successes

of test reformers in previous years.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 39 TESTING

Minnesota, Nevada and South Caro- lina all dropped such tests. California, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island imple- mented moratoria. Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia and South Carolina granted diplomas retroactively to thou- sands of students denied them because of test scores. Texas and several other states lessened their requirements. »»Florida’s suspension of Gov. Jeb Bush’s third grade reading test-based total to more than 850. public education from a system driven promotion policy. Oklahoma, New »» Promising efforts to develop alter- by a narrow “test-and-punish” agenda York, and North Carolina revised their to one that meets the broad educa- test-based promotion policies, and native systems of assessment and accountability in California, New tional needs and goals of diverse stu- New Mexico legislators blocked the dents and families. governor’s effort to impose one. Hampshire and elsewhere, de-em- phasizing standardized tests while This is an updated version of the »»States and districts rolling back incorporating multiple measures of summary of Testing Reform Victories some mandated testing, including school performance. ESSA includes an 2015. The full report is available at Minnesota, Virginia, Florida, Colo- “innovative assessment” program in www.fairtest.org/testing​-​reform​ rado, Maryland, Dallas and Lee Coun- which states will be able to thoroughly -victories-2015-report. ty, Florida. overhaul their systems. Some of the For a recent FairTest analysis, see »»Opting out surging to new levels options could lead to even more testing, the Monthly Review article, “The Test- across the country, riveting the atten- but states could build systems of large- ing Resistance and Reform Move- tion of the media and pushing gover- ly local performance assessments. ment,” at www.fairtest.org/testing​ nors and legislatures to act. The nearly -resistance-and-reform-movement- The movement’s growth and accom- monthly-rev. two-thirds of a million refusers plishments are tremendously encour- included 44,000 in Illinois, with FairTest has many fact sheets, aging. But it’s far too early to declare reports and other materials on testing 20,000 from Chicago. victory and go home. In the 2015-2016 at www.fairtest.org. CTU »»An increasing numbers of voters school year, activists are using lessons and parents saying there is too much learned from their initial battles to The National Center for Fair & Open standardized testing and it should further expand and strengthen the Testing (FairTest) works to end the not be used for high-stakes purposes, resistance movement, and ensure state misuses and flaws of standardized according to several opinion polls. and local political leaders implement testing and to ensure that evaluation of students, teachers and schools is fair, » meaningful assessment reforms. »The best year ever for the test-op- open, valid and educationally beneficial. tional college admissions movement The movement’s ultimate goal goes Lisa Guisbond is Assessment Reform with three dozen more colleges and well beyond winning less testing, low- Analyst at FairTest, where Monty Neill is universities reducing or eliminating er stakes and better assessments. It Executive Director and Bob Schaeffer is

ACT/SAT requirements, driving the seeks a democratic transformation of Public Education Director.

40 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER

TEACHER EVALUATION

DePaul’s Winter Education Issues Forum: How the edTPA Continues Privatization BY JENNIFER JOHNSON University, served as the moderator for at St. Paul Lutheran School in the Aus- the forum and the panelists included tin neighborhood of Chicago; and Cas- n Thursday, Feb. 18, at the DePaul Alison Dover, Ed.D., Assistant Profes- sandra Creswell, organizer with More University College of Education sor of Secondary Education in the Col- Than a Score and board member of OWinter Education Issues Forum, lege of Education at Northeastern Illi- Raise Your Hand Illinois. CTU a packed room of eager pre-service nois University; Julie Peters, Associate teachers, current Chicago Public Jennifer Johnson is the CTU Teacher Director of the Teaching of History Schools teachers and professors from Evaluation Facilitator. The accompanying Program at U.I.C. and founding mem- feature from Alison Dover was written local universities gathered for an for Chicago Union Teacher magazine important discussion about the rollout ber of the Coalition for edTPA Rule and summarizes the main concerns and and implementation of the new edTPA Change; Cheryl Witucke, Coordinator of Clinical Supervision in the Division critiques of the edTPA and its impact on assessment of student teaching—the the education field. For full video of the of Education at Trinity International passage of which is now a required hur- DePaul University College of Education dle for student teachers wanting to get University; Trisha Wickland, recent Winter Education Issues Forum, please a teaching license in Illinois. The edT- M.A. recipient from Concordia Univer- visit http://condor.depaul.edu/mptvideo/ PA not only represents yet another sity and first and second grade teacher COE2016/02182016.html. foray by Pearson Education into prof- iting off of high stakes assessments in teaching, but it is dramatically changing edTPA: Silencing the Conversation the nature of the student teaching expe- rience for the worse. BY ALISON G. DOVER, ED.D. The DePaul forum allowed a mix of One could argue, current and future educators from hat does it mean to be a good around the city—including various CPS teacher? As you consider the however, that the real schools and local universities, including Wquestion, ask yourself how Columbia College Chicago, Chicago your response changes as you adopt crisis in education is a State University, the University of Illi- the lens of a teacher, a teacher educa- nois at Chicago and Northwestern Uni- tor, a principal or a parent. Would—or manufactured one— versity—to dissect the mostly negative should—your answer be the same for created by inequitable impact that this Illinois State Board of every context, every school or every Education mandate for student teachers classroom? Do you think everyone you conditions, insufficient to pass the edTPA is having on the stu- know would—or should—respond in dent teachers. Also discussed were the exactly the same way? These are the funding, and an implications the edTPA has for student kinds of critical conversations we need data privacy and how it further rep- to have about the field of education. overreliance on scripted resents the privatization, standardiza- There’s much to be gained from curriculum and tion and de-professionalization of teach- talking about what it means to be a good ing. Marie Donovan, Ed.D., Associate teacher. We debate this question in fac- standardized tests.

Professor, College of Education, DePaul ulty meetings, across dinner tables and

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 43 assessment” called meet the state-determined cut score are edTPA. While the not eligible for a teaching license, requirements of regardless of all other evaluations of edTPA vary their readiness. It does not matter slightly according whether their university supervisor or to candidates’ level cooperating teacher thinks they’re ready, and discipline, the or if their principal wants to offer them overarching struc- a job. If candidates do not pass edTPA, ture focuses on they cannot be licensed to teach. three tasks that are There are many critiques of this part of any teach- model, including those focused on phil- er’s daily responsi- osophical, pedagogical, and practical bilities: planning, concerns. edTPA is based on the prem- instruction and ise that good teaching is something that assessment. These can and should be standardized, and activities—plan- then quantitatively evaluated by some- ning, implement- one who has no knowledge of local stu- ing, and reflecting dents, communities, teachers or schools, on instruction— nor their priorities, needs or concerns. are things that any This is inherently problematic. Rather teacher educator than preparing teacher candidates to with ourselves in the middle of the would ask candi- articulate and work towards their vision night. New teachers wonder if they have dates to do. Under edTPA, however, of themselves as fantastic teachers, edT- what it takes, how to learn from their candidates are required to spend weeks PA requires them to adopt and work success and mistakes, and how to best focused narrowly on just three to five towards someone else’s vision. It dis- respond to the ever-changing demands interconnected lessons. They plan their counts the expertise and the autonomy of their students and profession. Parents lessons, record themselves teaching the of Illinois teacher educators and coop- consider the unique needs of their chil- lessons, gather samples of student work erating teachers by privileging snapshot dren and how teachers could best engage from the lessons and write approxi- assessments by external scorers over or support their five- or 15 year-old in mately 25 pages of narrative in response longitudinal, multifaceted evaluations the classroom. Teacher educators talk to a series of standardized prompts. conducted by local educators. Thus, it about our candidates’ performance, Candidates then upload their materials undermines the integrity and authen- looking for ways to better prepare them to Pearson Education for anonymous ticity of the evaluation process. Candi- to teach effectively from the moment online scoring. Scorers—presumably dates self-curate their portfolio materi- they enter the classroom. These are con- current or retired teachers or teacher als, selecting those that best meet the versations that our field needs to have, educators who have been “calibrated” to test requirements. Given the high-stakes and we all benefit from the discussion. ensure their numerical scores are stan- of edTPA, it is no surprise that many New teacher education policy in Illinois, dardized according to test developers’ focus their attention on the classes or however, is silencing our conversation. requirements—provide numerical rat- subjects they find easiest to teach. The Effective September 1, 2015, all can- ings, but no feedback, approximately stakes and structure of the assessment didates seeking initial licensure in Illi- one month later. also steers candidates towards a specific nois are required to pass a high-stakes, In states where edTPA is required set of prescriptive instructional priori- standardized “teacher performance for licensure, candidates who fail to ties. Elementary educators, for example,

44 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER TEACHER EVALUATION

are required to submit materials related glossaries of edTPA terminology, guid- first piloted nationally in 2013 and has to literacy or mathematics; there is no ance on “making good choices” when since been adopted by 656 educator evaluation of their approach to elemen- selecting or filming lessons for edTPA preparation programs across 36 states. tary science or social studies. Likewise, and annual errata notices (which detail It is currently required or being con- there is no dedicated edTPA for candi- errors in the handbooks and materials). sidered as a requirement for licensure dates in bilingual classrooms; they are It is no wonder that student teachers in 12 states, including Illinois. This is evaluated according to the same criteria feel pressure to focus as much on the a dramatic and rapid shift in teacher as candidates teaching in monolingual requirements of edTPA as the more education policy nationwide, with dra- settings. important work of teaching, learning matic potential for profit. In 2014, the In addition to the pedagogical con- and assessment. Nor is it a surprise that most recent year for which data was cerns inherent in this sort of reductive edTPA has sparked a cottage industry publically released, 18,436 candidates approach, edTPA also creates practical of opportunistic tutoring and test-prep nationwide took edTPA. At $300 each, barriers that impede teacher prepara- services. These companies advertise that’s $5.5 million—all for a test that tion. It is an unusually technically and services including edTPA help, editing didn’t exist three years ago. There is a linguistically complex assessment: it and portfolio preparation. Rather than reason that private companies create requires candidates to upload more improving teacher preparation and eval- and support standardized assessments, than a dozen files, compress videos and uation in Illinois, edTPA introduces a and lobby for policies that require respond to standardized prompts. new set of concerns that distract from them. And that reason is not a deep These following examples are represen- and undermine it. commitment to Illinois students. As tative of the types of questions candi- This critique begs the question of educators, we need to interrogate dates must answer: “Why?” Why did this happen? Who changing education policies and ensure that the primary beneficiaries of Illinois »»Given the central focus, describe benefits from edTPA? edTPA advo- cates claim edTPA was a necessary education policies are students, schools how the standards and learning objec- and communities in Illinois. tives within your learning segment response to a crisis in teaching and learning. They define this crisis by cit- What makes a good teacher? The address students’ abilities to use the answer is for us to decide. textual references to construct mean- ing the results of standardized tests, which they say prove that students Readers interested in learning more ing from, interpret or respond to com- about efforts to reform edTPA policy plex text, [and] create a written prod- aren’t performing, teachers aren’t per- forming, schools aren’t performing and in Illinois are encouraged to visit the uct, interpreting or responding to website of the Illinois Coalition for edT- complex features of a text. (Secondary teacher educators aren’t performing. One could argue, however, that the real PA Rules Change at http://icrchange. English Language Arts) crisis in education is a manufactured weebly.com. CTU » »Explain and provide concrete exam- one—created by inequitable condi- Alison G. ples for the extent to which your stu- tions, insufficient funding and an over- Dover, Ed.D., dents were able to use or struggled to reliance on scripted curriculum and is an Assistant use selected language function, vocab- standardized tests—and that edTPA, Professor in the ulary or key phrases, and discourse or like many so-called reforms, is part of Department syntax to develop content understand- a broader effort to privatize public edu- of Educational Inquiry & ings. (Elementary Education) cation. When policymakers, in partner- Curriculum Learning the language and structure ship with private entities, create a crisis, Studies at the Daniel L. Goodwin College of edTPA is a task unto itself. There they also create an opportunity for a of Education at Northeastern Illinois are 50-page instruction manuals for market-based solution to that crisis. University. She can be contacted at each licensure area, discipline-specific edTPA is big business. edTPA was [email protected].

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 45 RESEARCH

Nursing in CPS: On the Verge of a Health Crisis BY SARAH HAINDS an EpiPen, completing progress notes such as scheduling, training and for case files or showing up for work recruiting—this contract also includes Promoted as a cost-savings move, Chicago assignments. Too often, CTU nurses a gain sharing arrangement whereby Public Schools outsourced the management report that these agency nurses refuse RCM will receive money from CPS of school nurses in the summer of 2015 to to do their assigned tasks because as a reward for reducing the cost of an east coast company with defense con- RCM did not specify those particular providing vital health care services to tracts. Six months into this four-year con- tasks when they were scheduled. students with IEPs and 504 Plans. tract, nurses from the Chicago Teachers The contract with RCM claims CPS continues to claim that there Union report on the drastic failure of this that CPS will save money by provid- is a shortage of nurses, yet these staff- company to meet its contractual obliga- ing nursing services more “efficiently.” ing agencies are employing hundreds tions, putting nearly 400,000 Chicago This is not the first time CPS has of nurses. At the June 24, 2015, Chi- students in danger. contracted with a nurse staffing agen- cago Board of Education meeting, cy: The district has actually been con- former interim CEO Jesse Ruiz pro- t the June 2015 Chicago Board tracting with various companies since vided talking points to the board of Education meeting, Chicago the early 1990s, partly due to a sup- members to justify the RCM Tech- APublic Schools voted unani- posed nursing shortage, but also to nologies contract, which stated: mously to approve a $30 million, four- provide temporary nursing services to CPS lacks enough District nurses to year contract with RCM Technologies disabled students whose needs change deliver services to our students due for supplemental nursing services, and increase throughout the year. The to state and national nursing profes- professional development and sched- RCM contract also encourages cost sion shortages. uling. Nine months after the RCM savings. It does not, however, reward contract was signed, Chicago Teachers quality of care. Under-bidding CPS’ CTU members contend that these Union nurses are reporting shocking previous nurse staffing contracts by CPS practices undermine nurse hir- stories of untrained nurses who can- nearly $5 million each year—with ing. In the summer of 2015, the dis- not perform basic tasks like opening added administrative responsibilities trict waited until well after the sub- urbs had already hired their needed nurses to post job announcements and then removed the job postings after Nine months after the RCM contract was signed, only a few days, waiting until October Chicago Teachers Union nurses are reporting to respond to applicants. CTU mem- bers attempted to improve this pro- shocking stories of untrained nurses who cannot cess, but CPS would not listen. This was during a time when CPS was in perform basic tasks like opening an EpiPen, flux due to new CEO Forrest Clay- pool, who made many staff and completing progress notes for case files or departmental changes, including showing up for work assignments. changing the hiring department. Additionally, CPS has been

46 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER RESEARCH

3 Photo: Charles Edward Miller

partnering with five area universities (HSNs) and LPNs. The since 2007 to provide nurse interns to RCM contract includes the schools, under the supervision of CSNs, professional devel- the Certified School Nurses. How, in opment for them, schedul- all this time, has CPS not figured out ing and recruitment. On how to recruit the nurses after they February 4, 2016, RCM graduate? Is it possible that these advertised for a Clinical interns decide after their internship Nurse Supervisor, with a experience that CPS is too difficult to job description that fits that work for, or that the caseloads and of CSNs. stress are too much to handle? The CTU further con- In 1998, there were 300 Certified tends that this scenario School Nurses (CSNs) and 60 puts 400,000 students’ lives number of CPS students who do not Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) in at risk. Sixty-five years of school nurs- receive preventative health care ser- CPS. The numbers have gradually ing in Chicago provide the experience vices outside of school, entirely pri- declined. This is not attributed solely and insight to understand how school vatizing the nursing department will to a nursing shortage, but to a lack of health services are best provided by create a health disaster in Chicago. CPS recruitment efforts. There was certified nurses with teaching licenses Rather than fully funding CSNs, CPS no money spent recruiting at nurse who have a trusting relationship with is cutting corners with private con- hiring fairs or nursing hiring sites like students—which takes time to build. tracts which have serious health Nurse.com. CPS does not spend mon- Temporary nurses do not have the impacts on kids and fail to save money. ey for nurse recruitment. ability to create that trusting relation- Its budget practices and priorities are The RCM Technologies contract ship with the students they are serv- starving students of adequate health is different from previous ones. The ing, particularly young students, who services. CTU contends that CPS intends to need many hours of contact with The CTU is therefore recommend- eventually eliminate the union nursing nurses. CTU nurses have reported a ing that CPS end this contract with positions, replacing them with tem- high turnover rate of RCM nurses, RCM Technologies and employ a full- porary nurses who will not be provid- exacerbating relationship issues even time CSN in every school and enough ed job protections or employment more. LPNs and HSNs to ensure that every benefits such as health care and a Just as CPS is “broke on purpose,” CPS student receives proper preven- pension. Previous nurse contracts only it is also dysfunctional on purpose. tative and required service care. CTU included provisions for the staffing of With rising levels of diabetes and temporary Health Service Nurses allergies, not to mention the high Sarah Hainds is a CTU researcher.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 47 That feeling when… TEACHERS UNION You’re the new kid on the job, but 30,000 coworkers have got your back.

FREE PIZZA CASH BAR HELLO UNION INFO I’m NEW here CTU New Member Social Friday, April 29 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. RSVP Required: ctunet.com/newbies 2373 S. Archer Ave.

48 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER EVENTS

75 Photos: Michael Moriarty

Introducing a New Generation to Teacher Unionism

BY MICHAEL P. MORIARTY First-year teachers were given the oppor- the New Member Learning Series featur- tunity to become involved in a CTU ing topics such as REACH evaluation, n January 29, the Chicago Teachers research study about the efficacy of new classroom management, differentiation, Union held its second “New Member teacher support systems offered by CPS. formative assessment, brain-based learning, OEvent” of the school year at Manny’s CTU organizer Marty Ritter opened and family and community involvement. Deli in Chicago’s University Park neigh- the night with ways members could become Upcoming New Member Events borhood. With a room full of new and involved in union activities while also pro- prospective CTU members, the event tecting their job security. He encouraged Our next event for new and novice offered an intimate setting for voices to be teachers to take part in upcoming rallies, teachers, clinicians and PSRPs is Friday, heard and questions to be answered. walk-ins and other union-led actions to April 29 at Connie’s Pizza, 2373 S. Archer Attendees met colleagues from across the show solidarity and support for sustainable Ave. in Chicago. The CTU New Member district to share common challenges as well public education in Chicago. CTU teacher Committee will address contract updates, as successes facing new and novice teachers field representative Adriana Cervantes information on administrative transfers, in Chicago Public Schools, enjoyed authen- explained the rights of non-tenured teach- teacher assignment preference sheets and tic deli sandwiches from a classic Chicago ers, how to file a grievance and the timeline post REACH evaluation information. restaurant and heard from and spoke with and evaluation ratings teachers are required There will also be plenty of time to enjoy several CTU staff. Several attendees won to earn to become a tenured teacher in great food with fellow colleagues, answer raffle prizes including teaching resources CPS. Most importantly, she emphasized your questions and learn about opportu- and professional development vouchers that our members know and utilize their nities to strengthen the CTU’s solidarity. provided by the CTU Quest Center. Weingarten Rights—a teacher protection Check out the CTU New Member This New Member program featured to have union representation at any meet- page on our website at www.ctunet.com/ important information for attendees on ing that could lead to their discipline or newbies. By popular demand, the CTU contract updates; union activism; the have an effect on their personal working Quest Center is opening the “New Mem- path to tenure for probationary appoint- conditions. This important right is named ber Learning Series” to all new, novice and ed teachers; ‘knowing your rights’; pro- for AFT President Randi Weingarten. veteran CTU members. Pre-register now fessional learning offerings designed for This author discussed upcoming pro- at www.ctunet.com/pd. CTU new teachers; and current findings from fessional development opportunities pro- Michael P. Moriarty, NBCT, is a CTU the CTU Research Department. vided by the CTU Quest Center including professional development facilitator.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 49 EVENTS

5 Photos: Nathan Goldbaum

Contract Summit Draws Hundreds in Fight for City Students Deserve Th e March 12 Contract Sum- power in the school and com- Members also accepted chal- open-ended contract strike mit brought together more than munity. Members discussed lenges to hammer on revenue begins; and draw in and engage 600 school delegates and other contract strategy and the needs and on our short- and additional allies across the city school leaders for a full day of Union’s plans to stop attacks long-term revenue solutions; to pressure for these revenue training to defend our contrac- from the mayor, governor and keep our union strong and unit- and political solutions. CTU tual rights and organize our CPS CEO Forrest Claypool. ed, even before the time for an —Ronnie Reese

5 Photos: Special Olympics Chicago

Taking the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Chicago March 6 was a great day to of bringing awareness to how Polar Plunge with a great deal with $5,257 raised for pro- take a plunge into the icy important SOC can be for our of pride and energy as chants grams supporting children and waters of Lake Michigan for special needs children here in of “CTU” could be heard as adults living with disabilities. our students and all those who Illinois and throughout the they raced to the water’s edge. Congratulations to all our are a part of Special Olympics world. With more than twenty When they emerged from the members, friends and families Chicago. Th e Chicago Teach- members, Team CTU took on lake, the smiles and cheers for a job well done! CTU ers Union did a wonderful job icy waters at the 16th Annual from members said it all, along —Georgia Waller

50 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER BOOK REVIEW

The Long Struggle for Sustainable Community Schools BY JACKSON POTTER on the “word” at Friere warns that we cannot assert the expense of the importance of civic engagement but n the late 1980s Paulo Freire, the the “world.” For go on to repress democratic discourse famous Brazilian educational theorist, Freire, the key in our classrooms when students ask Ibecame the superintendent of schools pedagogical pro- uncomfortable questions. This is what for Sao Paulo, Brazil. In that role he cess is one of CPS does when its curriculum on the pushed to democratize instruction and “conscientiza- murder of Laquan McDonald avoids decision making, and fully resource the tion,” or the the tough questions about the history schools in Brazil’s largest city. need for educa- of racist practices in Chicago’s law Freire was able to engage in this tors to connect enforcement or denies the harsh lived visionary project because popular to and embrace teaching as a political experience of black and Latino students movements had come together to form project that engages our students in a in their communities vis a vis the police. a political party, the Brazilian Workers “common process of knowing” in which Friere calls this the “hidden curriculum” Party, and pushed forward a radical our students are not “empty vessels” but in which oppressive values of society agenda of social transformation. historical beings imbued with assets and get communicated and conveyed with- This historical example may sound great human potential. It also requires out being explicit. If we are to disrupt familiar to you. The Chicago Teachers a political commitment to joining with the “hidden curriculum,” teachers must Union has made similar efforts to unite our students in analyzing the world, its question the ways in which we inten- with community organizations and inequalities, challenges and changes that tionally or subliminally reproduce the parents to promote a campaign for sus- are necessary to realize our collective “social, historical, cultural and class- tainable community schools, a model ideals. based” biases and assumptions of the that necessitates enveloping our stu- This endeavor requires us to have society of which we are part. dents with robust programming; parent utopian dreams that Friere hopes will Ultimately reading Friere remind- engagement; more project-based teach- allow us to imagine a society that is ed this author that educators must ing; wrap-around supports; restorative “less unjust, less cruel, more demo- challenge preconceptions about our practices; and culturally relevant/con- students, especially low-income black structivist pedagogical practices. Friere’s cratic, less discriminatory, less racist, and less sexist,” which is why “teaching and Latino students that face the experience also relates to the CTU’s brunt of our country’s racial and eco- efforts to create an independent political literacy is, above all, a social and polit- nomic inequalities. CTU organization, known as United Work- ical commitment.” One way to do this ing Families. The Union has built UWF is to unite our theory of teaching with Jackson Potter is the CTU Staff to challenge the corrupt two-party sys- our practice in the classroom. Coordinator. tem and offer policy as well as candidate alternatives who “walk our walk” and support a progressive agenda for work- Friere warns that we cannot assert the importance of ing people. In “Pedagogy of the City,” Friere con- civic engagement but go on to repress democratic nects the classroom to the larger project discourse in our classrooms when students ask of social change in the city, and in a series of interviews, lambasts the tendency for uncomfortable questions. traditional educational methods to focus

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 51 COMMENTARY

SEC: It’s Time to Hold the Banks Accountable BY KAREN LEWIS and Chicago Public Schools have now with school closings, teacher layoff s and paid banks more than $1.2 billion for cuts to mental health services. ver the last few years, parents and these toxic swaps. Mayor Emanuel has stubbornly teachers in Chicago have been Even though bankers represented refused to sue the banks for misrepre- Ocalling on Mayor Rahm Emanuel these deals as safe investments, they senting the risks in these deals, and for and his appointed school board to try were riddled with risks for the public illegally colluding to manipulate inter- to renegotiate the city and school dis- that became all too apparent after the est rates to extract greater profi ts from trict’s toxic swap deals with banks such banks crashed the economy in 2008. Chicago taxpayers. His administration as Bank of America. Wall Street bank- Now the banks that sold the deals are has gone so far as to sign waivers, ers pitched these deals to city and making a profi t at taxpayers’ expense releasing some of the banks from all school offi cials as a way to save money, as a direct result of the crisis they legal liabilities arising from these toxic but the fi nancial crisis revealed their caused. In the meantime, taxpayers who deals. Even though the mayor refuses dangers, and they backfi red. Th e city bailed them out are being forced to cope to take on the banks, the federal gov- ernment can act to protect taxpayers’ interests since banks broke federal laws when they sold these predatory deals to Chicago and CPS. Th e Securities and Exchange Com- mission (SEC) could bring disgorge- ment actions against Bank of America EFORE and other banks to claw back their B PR S O ill-gotten gains from Chicago and CPS. L F I I In recent years, however, the SEC typ- P T ically has been very soft on Wall Street U S

P crime. In the rare instances that the SEC does prosecute banks, it settles low, often lets them get away without admitting guilt and continues to grant “waivers” that treat banks that are recid- ivist law breakers as trusted actors. Even though there is ample BOYCOTT BANK OF AMERICA

52 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER COMMENTARY

evidence that banks systematically defrauded municipal clients like the We need someone now who will protect us from banks City of Chicago, the SEC has taken a “water under the bridge” approach to that are robbing our children of their futures. this set of legal claims arising from the 2008 financial crash. The SEC also has let big banks continue to collect wind- Even though the crash was eight banks such as Goldman Sachs and fall profits while taxpayers and school- years ago, working class communities JPMorgan Chase wrongfully took children bear the costs—through in cities across the country are still from them could help ease the pain. reductions in city services and draco- suffering its impacts. The money that The good news is that the SEC has the nian cuts to education. authority to act. The bad news is that right now it’s refusing to do its job. Chicagoans desperately need the current SEC commissioners to inter- * vene and do what Mayor Emanuel FREE $20 Visa Gift Card won’t—hold the banks accountable and just for getting a no-obligation auto quote! recoup taxpayer dollars. But if they refuse to do that, we need our next pres- You can have it all with Meemic! ident to appoint new SEC commission- • Savings up to 35% ers who will hold the banks accountable • Educator-customized auto and home and get back the money that Wall Street insurance coverages bankers wrongfully took from Chicago, • Feel good about doing business with CPS and other municipal borrowers a company that gives back to education! around the country. ($500,000 will be given back in 2016 alone!)** CPS is facing an immediate finan- cial crisis. The $502 million it has Call Today at 855-240-5575 or find spent on swap payments would have a local agent at Meemic.com/Agent been enough to fill its entire $480

“ The six-month premium for our two cars was much million budget deficit and avoid dev- lower than what we had been paying to another astating classroom cuts that include carrier. It added up to big savings every year.” up to 5,000 teacher layoffs and cuts – Melinda Jackson to special education. Teacher & Meemic Member Chicago schoolchildren cannot wait until 2019 for a new mayor who is will- ing to challenge Wall Street. We need someone now who will protect us from banks that are robbing our children of * No purchase necessary. Gift card offer available through 4/18/16. Visit Meemic.com/Offer20 their futures. CTU for complete details and restrictions. ** Financial support to schools provided by The Meemic Foundation. Karen Lewis is president of the Chicago

Teachers Union.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 53 IN CLOSING

AL1 AUSTIN-NORTH LAWNDALE ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ AL2 All Present ∕ PL2 PILSEN-LITTLE VILLAGE ELEMENTARY Galaviz, AUSTIN-NORTH LAWNDALE ELEMENTARY Doyle, Jacqueline L.; Brian ∕ RR1 RAVENSWOOD-RIDGE ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ RR2 Humphreys, Timothy A. ∕ BP1 BURNHAM PARK ELEMENTARY RAVENSWOOD-RIDGE ELEMENTARY All Present Niederfrank, Willis ∕ BP2 BURNHAM PARK ELEMENTARY Fallon, ∕ RI1 ROCK ISLAND ELEMENTARY Lekkas, Harry Gloria R.; Poplawski, Nicole A. ∕ EG1 ENGLEWOOD-GRESHAM G.; Majka, Margaret A. ∕ RI2 ROCK ISLAND ELEMENTARY Taylor, Lakeshia L. ∕ EG2 ENGLEWOOD-GRESHAM ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ SK1 SKYWAY ELEMENTARY Clay, Jamila K.; Davis, Deborah J. ∕ FR1 FULLERTON ELEMENTARY Crockett, Nicole M.; Simpson, Delegates ELEMENTARY Kennedy-Nieves, Suzanne R.; Villa, Mary ∕ FR2 Allyson L. ∕ SK2 SKYWAY ELEMENTARY Murphy, Not Present FULLERTON ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ FL1 FULTON ELEMENTARY Katherine I.; Sanchez, Lora ∕ SSH SOUTH SIDE All Present ∕ FL2 FULTON ELEMENTARY Griffin, Allison E. ∕ FSS FAR H.S. Cameron, Alisia L. ∕ SW1 SOUTHWEST SIDE HOUSE OF SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL Brownlow, Dorothy M.; Rountree, Eric H.S. All Present ∕ SW2 SOUTHWEST SIDE H.S. DELEGATES F. ∕ GH1 GARFIELD-HUMBOLDT ELEMENTARY Greco-Serwa, Sandra Crockett, Turan C.; Skalinder, Eric ∕ WS1 WEST MEETING ∕ GH2 GARFIELD-HUMBOLDT ELEMENTARY Wisnar, Mercedes D. ∕ SIDE H.S. All Present ∕ WS2 WEST SIDE H.S. LC1 LAKE CALUMET ELEMENTARY Horton, Rebekah J.; Spearman, Holic, Sara L. ∕ CITY-WIDE CAREER SERVICE Nicole N.; Whitehead, Sheryl F. ∕ LC2 LAKE CALUMET ELEMENTARY Gaither, Arttice S.; Gonzalez, Maria A.; Hampton, Wednesday, All Present ∕ ME1 MIDWAY ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ ME2 MIDWAY Vermie L.; Johnson, Kimberly Y.; Parker-Taylor, ELEMENTARY Waywood, Ann J. ∕ NW1 NORTH-NORTHWEST SIDE H.S. Karmen L.; Sanders, Vickie; Scott, Ella M. ∕ March 23, 2016 Coupaud, Helena; Gryglak, Emma; Kimbrue, Hayley ∕ NW2 NORTH- CITY-WIDE Bures, Robert F.; Freed, Jeanne M.; NORTHWEST SIDE H.S. Yonan, Joanne S. ∕ OH1 O’HARE ELEMENTARY Heath, Howard L.; Knudstrup, Karen A.; Lamme, Allison, David R. ∕ OH2 O’HARE ELEMENTARY O’Donnell, James M. ∕ William R.; McCormick, Mary T.; Milkowski, Lawrence E.; Nelson, PE1 PERSHING ELEMENTARY Polak, Alexander M. ∕ PE2 PERSHING Lois; O’Connell, Jennifer L.; Reilly, Mary Sharon; Saffro, Scott J.; Slavitt, ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ PL1 PILSEN-LITTLE VILLAGE ELEMENTARY Marlene; Socoloff, Miriam A.

YOU

54 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER IN CLOSING

In Memoriam

2015 December 10 Sidney R. Daniels, Substitute Teacher February 11 Lillian C. Heminover, Funston December 12 Margaret McCarrin, Twain February 12 Ellen Marie Schneider, Neil January 2 Barbara Pohrebny, Technology Services February 12 Eunice T. Webster, Bowen 2016 February 13 Dorothy E. Barclay, Henderson January 16 Carldell Cade, Woodson February 13 Barbara Ellen Conner, Otis January 17 Jewel B. Harper, Haugan February 13 Earlene Fleetwood, Brown January 25 Marianne O. Murray, Vanderpoel February 13 Marshall E. James, Scammon January 25 Marion E. Roberts, Wirth February 14 Marcus A. Crown, Simeon January 26 Raymond Grant, Whitney Young February 14 Ruth B. O’Neal, Dyett January 29 Raymond A. Johnson, Region 6 Offi ce February 16 Florence P. Draznin, Cleveland January 29 Lucille Robinson Driver, Englewood February 17 Florence P. Ray, McCorkle January 30 Franklin Maoteo, Substitute Teacher February 18 Jessie B. Blohm Hamlet, Carter February 1 John L. Schoof, Corkery February 18 John J. Glazier, Christopher February 2 Billy K. Alderson, Kershaw February 18 James R. Harden, Hughes February 3 Irene Robertson, Aldridge February 18 Barbara Jean Mitchell, Libby February 5 Angelo C. Magnavite, Calumet February 18 Andrew Robinson, Substitute Teacher February 5 Gayle E. Modell, Overton February 19 Nezelle Bradshaw, Dusable February 6 Francis J. Finn, Harper February 20 Angelena Jemison Smith, Rosenwald Carrol February 7 David C. Schmidt, Wells February 20 Nancy E. Stanley, Marquette February 7 Sonya Sukowski, Chopin February 21 Ian A. Campbell, Stone Academy February 7 Ernie D. Thompson, Steinmetz February 23 Ellen B. Perry, Dept Of Curriculum February 8 Raymond A. O’Brien, Marshall February 23 Jerry Bernard Thigpen, Westinghouse February 10 Gwenda Majors Cox, Phillips February 23 Avery Washington, Richards February 10 Joseph C. Strance, Hyde Park February 25 Emily A. Bevington, McCutcheon February 10 Glenda Joyce Westbrooks, Lawndale February 26 Kenneth W. Peterson, Mt. Vernon February 11 Addie M. Beasley, Hughes February 27 Irene E. Bailey, Riis February 11 Charles S. Edwards, King

Lists of deceased members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) are provided to the Chicago Union Teacher by the offi ce of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) and are printed as received. If you notice an error or omission, please fi rst contact the CTPF at 312.641.4464 or via email at [email protected] to report the information. Please contact the CTU Financial Dept. as well by phoning 312.329.9100. Both the CTPF and CTU disburse death benefi ts to a member’s designated benefi ciaries.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 55 ChicagoUnionTeacher

AROUND THE UNION 5 President’s Message 6 Letters 9 Union Strong Retirees 9 A PSRP Poem: “We Don’t Sleep” PENSION FUND 10 Why Does Your Pension Matter? 12 Quick Takeaways: Understanding Pension Funding CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT 14 Another Victory: Bill Hannah Made Whole 17 Labor Relations 101: What Every Principal Should Know 25 OSHA Rights We Need to Enforce 26 One-Day Strike Focuses on Revenue Solutions for Schools OUR DISTRICT 28 Mayor’s Handpicked Board Issues New 1.6% Pay Cut 28 One Step Closer to Elected School Board 29 Keep on Pushing for a Fair Contract and Progressive Revenue 30 CPS Mismanagement Traumatizes Frontline Trauma Workers

APRIL 1 ∕ OPT OUT ∕ NURSING IN CPS ∕ UNDERSTANDING edTPA POLITICS 32 Our Emerging Strength ChicagoUnionTeacherapril 2016 / vol. 79 / number 6 FIGHTING FOR TESTING OUR FUTURE 36 Myths and Facts About PARCC in Illinois 39 Testing Reform Victories Surge TEACHER EVALUATION 43 How the edTPA Continues Privatization RESEARCH 46 Nursing in CPS: On the Verge of a Health Crisis EVENTS ▲ 49 Introducing a New Generation to Teacher Unionism Marching on April 1 50 Contract Summit; Polar Plunge Photo: Danielle Villarreal Cover design: Eric Ruder BOOK REVIEW 51 Pedagogy of the City COMMENTARY 52 SEC: It’s Time to Hold the Banks Accountable IN CLOSING 54 Delegates Not Present; In Memoriam THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Sisters and Brothers, Last month, Chicago Public Schools prepare for the SAT and ACT. backed down from CEO Forrest Clay- Children are exposed ever more to pool’s Feb. 2 announcement to temporarily violence and prolifi c poverty, and yet there discontinue the 7 percent pension pickup. are few counselors to help guide them e pension pickup is part of the status through this trauma. Students exposed quo that CPS is required by law to main- to rising homicide rates in our city still tain during bargaining, so unilaterally show up to school, bringing their sorrows, discontinuing the pension pickup would fears, anger and despair with them. surely be illegal. We regret, however, that Principals have been forced to cut it took the threat of an unfair labor practice their staff to bare bones, and therefore, strike to induce CPS to reconsider—for class sizes have ballooned and continue now—its ill-advised action of enforcing to grow. All of these cuts, reductions and this cut on teachers, paraprofessionals and actions by the mayor’s handpicked Board clinicians who have borne the brunt of of Education are punitive and do nothing horrifi c attacks against their profession and to improve the quality of education we the students in their classrooms. off er more than 350,000 school children Unfortunately, for us, CPS has a cred- each day. ese budget cuts, furloughs, ibility problem. We do not trust what layoff s and a refusal to honor steps and they say. We only brace ourselves for what lanes are all short-term fi xes. they do. While we joined parents, students and Mr. Claypool rescinded his threat, but allies in rejoicing in the Illinois House of he is clear that he will enforce a 7 percent Representatives’ successful passing of elect- April 1 was for communities. April 1 was pay cut “at a future date.” is is unwise ed school board legislation, we know that for equitable funding and good governance. and not productive toward concluding a our fi ght is not over. Much like the fair April 1 was for education justice. labor agreement, so therefore, this unfair contract we deserve, we also deserve democ- April 1 was for every single teacher, labor practice remains a concern. But let’s racy and we deserve it right now. So with paraprofessional and clinician who is ded- take a closer look at some other unfair continued threats to our working condi- icated to their craft and who rises each circumstances in our schools. tions, learning conditions, most vulnerable day to provide instruction and education e working conditions in our schools students and our pay and benefi ts, the CTU that nurtures our students, and so we are directly tied to the learning conditions continued with our April 1 unfair labor joined with thousands of others who for our students. We are dealing with practice strike and day of action against the believe it is time for us to unite to fi ght unclean schools, and our most vulnerable austerity agenda imposed upon us by the the mayor, the governor and the billionaire students are without school nurses. High likes of the mayor and our governor. Ken Griffi ns of our state who are united school seniors have no librarians—and April 1 was for a fair contract. April 1 in a Donald Trump-like campaign to turn yet they are to do endless test prep for was for progressive revenue for our schools. back the hands of progress and destroy CPS-imposed standardized tests and April 1 was for our students and parents. public education.

In solidarity,

Karen GJ Lewis, NBCT

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 5 LETTERS

Claypool: Trust a “Two-Way” Street? Prove It. is is in response to Forrest Claypool, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, and his Chicago Sun-Times editorial that ran on February 5, 2016. In this editorial, Mr. Claypool stated that trust should be a two-way street between the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools in order to agree on a contract that would create stabil- ity for the school district. Mr. Claypool cites examples of trustworthy actions that he has taken since becoming CEO of Chicago Public Schools. He stated when the community has to go to numbers. 1 that teachers should view the lay- such extreme measures to secure I believe that CPS and the CTU Rahm offs of bureaucracy within central quality schools for their children. can come together to negotiate a Emanuel office as one of his positive actions. Although Mr. Claypool is by no contract that provides stability for and Forrest He fails to state that many of these means the only person to blame for our school district. Many of the Claypool cuts happened in the special edu- the lack of trust between CPS and contract articles were a good start, Photo: Ashlee Rezin for Sun- cation department, the Office of the CTU, he has perpetuated it but they need to be bolstered with Times Media Diverse Learners Supports and since becoming CEO. e pro- language that makes the articles Services. Special education admin- posed contract did not contain enforceable—not empty promises. istrators, who work within the language that would secure stability ere needs to be action on the part schools to help our most needy across the district. It hinged on a of the mayor and the school district students, were laid off, further call for veteran teachers (eligible for to secure sustainable revenue destabilizing the services that are retirement) and paraprofessionals streams. Make no mistake, teachers mandated by federal law to be (with just 10 years of service) to agree with CPS that there needs to provided to these students. ese leave the profession, with no agree- be equitable school funding within employees were by no means ment that these positions would be our state, but the city needs to take “bureaucrats” whose services were filled. Without replacing these some actions, too. e CTU and unnecessary—they are essential to teachers, there will be larger class other community organizations assist individual schools in provid- sizes and a lack of diverse courses have been providing options to ing holistic services to students. to offer students. e contract also CPS and the City Council on ways Mr. Claypool also says that the contained an article which stated to attain revenue at the city level. creation of a new high school in the that there would be “no economic ankfully, aldermen throughout Washington Park neighborhood layoffs” for staff, but provided no the city are starting to step up to was a positive action. He failed to wording that these layoffs would the plate, alongside community mention, however, that this school, not be affected by the district’s his- advocates and teachers, to fight for the former Dyett High School, was torical practices of reconfiguring the schools our students deserve. only agreed upon after community school enrollment areas to decrease Christa Lohman, members and parents staged a attendance, reducing student-based Citywide Itinerant Teacher,

34-day hunger strike. It is alarming budgeting and eliminating position Big Bargaining Team member

6 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER LETTERS

We Shouldn’t Have to Live on Borrowed Dimes is summer, when thousands in interest. That $61 million will municipalities and public entities of Chicago teenagers are without provide absolutely nothing for Chi- such as school boards—a higher meaningful employment, consid- cago’s students, and every cent of interest rate because of the uncer- er what a $30 million jobs pro- that interest payment will be tainty of the marketplace. Second, gram might have provided. Con- sucked out of the city’s economy the mayor has lost the trust and sider a summer jobs program that forever. e absolute tragedy of confidence of the citizenry, and his hired students at $10 an hour to that high cost borrowing is the city public “battle” with the governor clean the schools or help paint could have done better and would fuels the speculation that the city over graffiti tagged on public have done better if its political lead- and state are in extreme economic buildings; or hired students to be ers and the leaders of the state had distress. is provides bond dealers a part of a creative arts program. not driven up the interest rate with additional leverage in extracting at $30 million would have pro- their own irresponsible rhetoric higher interest rates out of the city vided hours of honest work for and irresponsible inaction. and Chicago Public Schools. many thousands of otherwise Let me be clear: there is no So this summer, when thou- idled, unemployed teenagers. defendable reason why CPS should sands of children in Chicago are But where would Chicago find not have been able to borrow that not working, and the city’s infra- $30 million? According to the same $725 million at the still exor- structure continues to crumble, governor of Illinois, the mayor bitant—but much more responsi- remember the CPS bond deal at and the business community, the ble—4 percent interest rate. In 8.5 percent. That deal symbolizes city is broke. Chicago could hard- 2015, according to City of Chicago the $61 million Wall Street is going ly be expected to come up with Treasurer Kurt Summers, the City to get each year for loaning CPS an extra $30 million for a jobs of Chicago paid 3.9 percent inter- money at a rate that should have program, right? Well, how about est on their short-term borrowing. been half as much. It will be the this—what if instead of CPS bor- While that is still an extremely $30 million summer works pro- rowing $725 million at 8.5 per- high rate, CPS would have saved gram that wasn’t. And if you’re a cent interest, CPS had borrowed $30 million per year just for this Wall Street banker, don’t forget to that money at 4 percent? single bond deal had it borrowed thank Gov. Bruce Rauner and According to the Chicago Sun- the $725 million at that rate. Mayor Rahm Emanuel for unnec- Times, on Wednesday, February 3, So what happened between this essarily driving up the borrowing 2016, the Chicago Board of Edu- year and last? First, the governor costs for schools. cation borrowed $725 million at and the legislature have failed to Jay Rehak, Whitney Young, an astounding interest rate of 8.5 pass a budget. is continued fail- Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund percent. is means Chicago will ure to act allows bond dealers to Board of Trustees President

pay, this year alone, $61,625,000 charge all of Illinois—state, cities,

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 7 LETTERS

One of Our Littlest Biggest Supporters When those less-informed complain about teachers not paying our fair share, they forget that in addition to being educators, teachers are also Chicago residents, parents and taxpayers. is is one of our biggest supporters, Franklin Fine Arts kindergartner Kyle Spears, and his teacher Jillian Bertag- na. Kyle’s mother, RaShonda Spears, is a third grade teacher 7 Photo: at Mason Elementary. Says mom: “He supports teachers for RaShonda a fair and decent contract.” —Ronnie Reese Spears

“I Can’t Go Home No More...They’re Shooting” I am a teacher in a low-in- shootings are happening a lot, writing letters to Mrs. Rauner, come school. A 5-year-old boy or a family member is a gang an advocate for the importance in my class told me yesterday: member and there is some retal- of early childhood develop- “I can’t go home no more… iation and they are actually ment. Write stories like mine my mommy said I have to live shooting at his house. about how important our expe- with my tee tee because they are Does Gov. Bruce Rauner rience in the inner city plays shooting at my house.” have any idea about the type of into the work we do. Now, this could be two work I do, all before 9 a.m.? United, for the children, things—either the neighbor- Probably not. Sarah Anderson, hood is gang infested and Teachers should start Cameron Elementary

8 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER RETIREE CORNER PSRP CORNER

We Don’t Sleep A PSRP POEM BY shots to sound the alarm. LUWANDA JOHNSON-HARPER Crime is on the rise like never before but most of it trickles down from When you asked us were we ready for the city’s front door. a new direction in our state, we Power and corruption walking hand assumed you meant up, but as soon in hand, taking down the innocent Union-Strong Retirees as you took office you started with child, mother and man! budget cuts and suggested the city You tell us to back down and take a BY KATHY MURRAY go bankrupt. seat, but we think it’s time we hit When you said the most vulnerable the streets. n Tuesday, March 1, Chicago Teachers amongst us needed our help, we Protesting against overcrowded class- Union retirees along with active mem- thought you were talking about rooms and poverty, picketing Obers and community partners boarded helping our children, the homeless against the unjust done to all buses on various sides of the city at 6 a.m. and the mentally ill, but as it stands humanity. Striking for what we to take a day trip to Springfield to rally and now, they are ones who have to foot know is right. In unity we stand, support our Elected Representative School the bill! in unity we fight! Board bill (HB557). The contingent met e devilish duo is what many of the Letting you know who’s really in con- with state representatives asking or thank- city residents and visitors call you, trol, you don’t own us, you’re just ing them for their support of the bill, which and from where I’m sitting you’re a stronghold. passed out of the Illinois House of Repre- proving it to be on point and true. You’ve used our pension money as sentatives on March 3 by a vote of 110-4. I am the high school graduate hoping you’ve pleased, now you want us to is dedication on behalf of CTU to go to college; I am the Afri- beg for it back on bended knees. retirees is always appreciated. Retired can-American you refuse to is will never happen, so let’s members meet monthly to discuss political acknowledge. Stripping us of our make that perfectly clear; we stand action that is needed to support not only hard-earned revenue makes it eas- united both far and near. their pension rights, but also legislation ier for us not to trust you. The TIF funds my friends, where did that affects Union members in the schools You said in your own words that we it go? Was it used to fund charter and their children in the classrooms. are the generation of children that schools and help them to grow? Retiree meetings are held monthly at needs the city’s help, yet you choke No, we will never sleep, not even a the SEIU-HCII building at 2229 S. us financially like we’re a loop in nod; making sure you acknowledge Halsted St. in Chicago. Coffee and sweet your leather belt. us will be a permanent job. rolls are served at 9:45 a.m. and the meet- No, we are not suggesting you have an So now that you know that all lives ings begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. easy task ahead, but don’t promise matter and you can’t do with us as e dates for the next two meetings job security then change when you you please, know that we’re stand- are Thursday, April 14, and Thursday, think we are in bed. We will never ing close, so don’t close your eyes June 16. The retiree spring luncheon will sleep while you are on the job—no, for a moment—not even to sneeze! be held on Tuesday, May 10. not once, not even a nod! Ahh-choo! CTU You promised to serve and protect us Kathy Murray is a CTU organizer and staff Luwanda Johnson-Harper is a teachers’ and cause no harm, but it took 16 liaison to the Retiree Functional Group. aide at Nobel Elementary School.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 9 PENSION FUND

Why Does Your Pension Matter? BY CHICAGO TEACHERS’ PENSION ber asked. e woman nodded. FUND COMMUNICATIONS STAFF “We don’t. We have a pension. I will pay into that pension for the length of my career and, in ou never know where you might be or what return, I will get monthly payments just like you. you might be doing when someone will bring And, I also pay those same taxes.” The woman Yup the subject of pensions and pension fund- acknowledged she had no idea that Chicago Teach- ing. We can turn on our televisions and radios, or ers’ Pension Fund (CTPF) pension recipients didn’t search the Internet daily, and find some mention get Social Security, and they share the same tax of underfunding or overpayment of teacher burden. pensions. In fact, about 30 percent of state and local pen- e other day, one of our members was having sion recipients—or about 6.5 million people a conversation with someone she just met. When nationally—are not in the Social Security system.* she told the woman where she worked, the woman So a pension may represent that household’s only asked, “I don’t understand why my taxes could be source of guaranteed monthly income. raised for your pensions.” Even though the member It is important to know how to respond when was stunned by the directness of the statement, people ask questions—or make assumptions— she understood the woman’s concerns. because the more people understand how your “You have Social Security don’t you?” the mem- pension is funded and where pension funding has fallen short, the better they will understand the importance of full and equitable funding. Here are some facts to help you talk to others About 30 percent of state and about the importance of pension funding: local pension recipients—or CTPF members do not contribute to or about 6.5 million people receive Social Security retirement bene ts A pension is the primary source for CTPF nationally—are not in the Social members’ retirement security. Most Americans contribute 6.2 percent to Social Security for retire- *2014 Annual Security system, so a pension ment, but CTPF members currently contribute Survey of Public Pensions: State 9 percent of their earnings to fund their retirement may represent that household’s and Locally- pensions. Benefits earned over a lifetime of service Administered only source of guaranteed are deferred compensation, guaranteed by Illinois Defined Benefit law. e average CTPF retiree receives about Pension Systems monthly income. $44,600 annually after investing 28 years of ser- and the U.S. vice in the Chicago Public Schools. Census Bureau.

10 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER PENSION FUND

property tax levy. In 1995, Chicago Public Schools sought and received a change in the law which allowed it to keep pension tax revenue (PA 89-0015). is law redirected more than $2 billion in funds designated for pensions into the CPS operating budget. A 2010 law (PA 96-0889) granted CPS an additional $1.2 billion in pension funding relief and extended the funding schedule by 14 years to 2059. ese “pension holidays” simply deferred the pay- ments owed to the Fund—they didn’t eliminate them. e CTPF can’t invest dollars it is “supposed” to have—only the dollars is really has. The State of Illinois provides minimal CTPF funding The CTPF serves about 18 percent of Illinois teachers, but receives less than 1 percent of state funding for teacher pensions. For 2016, the State of Illinois appropriated $3.7 billion to support TRS and $12.1 million for CTPF (PA 98-0017). That means that for every dollar allocated to downstate and suburban pensions, Chicago’s teachers received about three cents. Chicago’s taxpayers bear a double burden, funding TRS and their own system, with- out equal benefit. is is why the fight for pension Pensions create a positive parity is so important. impact on Illinois’ economy Retirees depend on the More than 85 percent of CTPF beneficiaries CTPF for health insurance live in Illinois, and 50 percent live in the city of Chicago. is means our beneficiaries spend their e CTPF offers comprehensive group health pensions close to home. Pension benefits generate insurance for members who must pay for their cov- $1.7 billion in total economic impact on our state erage after retirement (many do not qualify for “free” and create more than 12,628 jobs for Illinois—6,459 Medicare Part A). The fund offers a health insurance in Chicago alone. That’s good for Illinois and good premium subsidy to help offset insurance costs, but for Chicago. You can read more about the economic it is limited to $65 million per year. The CTPF was impact pensioners and beneficiaries are making in recently forced to cut benefits to retirees, and the our publication “ e Buck Stays Here,” found at amount will continue to decline as the number of www.cptf.org. retirees and their health insurance costs increase. You don’t have to wait until someone stops you A lack of funding, not generous bene ts, on the street or at the grocery store to start sharing caused the current pension problems the facts about pension funding. You can start today. Prior to 1995, the Chicago Board of Education First read the 2015 Economic Impact statement, funded pensions on an annual basis through a “The Buck Stops Here,” on the CTPF website. (A

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 11 PENSION FUND Quick Takeaways: Understanding Pension Funding fund with a sound investment 1 policy and 8.94 percent 6 return during the past 35 Chicago’s educators fulll Pensions benet Illinois and years. their portion of the retire- the City of Chicago, generat- ment promise, contributing ing more than $1.7 billion in from every paycheck they 4 economic activity and gener- receive. ating more than 12,628 jobs CPS did not make normal in the state. cost contributions for a 2 decade from 1996-2005. Contributions resumed in The average beneciary 7 2006 under a payment plan, received $46,947 in 2015. Funding reform—a guaran- but another holiday was Approximately 76 percent of teed revenue source for declared in 2011-2013. the recipients are female and CTPF—must be undertaken the average recipient’s age is before benet reductions can 72.6. 5 be considered. This means pension parity across the A lack of Board of Education state. CTU 3 and state funding has led to the current scal situation— The Chicago Teachers’ Pen- not poor investments. sion Fund is a well-managed

2016 version will be released later this year.) You un-retire AT THE BREAKERS can also contact your state senator or representative AT EDGEWATER BEACH letting him/her know you have an impact—not only as a retired or current teacher, but as a resident of Illinois. Pushing for parity in funding and insisting on fulfillment of their pension promise should be a priority. CTU

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12 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER DEPARTMENT XXXX Chicago Teachers Union Retired Chapter ANNUAL SPRING LUNCHEON

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Harry Caray’s Restaurant Water Tower Place 835 N. Michigan Av., 7th Fl.

(Take the Harry Caray’s Express Elevator) Entrance located between Macy’s & the Ritz Carlton

The social hour will begin at 11:30 a.m. Family style lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m.

Price: $45.00 No refunds after a reservation has been made

Parking: Water Tower Place - $12.00 (entrance on Chestnut) Valet Parking - $17.00 ------Please Print RESERVATION FORM Return by Monday, May 2, 2015 Chicago Teachers Union, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60654

Member’s Name ______Telephone ______

Guest’s Name ______

Guest’s Name ______

Make check payable to: Chicago Teachers Union, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60654. A reservation will be made after payment has been received in the Union office. There are no refunds after a reservation has been processed. Enclosed find payment of ______for ______reservations. (Tickets will be held at the door) MB:oteg-74-djl CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 13 CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

Another Victory: Billy Hannah Made Whole BY THADDEUS GOODCHILD redefinition of the position was a ruse—the posi- tion number hadn’t been redefined on the staff illy Hannah was a 20-year special education seniority list for 2014-2015, and the teacher who teacher when he was issued an “unsatisfac- held the position in 2014-2015 didn’t hold the Btory” rating for the 2013-2014 school year redefined endorsements either. In light of all this, and laid off out of seniority order. Under a recent the Union was able to persuade the Board to settlement, the Chicago Board of Education will settle. pay Hannah a total of $89,882.79 in back pay Hannah worked as a cadre for the 2014-2015 and compensation for unused sick days and school year before retiring, effective June 26, 2015. remove the improperly issued rating from his When he retired, the Board also refused to issue record. him a payout of the 102.5 unused sick days he Chicago Teachers Union teacher field repre- had accumulated over the course of his time work- sentative Adriana Cervantes filed a grievance ing for the district. is is remedied by the set- challenging Hannah’s 2013-2014 rating as the tlement, along with the difference between what principal had failed to hold pre-observation con- he made as a cadre and what he would have made ferences with him and held two of his observations had he not been laid off. CTU nine days apart, amongst other violations. e addeus Goodchild is in-house CTU counsel. Board partially sustained the grievance and rescinded the 2013-2014 rating, but claimed that Hannah would have been laid off anyway using his last prior rating as his rating of record. e Board also asserted that Hannah’s position was “redefined” to “9-12 SPED LBS Science” and he didn’t have a science endorsement. e Board granted that there were other positions Hannah was qualified to teach at the school held by less senior teachers (he was the most senior in the department), but claimed that he had received a “satisfactory” rating in 2011-2012 and the less senior teachers had ratings higher than “satisfac- tory,” making him unable to bump. Hannah main- tained he never received a rating for 2011-2012, which is consistent with this principal’s track record of not complying with evaluation proce- dures in this and other cases, and the case was advanced to arbitration. Prior to arbitration, the Board was unable to produce a copy of the 2011-2012 rating which it claimed justified his layoff. Moreover, the CTU was able to uncover evidence that the supposed

14 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER Illustration: Ellen Gradman WRITE TO US Agree? Disagree? Send Chicago Union Teacher your feedback, your compliments and your criticisms. Send letters to the editor to [email protected] or Chicago Union Teacher, 222 Merch andise Mart Plaza, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60654. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. WRITE FOR US The Chicago Union Teacher is published for the members of the Chicago Teachers Union. It is your magazine. Members can—and should!—submit articles about whatever topics they consider relevant to our overall project of  ghting for quality public education and justice for all. Email submissions for consideration to [email protected].

ADVERTISE IN THE CUT The Chicago Union Teacher accepts classi ed advertisements from CTU members at a sub- stantial discount. For more information, contact April Stigger, advertising manager, at [email protected] and 312-329-6225.

Illustration: Ellen Gradman CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

LABOR RELATIONS 101: What Every Principal Should Know

BY JOSEPH MCDERMOTT future principals on respecting due process, fol- lowing the contract and collaborating with demo- n the March 2014 issue of Chicago Union cratically elected teacher-leaders on LSCs and Teacher I profiled two delegates. One was Professional Problems Committees (PPCs). IWashington High School’s David Arredondo e common theme among many new princi- and the other was Harlan High School’s Robert pals—and U.I.C.’s program is not exclusive to Pincham. In the article I described both of their this—is that “dynamic leaders” can transform efforts to advocate for members. Both pushed back school cultures. e school leaders create “high against principals and put their neck out on the accountability” that is “data driven” and adapt a line to stand up for their colleagues. “no excuses” mindset. ey promise to create a In the case of Harlan, the principal resigned “college-going” culture and to create it in a rap- for unknown reasons at the end of last year and id-fire amount of time. e promises of quick left the district. Many concluded that it did not results, the drive to succeed and faith in a “great reflect well upon his performance to have such leader” can lead to cutting corners when it comes conflict with his union delegate. e Chicago to respecting due process and contractual rights. Board of Education laid Pincham off out of The following is a “baker’s dozen” list of advice seniority in the summer of 2015. He and the for principals inspired by the situations at Harlan Union fought back, advanced cases to arbitration and Washington, along with other experiences of and filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge. recent principal leaders who demonstrate the new In the end, the Board conceded and Pincham principal leadership mindset: walked back to into the school victorious. At Washington, the Local School Council voted not to renew the contract of the principal, despite 1 the school showing improvement under his lead- Use your PPC as a test run for any new ideas ership. e stories of these two principals are very you have. Every worker has gone into a staff meet- common within the district. Arredondo’s principal ing where the boss presents their latest, greatest was trained by the University of Illinois at Chicago new idea. e boss only spoke to other bosses, and doctoral program in principal leadership, where never really spoke to the people who will do the principals learn data-driven instruction and how actual work implementing this new idea. At the to create “teacher leaders.” e problem with pro- end of the meeting, many staffers walk out telling grams like U.I.C.’s, however, is that they don’t train each other, “ is is never going to work.” e PPC is a vehicle for getting staff input and teacher voice in the creation of school initiatives. A sick teacher is just going to get sicker 2 if they work someplace where they Do not let your obsession with data dictate are bullied and demeaned. everything. Washington’s PPC had an issue with safety during the principal’s first year. e

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 17 CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

principal reportedly dismissed the concern as a minor issue. e PPC created a survey, compiled 5 data and created pie charts. e principal then When it comes to remediation, there are no allegedly dismissed the data as not being consis- short cuts. e contract and school code call for tent with the University of Chicago Consortium a remediation period for unsatisfactory teachers. on School Research’s standards on data is is a right that’s not optional for a principal— collection. it’s been negotiated between the Chicago Board e principal had been so well-trained by aca- of Education and the Union. In the end, the prin- demia in data-driven decision making that he cipal has to follow the rules. When they do not, seemingly couldn’t listen to the concerns of his that means the person they believe to be “bad for PPC. But data isn’t always going to be neat. Some- children” is back in the classroom because the times it’s anecdotal and it’s staring you right in the principal didn’t take the time to respect the rules. face. 3 6 Do not deprive teachers of supplies. Principals Refrain from interfering with Union meetings. like to punish teachers by assigning them to mul- A union meeting is a place where members need tiple classrooms, not providing book or resources, to freely express their concerns and frustrations. or creating brand new courses for the teacher to Some principals entertain members who report instruct. Pincham’s principal went two years in a to them who said what at a union meeting. Once row without purchasing textbooks for his law a principal has done this, you are walking down course. Arredondo’s principal put one teacher into a path of distrust, fear and dysfunction among four classrooms, teaching three new courses with your staff. ese are not the elements of a positive no textbooks and no curriculum. ese types of work culture. People need to feel safe so they can actions make principals look like bullies and create take risks and contribute to a collaborative team. a culture of fear, and it becomes clear that the principal doesn’t care about students because they 4 put teachers in a position where they were most likely to fail. at doesn’t help to create a sense Do not threaten your delegates. Arredondo’s of trust and faith. principal wrote in his Domain Four comments, “Dave’s activity in the building creates a toxic cli- mate…his peers have complained about this.” The 7 fact that the principal claims that “peers” com- Learn to compromise. The 2012-15 contract plained about their delegate is a problem. An had a process to settle schedule disputes created astute leader should know not to get involved in in the fall of 2012 when we worked under an those situations. e principal also describes Arre- expired contract. Board and CTU officials met dondo’s activity as “toxic.” e problem is that more than 20 times to resolve these disputes, and delegates have a lot of activity that principals only two schools failed to find a resolution. George might not like and find “toxic.” In this case, the Washington was one of them, where the lack of principal took it to another level, and used the compromise led to a grievance being field over exact same references to “activity” and “toxic cli- shortened lunches. One option would have been mate” with the school’s other delegate. an early release for teachers with a shortened

18 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER 3 Robert Pincham’s principal went two years without purchasing textbooks for his law course. Photo of books: Zbigniew Bzdak/ Chicago Tribune

lunch, which was refused, and now the district must pay more than $60,000 in back pay to more 10 than 30 teachers. Do not redefi ne positions and then assign the same work duties. Arredondo’s principal laid 8 off a counselor and then hired the person back as a post-secondary liaison. e problem was that Do not direct bargain with teachers. Pincham’s the former counselor—now post-secondary liai- principal created a schedule that gave teachers a son—maintained the exact same student home- mid-morning lunch. e contract calls for lunch room caseload as the previous year. Now, the during a time when the cafeteria is open. e prin- person is entitled to back pay and time toward cipal approached several teachers and asked their tenure. e abuse of redefi nition cost the Board permission to change their lunch time to the morn- of Ed thousands. ing. is is direct bargaining. Pincham fi led a griev- ance which ended the process the following year. 11 9 Respect the integrity of the interview process. Arredondo’s principal redefi ned a position to Respect lunchtime and medical needs. Arre- require International Baccalaureate training. Th e dondo’s principal reportedly questioned teachers’ Board told the principal to list the position and needs for a 50-minute lunch, yet one teacher, in conduct interviews, which the principal never did. particular, got so sick from altering her lunchtime When asked the reason for this, the principal medicine schedule that she was forced to take stated, “I already knew who I wanted to hire.” Th is medical leave and miss months of work. e prin- is very poor practice. A good manager goes into cipal attempted to discipline this member despite an interview with an open mind and wants to give multiple notes from physicians. A sick teacher is teachers, especially displaced teachers, a fair just going to get sicker if they work someplace chance. where they are bullied and demeaned.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 19 CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

7 Photo: Kohei Hara/Getty Images

listen to them. If you ignore them, and it becomes 12 apparent that ignoring those who know best was When the Union wins arbitration at another a mistake, acknowledge fault in your decision. A school, do not continue the same practice at mea culpa can go a long way in earning trust, faith and respect from your staff. As our mayor likes your school. An arbitrator issued a decision in early August of 2013 that required any counselor that to say, “I own that.” taught classes for credit to be paid extra. e Union sent the arbitrator’s decision to principals at Wash- e problems listed above cost the Board of ington and Lincoln Park High Schools, yet the Ed hundreds of thousands of dollars and princi- principals at these schools continued their practice pals spent hours attending grievance hearings and for another year. is sends the wrong message to arbitrations. Further, principal actions served to the counselors who are forced to do extra work make the delegates heroes to their colleagues. without pay. It portrays the principal as someone Pincham walked back into his school after being who thumbs their nose at the Union and does what- unjustly fired, and Arredondo helped his teachers ever they desire. To say the least, it doesn’t endear win a $60,000 lunch grievance. In all of these much trust or good will toward the principal. cases, there was a climate of fear at the school accompanied by a lack of trust, which is why all principal leadership programs should help their 13 participants understand that trust is always better The Union believes in due process and reme- than fear when it comes to creating a positive diation is at the core of its values. is should school culture. CTU extend to principals as well. When your delegates Joseph McDermott is a CTU teacher field call you out on an error or make a suggestion, representative. CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 21 22 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 23

Get Paid to be Certified!!!! OSHA Safety Certification and Training for Teachers (10-hour and 30-hour General Industry Certifications)

When: July 25 – 29 and four days in August 15 – 19 Time: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm with an hour for lunch

How Much: All participants receive a stipend of $110/day Mileage paid Breakfast and lunch provided

Location: Illinois Federation of Teachers Robert M. Healey Center 500 Oakmont Lane Westmont, IL 60559

What: The OSHA Outreach Training Program provides training for workers and employers on the recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of safety and health hazards in workplaces. The program also provides information regarding workers' rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint.

Through this program, workers can attend 10-hour or 30-hour classes delivered by OSHA-authorized trainers. The 10-hour class is intended for entry-level workers, while the 30-hour class is more appropriate for workers with some safety responsibility. Through this training, OSHA helps to ensure that workers are more knowledgeable about workplace hazards and their rights, and contribute to our nation's productivity. On completion of this program participants can become OSHA Authorized General Industry Trainers.

CONTACT: Dr. John Kugler to reserve your spot in this training -- [email protected]

Done in house by CTU staff CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT

OSHA Rights We Need to Enforce BY JOHN KUGLER, PH.D. ers, strippers, paint, adhesives, toners) » Contaminated workplace (mold, mildew, fun- e union workers are always looking for gus, communicable diseases) help and solutions to our workplace issues. » Exposure to violence in the workplace Our contract protects our right to a safe W In each specifi c case, the employer will have to place, but in many cases, workplace safety is document in writing to the state OSHA agency ignored by Chicago Public Schools administrators that there is no safety risk and that they are in full and the Central Offi ce. One of the least-used compliance with federal safety standards. e rights we have is our protection under the Occu- employer has to provide a list of any and all per- pational Safety & Health Administration sonnel exposed to the reported safety violations. (OSHA). Specifi cally, all CPS employees are e employer will have to document the remedi- covered under the General Duty Clause [29 ation taken to fi x the violation. Last and most U.S.C. § 654, 5(a)1], which states: important, the employer needs to include what Each employer shall furnish to each of his prevention training regarding a specifi c workplace employees employment and a place of employ- hazard has taken place with all employees. ment which are free from recognized hazards that In the instance of violence, which could include are causing or are likely to cause death or serious just one incident in the workplace, CPS would have physical harm to his employees. to provide a comprehensive workplace violence In cases where the Chicago Board of Education prevention program that included documentation is slow to protect our safety, it is best to use our of employee training for violence prevention. If you federally protected rights to have a safe work envi- know of any cases where CPS workplaces are unsafe ronment. As employees, we have a right to ask for for any reason, including violence, contact your any information, training and methods to prevent Chicago Teachers Union fi eld representative imme- exposure to those hazards. A few examples of diately and fax all violations to the CTU Grievance hazards in school buildings enforceable by OSHA Department at 312-329-6203. standards are: More information on our rights under OSHA » Exposure to asbestos (fl oor tiles, duct work, can be found at www.osha.gov and complaints pipe insulation) can be fi led at www.osha.illinois.gov. CTU » Lead and copper levels in water John Kugler, Ph.D. is a CTU teacher fi eld » Hazardous chemicals used in buildings (clean- representative.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 25 OUR DISTRICT

One-Day Strike Focuses on Revenue Solutions for Schools, City and State BY CTU COMMUNICATIONS April 1 highlighted proposals from the CTU and its education and community partners for win- he Chicago Teachers Union House of Del- ning school funding and funding for other important egates voted overwhelmingly on March 25 services. e only solution that doesn’t involve a Tto authorize an April 1 unfair labor practice complete downgrade of the teaching profession and (ULP) strike to bring attention to the need for teachers’ standard of living, and that protects quality critical revenue solutions to stabilize the city’s public education, requires new revenue sources in school district and protect students and their fam- the form of progressive tax reform that would get ilies. The vote passed by a tally of 486-124, or 80 the super wealthy (top 5 percent) to pay their fair percent, and on the subsequent April 1 strike and share in state taxes. This could generate up to $6 day of action, the CTU joined a larger coalition billion in new revenue for education and other social of labor, student groups, community-based orga- needs. In addition to progressive tax reform, the nizations and activists in standing in solidarity Union continues its demands about toxic swaps and against Chicago’s “business as usual” politics and staging a variety of non-violent actions throughout the city. CTU members began picketing at their schools as early as 6:30 a.m. and throughout the day before joining tens of thousands in an evening That’s what I’m fighting for. rally and march from the ompson Center. That’s what I focus on. CPS has to stop making cuts to e strike was a call for increased revenue for Chicago Public Schools and its students, and a my non-core and core colleagues regardless of experi- direct response to continued attacks and efforts ence—to “save money.” They need to stop privatizing toward union-busting from Gov. Bruce Rauner, “ Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the mayor’s hand- “ education and get away from high-stakes testing that picked CPS CEO, Forrest Claypool. For the past year, the district has stalled contract negotiations damages our students more than helps them. They need with the CTU, threatened and mandated furlough to start investing in our educators, our staff and our stu- days, cuts and layoffs, and removed step and lane increases for educators—the latter of which is the dents to make meaningful education the priority. They legal basis for the April 1 strike. Gov. Rauner, while need to reallocate funds to public education that they are unable to pass a state budget and putting the wel- fare of thousands of his constituents at risk, is on currently investing in opening more privatized schools. record in his desire to break unions and is currently starving city and state schools—at elementary, n MONICA FUENTES, Washington H.S. high school and university levels—unless down- state legislators accept his “turnaround” agenda.

26 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER 1 CTU President Karen Lewis addresses the April 1 rally Photo: Powell Photography tax increment financing (TIF)—swap terminations

cost the district $240 million this year alone, and the TIFs could put enough money into the schools to completely reverse this year’s cuts. e Union’s

In many schools around Chicago calls for increased revenue for the district are now an issue on the national stage, and there is legislation teachers experienced losing their colleagues through the pending in Springfield that would take TIF control recent cuts. When a teacher leaves a job they do not sim- out of the mayor’s hands and force the release of “ these funds to our schools. ply pack their personal effects into a banker’s box and In joining with dozens of labor unions and com- “ munity organizations, the CTU took a stand in the walk out the door. Most teachers need a U-Haul to pack fight for funding for the city of Chicago and its up all the materials they have personally brought into the nearly 400,000 public school students. e Chicago Board of Education cannot continue to cut its way school. And they leave behind them grieving children (los- out of CPS’ budget problems. e public does not trust the mayor and the CPS CEO to fix the finan- ing your teacher is akin to losing a parent) and colleagues cial mess they have created, and the Board’s only solution is to force teachers and education support who must take up the additional workload. staff to pay in the form of pay cuts and benefit reductions, to slash school budgets, and to continue n MICHELLE GUNDERSON, Nettelhorst E.S. to close schools. Unless new revenue is found, this year’s cuts will be followed by additional cuts in subsequent years. CTU

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 27 OUR DISTRICT

NEWS FROM AROUND THE DISRICT Mayor’s Handpicked Board Issues New 1.6% Pay Cut

BY CTU COMMUNICATIONS

n March 3, the Chicago Board of Education added insult to injury Ofor every teacher, paraprofessional and clinician by announcing it would impose three furlough days this school year, which, combined with the pro- posed removal of the 7 percent pension pickup, would cause educators to potentially suffer a whopping 8.6 per- cent loss in pay. e first furlough day, Friday, March 25, marked the start of the Easter holiday season. e final two days are the last two days of the year, specifically designated for profes- sional development with time for teachers to close out the semester. Photo: Isaac Krantz-Perlman 1 “[CPS CEO] Forrest Claypool CPS CEO Forrest Claypool has said contributions to the Public School issues a letter chastising us for one day that the pension pickup will be phased Teachers’ Pension and Retirement of action to demand funding for our out at the conclusion of the fact finding Fund of Chicago. e elected school city and our schools, but mandates three period of contract negotiations in May. board bill passed with a vote of 110-4, furlough days to cut teacher salaries?” Such action would constitute a pay cut while pension levy legislation was said Chicago Teachers Union President and make a strike permissible under moved by a 98-14 vote. Karen Lewis. “That’s the ultimate an interpretation of state law. “Overwhelming votes with bipar- hypocrisy.” “ e mayor is already seeking a 7 tisan support for pension levy resto- percent pay cut, and this directive adds Chicago Closer ration and an elected, representative another reduction in salary and ben- to Elected School school board (ERSB) are examples of efits,” Lewis added. “They should have Springfield heeding the will of taxpay- never extended the school year in the Board; Pension Levy ers, parents, students and educators first place if they couldn’t afford to do Bill Passes Illinois who have been calling for democracy in our school district,” said CTU Pres- so.” House e 7 percent pay cut is the pension ident Karen Lewis. “For more than a pickup, which has been in CTU/Board By a wide margin, the Illinois House decade, communities throughout the of Ed contracts since 1981, and was of Representatives on March 3 passed city of Chicago have worked to estab- agreed to in lieu of salary increases. It HB557, which provides for the gen- lish a stable, well-managed and fiscally requires the district to pay 7 percent eral election of the Chicago Board of responsible Chicago Board of Educa- of teachers’ salary to the pension fund Education, and HB4579, which pro- tion, and with today’s vote, the Illinois instead of to the teachers. If the 7 per- vides that a separate tax shall be levied House took an important step toward cent is not paid, teachers must pay this by the Chicago Board of Education recognizing the diversity of our city pension fund requirement themselves. for the purpose of dedicated employer and improving democracy for all.”

28 february–march 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER OUR DISTRICT

e Union thanks parents, students to highlight the mayor’s immediate abil- protestors targeted a prime example of and retirees, and members of the Grass- ity to access hundreds of millions of the type of project the mayor has been roots Education Movement, the Grass- dollars in surplus tax increment financ- approving while making massive cuts roots Collaborative and other commu- ing (TIF) funds for CPS that he is to school budgets. e $30 million nity-based organizations, for two decades instead protecting for future develop- River Point development is owned, in of tireless lobbying for an elected school ment projects he hopes to approve. part, by Larry Levy, a multimillionaire board. Nearly one year ago during Chi- Mayor Emanuel continues to ignore real estate investor and owner of high- cago’s municipal election, 90 percent of revenue and school funding options that end restaurants around the world. Levy voters expressed their support for the are completely under his control as TIF has donated thousands of dollars to Elected Representative School Board resources sit in mayoral-controlled the campaigns of Governor Bruce referendum, and now, the city’s public accounts, unspent and uncommitted. Rauner and other Emanuel allies— school students and their families are Legislation in Springfield— including CPS CEO Claypool. closer to ending the devastation of may- HB4560—sponsored by Illinois House “ e Grassroots Collaborative has oral control and Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie fought against the River Point plaza handpicked Board of Education. e would force the release of these funds TIF handout since it was first CTU now calls on the Senate to pass to Chicago’s public schools. A majority announced in 2012, and it was obvious this bill and give the voters what is long of Chicago City Council members have then as it still is today that making overdue—democracy in our district. signed on in support of a resolution wealthy developers wealthier is an irre- “We are confident that strength and backing the release of the TIF surplus. sponsible use of taxpayer dollars,” said voice will continue to be on the side of Rallying at River Point, a TIF Amisha Patel, Grassroots Collaborative the people, and in an atmosphere of development that highlights unneces- executive director. “Our dollars belong deep division, state lawmakers will sary corporate handouts being priori- in our communities.” CTU embrace this awesome responsibility tized at the expense of education, of restoring faith in the leadership of our public schools,” Lewis said.

‘Keep on Pushing’... for a Fair Contract and Progressive Revenue More than 100 Chicago Teachers Union members and allied parents and community leaders from the Grassroots Collaborative gathered downtown Feb. 25 on one day’s notice for an urgent rally against Chicago Public Schools class- room layoffs and educator pay cuts mandated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Demonstrators protested at City Hall 1Photo: Ervin Lopez

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER february–march 2016 29 OUR DISTRICT

CPS Mismanagement Traumatizes Frontline Trauma Workers at the Expense of Students

BY SARAH HAINDS other support to parents and their families. We link families to resources for food, cloth- We are spread too thin to perform our jobs professionally ing, housing, mental health care and a host of and the toll it is taking on me is huge. I have students who other services. We cannot walk away from those are suicidal, have had multiple psychiatric hospitalizations in need so we stay at work beyond school hours and students who are suffering from terminal cancer. e to make sure that we help those who are truly in needs are enormous and the demands are more than is need of our support and expertise. humanly possible for me to meet on a consistent basis. In order to professionally meet the needs of our students and Since 2002, there has been an 11 percent decline families, we need more time in our schools and less demands in the number of psychologists and a 22 percent from our managers—as well as more support from them. decline in social workers in CPS schools. Charter schools, however, have been added to their work- he school psychologist quoted above describes loads, often mid-year. As one clinician reported: the tragic dilemma faced by every Chicago My schedule is constantly in flux. Just as I feel TPublic Schools clinician. ose choosing to like I can start making a positive, school-wide work in urban school districts see the results of impact, I get moved to other schools or have student trauma daily—trauma due to poverty, com- schools added/removed. munity violence, inadequate health care and a cha- otic, under-resourced school system. Chicago Teach- Seventy percent of social workers are assigned ers Union social workers and psychologists respond two CPS schools each week, 76 percent of psy- directly to student trauma, yet their work is under- chologists work at three or more schools each mined by excessive paperwork, unsustainable work- week and 5 percent service five or more schools. loads and night/weekend responsibilities. As the table below indicates, many clinician posi- Recently, the CTU surveyed social workers tions remain unfilled, adding to the workload. and psychologists about their experiences in CPS. Clinicians also report high levels of stress, feelings In all, 58 percent of CPS psychologists and 37 of being overwhelmed, inadequate and unable to percent of social workers responded. e CTU comply with impossible workloads and mandates. followed up with a citywide meeting in February I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work to share the survey results and probe deeper into I am expected to do, especially as a psychologist the issues revealed in the survey. who is early in their career with minimal men- Typically, respondents described the myriad toring support. For example, I did over 130 spe- of responsibilities they must juggle. As one social cial education evaluations my first year in the worker wrote: district; by comparison, the suburban district I Social workers must do assessments, write IEPs interned in had me do 12 evaluations during my and 504 plans, provide crisis intervention services, year-long internship, which is about half of what provide multi-tiered support services (MTSS), counsel children with IEPs and 504 plans and serve the general education population, as well as consult with teachers regarding how to provide effective services to students in need of help. We also do student observations and provide counselling and

30 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER OUR DISTRICT

their full-time, hired psychologists do in one year. e students at my underfunded schools have significant needs outside of these evalua- tions that I am unable to fully meet because I am only part-time in each building and con- stantly doing evaluations. ere simply is not enough social-emotional support to meet the needs of students, parents and staff. I could make do with the limited material resources if I had more psychologists around, and therefore more time to do my job. Additionally, general education students are also not receiving the social-emotional services they need. Many students need help coping with evaluations to complete. I never take lunch and the trauma and violence in their communities. I work before school starts and after school ends Many students have mental health issues or because I have to complete the paperwork. suicidal ideation and need proper attention from Most survey respondents felt that CPS man- trained clinicians. agement does not understand their work or the Since 2002, I have been assigned to two schools this year but time it takes to comply with mandates. ey feel I am a city-wide psychologist and I get deployed underappreciated, and many reported that their there has every so often to complete evaluations anywhere work assignments are primarily testing, assessing in the city. Every year I have been assigned to and reporting, rather than using their clinical skills. been an 11 different schools... I was a psychologist at a sub- e fight for social work and psychology ser- percent urban school prior to working for CPS and I find vices for every student in need is a crucial one. the conditions for psychologists at CPS harsh is fight belongs to all of us—not only to clini- decline in the and bordering inhuman. I do not have a limit to cians. e CTU has filed a workload grievance number of the cases I have to complete in a year or monthly, and we need members to keep detailed records and therefore I am asked to do the impossible. I of the time they spend working beyond the con- psychologists work on weekends at least six hours on Saturdays tractual workday to help us fight for reasonable and five hours on Sundays to complete my caseload limits. CTU members interested in fight- and a 22 reports… I constantly feel like I am on a treadmill ing back against the repressive workloads that are percent that is unstoppable and I cannot do my duties preventing students from getting the services they the way they should be done. To serve the stu- deserve should contact field representative John decline in dents in the schools, the psychologists should Kugler at [email protected] or Susan social workers have a limit to the cases they are asked to do and Hickey, liaison to the CTU Clinician Steering a limit to the services they are asked to offer. I Committee, at [email protected]. The in CPS would like to offer services to regular education steering committee meets the third Tuesday of schools. students in the schools but there is no time every month at the CTU office. CTU allowed for that when we are given so many Sarah Hainds is a CTU researcher.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 31 32 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER Our Emerging Strength

BY THE CTU POLITICAL DEPARTMENT

hicago Teachers Union political action cleared the

pathway for major victories in March, starting with the C passage of elected school board and pension restoration bills out of the Illinois House of Representatives,

and continuing with contested victories for eight out of nine

CTU-endorsed candidates during the March 15 general

primary election. When grassroots movements engage with

voters, we begin to shift the manner in which people consider

issues and candidates. In doing so, we change the

political landscape.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 33 POLITICS

Almost two years ago, the CTU joined parents and community organizations in canvassing wards Our political success is energizing and makes across the city and asking voters to sign a petition to put the Elected Representative School Board future successes more likely, even as our work (ERSB) referendum on the 2015 municipal ballot. We were able to do so in 37 wards. is effort terrain shifts to the streets and Springfield. helped energize voters and our members, 60 per- cent of whom voted in the subsequent municipal election, where a number of Union members vied Jay Travis. ese two fearless leaders went to the for aldermanic seats. When the smoke cleared, mat against two candidates who accept political Addams Elementary counselor and CTU Area contributions from billionaires who work to pri- Vice President Susan Sadlowski Garza was elect- vatize public resources, close schools and promote ed alderman of the 10th Ward, every member of policies that strip workers of their retirement secu- the Chicago City Council Progressive Caucus won 5 rity. ey forged tough campaigns against moneyed 10th Ward re-election and Cook County Commissioner Jesus interests. We thank them for their commitment to “Chuy” Garcia pushed Mayor Rahm Emanuel to Alderman and public education, workers and their communities. Committeeman the city’s first-ever runoff election for mayor. eir willingness to lift up the work of the Chicago Susan Sadlowski Our members have injected educational and Teachers Union is what made this campaign cycle Garza (fourth social justice issues into the electoral politics of one of the best in the history of our union. from left) and her the city in a bold and unrelenting manner. e staff standing in CTU’s power comes from our ability to articulate, Why did we have success? solidarity with the advocate for, and implement an alternative vision We were successful for many reasons, but our CTU’s ght for for how schools and government should operate. success begins with the rank-and-file leadership of a fair contract. Voters in 2016 responded to the need for an elect- our Political Action and Legislative committees. Photo courtesy ed representative school board; for ending dan- of Ald. Susan Our members spent considerable time vetting can- Sadlowski Garza gerous and unnecessary privatization schemes like didates and deliberating over their decisions. ey charter school proliferation; for progressive rev- Photo courtesy met with the candidates, asked incisive and pointed of Ald. Susan enue options to fund schools; for fully resourced questions, and assessed the implications of a CTU Sadlowski Garza schools with rich and broad curricula and appro- priate wraparound services; and for restorative justice in our schools. is message was central in many races leading up to March 15. One of the most significant vic- tories was in the Cook County State’s Attorney race, where Kim Foxx won on a platform that includes an end to the school-to-prison pipeline, and we look forward to working with this CPS graduate (LaSalle Language Academy, Lincoln Park High School) on this and other criminal justice issues. We also want to honor and lift up the work of Illinois State Senator-Elect Omar Aquino and

34 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER POLITICS

3 CTU President Karen Lewis announces the CTU endorsement of Kim Foxx at a Feb. 29 press conference prior to Foxx’s March 15 victory over incumbent Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. Photo: Brandon Johnson endorsement. ese members then spent time workers and provides safe harbor for all of our cit- winning the debate with their colleagues on the izens. The decisions being made by political leaders Executive Board and in the House of Delegates. like Bruce Rauner and Rahm Emanuel are harmful. Additionally, our union’s work was evident We must continue to fight back against austere pol- throughout the city. We had volunteers in polling icies that harm our families and communities. places from South Shore to Galewood on Election e power of our collective action and resolve Day. Members knocked on doors and made phone is undeniable. Our ERSB bill passed overwhelm- calls for ten straight hours. We thank every member ingly in the House by a vote of 110-4, and our and staffer that contributed to the results. It would pension restoration bill passed by an impressive have been impossible for the broader public to hear 98-14 vote. Now both bills head to the Senate and support our positions without the contribu- where we will have to continue to push our legis- tions of thousands of CTU Political Action Com- lators to abide by the will of the people. Despite mittee members who helped to fund our endorsed our advances, we still have a ways to go. Our rev- candidates’ communications to voters. enue-generating legislative proposals also need your e CTU is growing its influence and is doing action. Take a moment to call your state represen- so through an agenda that includes education, labor, tative and ask for a hearing on HB4560, sponsored economic and social justice. Our political success by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, which a bill that is energizing and makes future successes more likely, would release tax increment financing funds to our even as our work terrain shifts to the streets and school district automatically. Springfield. anks again to everyone who voted, talked with your neighbors, volunteered for a campaign What’s next? and helped build our electoral and legislative pow- April 1 isn’t simply about a work action—it’s er. You are our strength, and the force behind the also about reimagining a Chicago and Illinois that fight for the schools our students and their fam- fully funds the futures of our children, supports ilies deserve. CTU

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 35 TESTING

Myths and Facts about PARCC in Illinois BY MORE THAN A SCORE CHICAGO

MYTH: Federal and state governments will withhold Title I Funding for our schools because of opt outs FACT: No state or district has ever lost federal funds because of opt outs ere is no federal or state law that requires financial or other penalties for schools or districts if parents opt out or refuse the test. After two years of mass opt outs across the country, the US Department of Education (US ED) has still never penalized any states or districts for having high opt- out rates on state-mandated tests. Restriction of funding to a state or district is a mechanism that the US ED has to enforce any provision of federal 1 Photo: Sarah-Ji education law in order to impose sanc- “will factor...into the statewide account- MYTH: PARCC is a valid tions for serious, willful violations by ability system” to be implemented for and reliable measure states and district officials. Parent and 2017-18. [Sec. 1111(b)(4)(E)] of student learning and student refusal to participate in test- Federal and state education author- school performance ing—when a district or state makes a ities will likely continue to make threats FACT: PARCC has not been good faith effort to administer the test about withholding funds as they have shown to be valid and to all eligible students—does not fall in the past, including in December 2016. within that parameter. However, given the wide-ranging sup- reliable The Illinois No Child Left Behind port for opt out in Illinois and around A year after PARCC testing first took (NCLB) waiver in force until August the country, it would likely be extremely place and two years after field testing, 2016 has no financial penalties for low politically damaging for any public offi- neither PARCC nor Illinois have participation rates. The 2015 “Every cial to actually carry out such a threat. released any technical reports on the Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA), which We judge the risks for our public validity or reliability of PARCC scores. replaces NCLB, requires states to school system of continuing to partic- Even though passing rates on administer the test to not less than 95% ipate in high-stakes standardized test- online versus pencil-paper tests dif- of all students but leaves it up to the ing used for accountability to be greater fered by as much as 18 percentage state to determine how this requirement than the risks of non-participation. points in Illinois and elsewhere,

36 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER TESTING

PARCC officials have no plans to District of Columbia are still participat- refusals on behalf of their children; spe- adjust scores to account for this. Nor- ing in PARCC testing this year: Colo- cial needs children, children with anxi- mally, standardized test developers rado, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, ety and children as young as 8 are still spend considerable effort to counter New Mexico and Rhode Island. Since expected to refuse the test themselves. what are known as mode effects. its inception, 18 states have dropped out We are working to get an opt-out Only a single study exists of of the PARCC consortium. bill passed in Illinois, HB306. We PARCC’s value as a predictor of col- need your help; please call and tell lege performance. It administered MYTH: There is no “opting your state senator to support HB306 PARCC to college students and found out” of PARCC so that there is a clear and humane that PARCC scores correlated with FACT: Your child can policy for families who do not want college grades about as strongly as refuse the test their children to take PARCC or oth- SAT scores. But high school report er state-mandated assessments. card grades are the best predictor of Students can refuse PARCC testing. college performance, better than any Parents should notify their school in MYTH: Illinois would lose standardized test scores. writing that their child is refusing the millions in federal funding test and that they expect their child to if the opt-out bill HB 306 MYTH: PARCC is the only be treated with kindness and respect. became law Although the Illinois State Board of way to truly assess our FACT: Other states Education has said that “Opting out is students already have laws clearly FACT: Standardized not an option,” they have also said dis- tricts “can develop a policy for those permitting opt out of testing provides an students who refuse to take assessments state-mandated testing incomplete picture on testing days.” e state instructs e following states have opt-out of what students are schools not to acknowledge parent learning and how schools laws: California, Wisconsin, Utah, are performing Teachers assess students every single day in the classroom. Parents see the results through quizzes, tests, projects, home- work and through these results have the ability to see how their child is learning and what problems they may need to work on at home and school. PARCC results will not be provided this year until early summer--so the results have little use for teachers. In any case, stan- dardized testing is primarily a measure of the socioeconomic characteristics of a school’s community. At this time, only six states plus the

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 37 TESTING

Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Oregon, Col- 20,000 students refused. Across the FACT: PARCC is not orado. Other states, like Washington, country about 620,000 students opted attached to any high have allowed parents to opt their chil- out, including 200,000 in New York stakes decisions for dren out without formal provisions State even though NYS has no laws students this year with no adverse consequences. Some about opt out. other states, including North Carolina Ask to be shown policies in writing if and Massachusetts, with no opt-out MYTH: Children opting administrators make threats like this. provision in law or regulation have out of PARCC must be ere has only been one year of informed school districts they should kept home during the test PARCC testing, so schools and dis- create alternative education settings window tricts have little basis for attaching their own high-stakes policies to for children whose parents refuse the FACT: Your child can PARCC scores. tests. In addition, ESSA is explicit refuse the test at school that its provisions do not preempt a The Illinois School Code was mod- and do an alternative state or local law allowing parents to ified in July 2015 to require the high decline to have their children partic- activity school test required for graduation to ipate in the academic assessments Write a letter to your child’s principal be a college entrance exam. ISBE [Sec. 1111(b)(2)(K)]. to let them know that your child will approved the SAT for this in Novem- refuse testing. Explain that ISBE says ber. PARCC is not accepted as a col- MYTH: Students have that districts can create their own lege entrance exam (and is unlikely to never opted out of a state refusal policy. State that your child be any time soon). Individual districts test; it can’t be done will be reading a book or engaging in could make PARCC a graduation FACT: Hundreds of another quiet activity during testing requirement, but high school PARCC tests are tied to coursework, and so thousands of students time. some students in every grade are not opted out of state tests even eligible to take it, making a grad- last year MYTH: Students might be held back or not graduate uation requirement difficult to formu- late. CTU Some 44,000 students across Illinois if they refuse PARCC this did not participate in PARCC last year year. In Chicago alone, more than

38 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER TESTING

Testing Reform Victories Surge: Growing National Grassroots Movement Rolls Back Testing Overkill BY LISA GUISBOND, MONTY Parents, students and teachers who must be given at least half the weight. NEILL AND BOB SCHAEFFER launched campaigns against standard- In an important victory, federal law no ized exam overkill in their schools and longer mandates a menu of escalating he growing strength and sophis- districts have emerged as effective sanctions, including school privatiza- tication of the U.S. testing resis- leaders who continue to build a stron- tion and closures. Instead, ESSA tells Ttance and reform movement ger movement. e mainstream media schools and districts to implement their began turning the tide against stan- no longer ignores or marginalizes calls own three-year improvement plans. If dardized exam overuse and misuse for “less testing, more learning” and these plans are not successful, then the during the 2014-2015 school year. “an end to high-stakes testing.” Instead, state must either provide assistance or Assessment reformers scored signifi- the assessment reform movement and intervene. cant, concrete wins in many states, the reasons behind it are consistently Now it is up to states to use the thanks to the intense pressure brought covered in-depth by major newspa- opportunity ESSA provides to over- by unprecedented waves of opting out pers, television and radio outlets from haul many of the policies they put in and other forms of political action. coast to coast. Public opinion shows place under NCLB. But winning nec- Even President Barack Obama and a powerful shift against overreliance essary changes will require strong Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, on test-and-punish policies and in grassroots pressure. long advocates of test-and-punish favor of assessment reform based on e testing resistance and reform “reform” strategies, conceded, “ ere is multiple measures. movement has already won concrete too much testing.” e Every Student ESSA essentially ends NCLB’s “ade- victories at the state and local level. Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaces quate yearly progress” requirements and ese include repeal of exit exams in No Child Left Behind (NLCB) this its punitive accountability. States must several states, elimination of many summer, incorporated some but not still rank their schools and identify the tests, reduction of testing time, a surge all of the movement’s demands. lowest performing; and they must test of colleges going test-optional and Across the country, educators, par- in grades 3-8, rather than in just two development of alternative assessment ents and students launched petitions, of those grades as the movement and accountability systems. e past organized mass rallies and held public demanded. ESSA requires states to year’s victories include: forums. More than 650,000 students expand the indicators used to judge » A sharp reversal of the decades-long refused to take state exams. High schools to include things like discipline trend to adopt high school exit exams. schoolers walked out to protest exces- and school climate, though test results Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, sive testing. Teachers struck to demand (and win) testing reforms and better learning conditions. Administrators and elected school boards adopted strong resolutions against high-stakes testing, while some districts cut back and even eliminated their interim tests. All this growth built on the successes

of test reformers in previous years.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 39 TESTING

Minnesota, Nevada and South Caro- lina all dropped such tests. California, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island imple- mented moratoria. Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia and South Carolina granted diplomas retroactively to thou- sands of students denied them because of test scores. Texas and several other states lessened their requirements. » Florida’s suspension of Gov. Jeb Bush’s third grade reading test-based total to more than 850. public education from a system driven promotion policy. Oklahoma, New » Promising efforts to develop alter- by a narrow “test-and-punish” agenda York, and North Carolina revised their to one that meets the broad educa- test-based promotion policies, and native systems of assessment and accountability in California, New tional needs and goals of diverse stu- New Mexico legislators blocked the dents and families. governor’s effort to impose one. Hampshire and elsewhere, de-em- phasizing standardized tests while is is an updated version of the » States and districts rolling back incorporating multiple measures of summary of Testing Reform Victories some mandated testing, including school performance. ESSA includes an 2015. e full report is available at Minnesota, Virginia, Florida, Colo- “innovative assessment” program in www.fairtest.org/testing - reform rado, Maryland, Dallas and Lee Coun- which states will be able to thoroughly -victories-2015-report. ty, Florida. overhaul their systems. Some of the For a recent FairTest analysis, see » Opting out surging to new levels options could lead to even more testing, the Monthly Review article, “ e Test- across the country, riveting the atten- but states could build systems of large- ing Resistance and Reform Move- tion of the media and pushing gover- ly local performance assessments. ment,” at www.fairtest.org/testing nors and legislatures to act. e nearly -resistance-and-reform-movement- e movement’s growth and accom- monthly-rev. two-thirds of a million refusers plishments are tremendously encour- included 44,000 in Illinois, with FairTest has many fact sheets, aging. But it’s far too early to declare reports and other materials on testing 20,000 from Chicago. victory and go home. In the 2015-2016 at www.fairtest.org. CTU » An increasing numbers of voters school year, activists are using lessons and parents saying there is too much learned from their initial battles to e National Center for Fair & Open standardized testing and it should further expand and strengthen the Testing (FairTest) works to end the not be used for high-stakes purposes, resistance movement, and ensure state misuses and flaws of standardized according to several opinion polls. and local political leaders implement testing and to ensure that evaluation of students, teachers and schools is fair, » meaningful assessment reforms. e best year ever for the test-op- open, valid and educationally beneficial. tional college admissions movement e movement’s ultimate goal goes Lisa Guisbond is Assessment Reform with three dozen more colleges and well beyond winning less testing, low- Analyst at FairTest, where Monty Neill is universities reducing or eliminating er stakes and better assessments. It Executive Director and Bob Schaeffer is ACT/SAT requirements, driving the seeks a democratic transformation of Public Education Director.

40 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER TEACHER EVALUATION

DePaul’s Winter Education Issues Forum: How the edTPA Continues Privatization BY JENNIFER JOHNSON University, served as the moderator for at St. Paul Lutheran School in the Aus- the forum and the panelists included tin neighborhood of Chicago; and Cas- n Thursday, Feb. 18, at the DePaul Alison Dover, Ed.D., Assistant Profes- sandra Creswell, organizer with More University College of Education sor of Secondary Education in the Col- an a Score and board member of OWinter Education Issues Forum, lege of Education at Northeastern Illi- Raise Your Hand Illinois. CTU a packed room of eager pre-service nois University; Julie Peters, Associate teachers, current Chicago Public Jennifer Johnson is the CTU Teacher Director of the Teaching of History Schools teachers and professors from Evaluation Facilitator. e accompanying Program at U.I.C. and founding mem- feature from Alison Dover was written local universities gathered for an for Chicago Union Teacher magazine important discussion about the rollout ber of the Coalition for edTPA Rule and summarizes the main concerns and and implementation of the new edTPA Change; Cheryl Witucke, Coordinator of Clinical Supervision in the Division critiques of the edTPA and its impact on assessment of student teaching—the the education field. For full video of the of Education at Trinity International passage of which is now a required hur- DePaul University College of Education dle for student teachers wanting to get University; Trisha Wickland, recent Winter Education Issues Forum, please a teaching license in Illinois. The edT- M.A. recipient from Concordia Univer- visit http://condor.depaul.edu/mptvideo/ PA not only represents yet another sity and first and second grade teacher COE2016/02182016.html. foray by Pearson Education into prof- iting off of high stakes assessments in teaching, but it is dramatically changing edTPA: Silencing the Conversation the nature of the student teaching expe- rience for the worse. BY ALISON G. DOVER, ED.D. e DePaul forum allowed a mix of One could argue, current and future educators from hat does it mean to be a good around the city—including various CPS teacher? As you consider the however, that the real schools and local universities, including Wquestion, ask yourself how Columbia College Chicago, Chicago your response changes as you adopt crisis in education is a State University, the University of Illi- the lens of a teacher, a teacher educa- nois at Chicago and Northwestern Uni- tor, a principal or a parent. Would—or manufactured one— versity—to dissect the mostly negative should—your answer be the same for created by inequitable impact that this Illinois State Board of every context, every school or every Education mandate for student teachers classroom? Do you think everyone you conditions, insufficient to pass the edTPA is having on the stu- know would—or should—respond in dent teachers. Also discussed were the exactly the same way? ese are the funding, and an implications the edTPA has for student kinds of critical conversations we need data privacy and how it further rep- to have about the field of education. overreliance on scripted resents the privatization, standardiza- ere’s much to be gained from curriculum and tion and de-professionalization of teach- talking about what it means to be a good ing. Marie Donovan, Ed.D., Associate teacher. We debate this question in fac- standardized tests.

Professor, College of Education, DePaul ulty meetings, across dinner tables and

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 43 assessment” called meet the state-determined cut score are edTPA. While the not eligible for a teaching license, requirements of regardless of all other evaluations of edTPA vary their readiness. It does not matter slightly according whether their university supervisor or to candidates’ level cooperating teacher thinks they’re ready, and discipline, the or if their principal wants to offer them overarching struc- a job. If candidates do not pass edTPA, ture focuses on they cannot be licensed to teach. three tasks that are ere are many critiques of this part of any teach- model, including those focused on phil- er’s daily responsi- osophical, pedagogical, and practical bilities: planning, concerns. edTPA is based on the prem- instruction and ise that good teaching is something that assessment. ese can and should be standardized, and activities—plan- then quantitatively evaluated by some- ning, implement- one who has no knowledge of local stu- ing, and reflecting dents, communities, teachers or schools, on instruction— nor their priorities, needs or concerns. are things that any is is inherently problematic. Rather teacher educator than preparing teacher candidates to with ourselves in the middle of the would ask candi- articulate and work towards their vision night. New teachers wonder if they have dates to do. Under edTPA, however, of themselves as fantastic teachers, edT- what it takes, how to learn from their candidates are required to spend weeks PA requires them to adopt and work success and mistakes, and how to best focused narrowly on just three to five towards someone else’s vision. It dis- respond to the ever-changing demands interconnected lessons. ey plan their counts the expertise and the autonomy of their students and profession. Parents lessons, record themselves teaching the of Illinois teacher educators and coop- consider the unique needs of their chil- lessons, gather samples of student work erating teachers by privileging snapshot dren and how teachers could best engage from the lessons and write approxi- assessments by external scorers over or support their five- or 15 year-old in mately 25 pages of narrative in response longitudinal, multifaceted evaluations the classroom. Teacher educators talk to a series of standardized prompts. conducted by local educators. us, it about our candidates’ performance, Candidates then upload their materials undermines the integrity and authen- looking for ways to better prepare them to Pearson Education for anonymous ticity of the evaluation process. Candi- to teach effectively from the moment online scoring. Scorers—presumably dates self-curate their portfolio materi- they enter the classroom. ese are con- current or retired teachers or teacher als, selecting those that best meet the versations that our field needs to have, educators who have been “calibrated” to test requirements. Given the high-stakes and we all benefit from the discussion. ensure their numerical scores are stan- of edTPA, it is no surprise that many New teacher education policy in Illinois, dardized according to test developers’ focus their attention on the classes or however, is silencing our conversation. requirements—provide numerical rat- subjects they find easiest to teach. The Effective September 1, 2015, all can- ings, but no feedback, approximately stakes and structure of the assessment didates seeking initial licensure in Illi- one month later. also steers candidates towards a specific nois are required to pass a high-stakes, In states where edTPA is required set of prescriptive instructional priori- standardized “teacher performance for licensure, candidates who fail to ties. Elementary educators, for example,

44 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER TEACHER EVALUATION

are required to submit materials related glossaries of edTPA terminology, guid- first piloted nationally in 2013 and has to literacy or mathematics; there is no ance on “making good choices” when since been adopted by 656 educator evaluation of their approach to elemen- selecting or filming lessons for edTPA preparation programs across 36 states. tary science or social studies. Likewise, and annual errata notices (which detail It is currently required or being con- there is no dedicated edTPA for candi- errors in the handbooks and materials). sidered as a requirement for licensure dates in bilingual classrooms; they are It is no wonder that student teachers in 12 states, including Illinois. This is evaluated according to the same criteria feel pressure to focus as much on the a dramatic and rapid shift in teacher as candidates teaching in monolingual requirements of edTPA as the more education policy nationwide, with dra- settings. important work of teaching, learning matic potential for profit. In 2014, the In addition to the pedagogical con- and assessment. Nor is it a surprise that most recent year for which data was cerns inherent in this sort of reductive edTPA has sparked a cottage industry publically released, 18,436 candidates approach, edTPA also creates practical of opportunistic tutoring and test-prep nationwide took edTPA. At $300 each, barriers that impede teacher prepara- services. ese companies advertise that’s $5.5 million—all for a test that tion. It is an unusually technically and services including edTPA help, editing didn’t exist three years ago. ere is a linguistically complex assessment: it and portfolio preparation. Rather than reason that private companies create requires candidates to upload more improving teacher preparation and eval- and support standardized assessments, than a dozen files, compress videos and uation in Illinois, edTPA introduces a and lobby for policies that require respond to standardized prompts. new set of concerns that distract from them. And that reason is not a deep ese following examples are represen- and undermine it. commitment to Illinois students. As tative of the types of questions candi- is critique begs the question of educators, we need to interrogate dates must answer: “Why?” Why did this happen? Who changing education policies and ensure that the primary beneficiaries of Illinois » Given the central focus, describe benefits from edTPA? edTPA advo- cates claim edTPA was a necessary education policies are students, schools how the standards and learning objec- and communities in Illinois. tives within your learning segment response to a crisis in teaching and learning. ey define this crisis by cit- What makes a good teacher? e address students’ abilities to use the answer is for us to decide. textual references to construct mean- ing the results of standardized tests, which they say prove that students Readers interested in learning more ing from, interpret or respond to com- about efforts to reform edTPA policy plex text, [and] create a written prod- aren’t performing, teachers aren’t per- forming, schools aren’t performing and in Illinois are encouraged to visit the uct, interpreting or responding to website of the Illinois Coalition for edT- complex features of a text. (Secondary teacher educators aren’t performing. One could argue, however, that the real PA Rules Change at http://icrchange. English Language Arts) crisis in education is a manufactured weebly.com. CTU » Explain and provide concrete exam- one—created by inequitable condi- Alison G. ples for the extent to which your stu- tions, insufficient funding and an over- Dover, Ed.D., dents were able to use or struggled to reliance on scripted curriculum and is an Assistant use selected language function, vocab- standardized tests—and that edTPA, Professor in the ulary or key phrases, and discourse or like many so-called reforms, is part of Department syntax to develop content understand- a broader effort to privatize public edu- of Educational Inquiry & ings. (Elementary Education) cation. When policymakers, in partner- Curriculum Learning the language and structure ship with private entities, create a crisis, Studies at the Daniel L. Goodwin College of edTPA is a task unto itself. ere they also create an opportunity for a of Education at Northeastern Illinois are 50-page instruction manuals for market-based solution to that crisis. University. She can be contacted at each licensure area, discipline-specific edTPA is big business. edTPA was [email protected].

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 45 RESEARCH

Nursing in CPS: On the Verge of a Health Crisis BY SARAH HAINDS an EpiPen, completing progress notes such as scheduling, training and for case files or showing up for work recruiting—this contract also includes Promoted as a cost-savings move, Chicago assignments. Too often, CTU nurses a gain sharing arrangement whereby Public Schools outsourced the management report that these agency nurses refuse RCM will receive money from CPS of school nurses in the summer of 2015 to to do their assigned tasks because as a reward for reducing the cost of an east coast company with defense con- RCM did not specify those particular providing vital health care services to tracts. Six months into this four-year con- tasks when they were scheduled. students with IEPs and 504 Plans. tract, nurses from the Chicago Teachers e contract with RCM claims CPS continues to claim that there Union report on the drastic failure of this that CPS will save money by provid- is a shortage of nurses, yet these staff- company to meet its contractual obliga- ing nursing services more “efficiently.” ing agencies are employing hundreds tions, putting nearly 400,000 Chicago is is not the first time CPS has of nurses. At the June 24, 2015, Chi- students in danger. contracted with a nurse staffing agen- cago Board of Education meeting, cy: The district has actually been con- former interim CEO Jesse Ruiz pro- t the June 2015 Chicago Board tracting with various companies since vided talking points to the board of Education meeting, Chicago the early 1990s, partly due to a sup- members to justify the RCM Tech- APublic Schools voted unani- posed nursing shortage, but also to nologies contract, which stated: mously to approve a $30 million, four- provide temporary nursing services to CPS lacks enough District nurses to year contract with RCM Technologies disabled students whose needs change deliver services to our students due for supplemental nursing services, and increase throughout the year. e to state and national nursing profes- professional development and sched- RCM contract also encourages cost sion shortages. uling. Nine months after the RCM savings. It does not, however, reward contract was signed, Chicago Teachers quality of care. Under-bidding CPS’ CTU members contend that these Union nurses are reporting shocking previous nurse staffing contracts by CPS practices undermine nurse hir- stories of untrained nurses who can- nearly $5 million each year—with ing. In the summer of 2015, the dis- not perform basic tasks like opening added administrative responsibilities trict waited until well after the sub- urbs had already hired their needed nurses to post job announcements and then removed the job postings after Nine months after the RCM contract was signed, only a few days, waiting until October Chicago Teachers Union nurses are reporting to respond to applicants. CTU mem- bers attempted to improve this pro- shocking stories of untrained nurses who cannot cess, but CPS would not listen. is was during a time when CPS was in perform basic tasks like opening an EpiPen, flux due to new CEO Forrest Clay- pool, who made many staff and completing progress notes for case files or departmental changes, including showing up for work assignments. changing the hiring department. Additionally, CPS has been

46 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER RESEARCH

3 Photo: Charles Edward Miller

partnering with five area universities (HSNs) and LPNs. The since 2007 to provide nurse interns to RCM contract includes the schools, under the supervision of CSNs, professional devel- the Certified School Nurses. How, in opment for them, schedul- all this time, has CPS not figured out ing and recruitment. On how to recruit the nurses after they February 4, 2016, RCM graduate? Is it possible that these advertised for a Clinical interns decide after their internship Nurse Supervisor, with a experience that CPS is too difficult to job description that fits that work for, or that the caseloads and of CSNs. stress are too much to handle? e CTU further con- In 1998, there were 300 Certified tends that this scenario School Nurses (CSNs) and 60 puts 400,000 students’ lives number of CPS students who do not Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) in at risk. Sixty-five years of school nurs- receive preventative health care ser- CPS. e numbers have gradually ing in Chicago provide the experience vices outside of school, entirely pri- declined. is is not attributed solely and insight to understand how school vatizing the nursing department will to a nursing shortage, but to a lack of health services are best provided by create a health disaster in Chicago. CPS recruitment efforts. ere was certified nurses with teaching licenses Rather than fully funding CSNs, CPS no money spent recruiting at nurse who have a trusting relationship with is cutting corners with private con- hiring fairs or nursing hiring sites like students—which takes time to build. tracts which have serious health Nurse.com. CPS does not spend mon- Temporary nurses do not have the impacts on kids and fail to save money. ey for nurse recruitment. ability to create that trusting relation- Its budget practices and priorities are e RCM Technologies contract ship with the students they are serv- starving students of adequate health is different from previous ones. e ing, particularly young students, who services. CTU contends that CPS intends to need many hours of contact with e CTU is therefore recommend- eventually eliminate the union nursing nurses. CTU nurses have reported a ing that CPS end this contract with positions, replacing them with tem- high turnover rate of RCM nurses, RCM Technologies and employ a full- porary nurses who will not be provid- exacerbating relationship issues even time CSN in every school and enough ed job protections or employment more. LPNs and HSNs to ensure that every benefits such as health care and a Just as CPS is “broke on purpose,” CPS student receives proper preven- pension. Previous nurse contracts only it is also dysfunctional on purpose. tative and required service care. CTU included provisions for the staffing of With rising levels of diabetes and temporary Health Service Nurses allergies, not to mention the high Sarah Hainds is a CTU researcher.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 47 That feeling when… TEACHERS UNION You’re the new kid on the job, but 30,000 coworkers have got your back.

FREE PIZZA CASH BAR HELLO UNION INFO I’m NEW here CTU New Member Social Friday, April 29 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. RSVP Required: ctunet.com/newbies 2373 S. Archer Ave.

48 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER EVENTS

75 Photos: Michael Moriarty

Introducing a New Generation to Teacher Unionism

BY MICHAEL P. MORIARTY First-year teachers were given the oppor- the New Member Learning Series featur- tunity to become involved in a CTU ing topics such as REACH evaluation, n January 29, the Chicago Teachers research study about the efficacy of new classroom management, differentiation, Union held its second “New Member teacher support systems offered by CPS. formative assessment, brain-based learning, OEvent” of the school year at Manny’s CTU organizer Marty Ritter opened and family and community involvement. Deli in Chicago’s University Park neigh- the night with ways members could become Upcoming New Member Events borhood. With a room full of new and involved in union activities while also pro- prospective CTU members, the event tecting their job security. He encouraged Our next event for new and novice offered an intimate setting for voices to be teachers to take part in upcoming rallies, teachers, clinicians and PSRPs is Friday, heard and questions to be answered. walk-ins and other union-led actions to April 29 at Connie’s Pizza, 2373 S. Archer Attendees met colleagues from across the show solidarity and support for sustainable Ave. in Chicago. e CTU New Member district to share common challenges as well public education in Chicago. CTU teacher Committee will address contract updates, as successes facing new and novice teachers field representative Adriana Cervantes information on administrative transfers, in Chicago Public Schools, enjoyed authen- explained the rights of non-tenured teach- teacher assignment preference sheets and tic deli sandwiches from a classic Chicago ers, how to file a grievance and the timeline post REACH evaluation information. restaurant and heard from and spoke with and evaluation ratings teachers are required There will also be plenty of time to enjoy several CTU staff. Several attendees won to earn to become a tenured teacher in great food with fellow colleagues, answer raffle prizes including teaching resources CPS. Most importantly, she emphasized your questions and learn about opportu- and professional development vouchers that our members know and utilize their nities to strengthen the CTU’s solidarity. provided by the CTU Quest Center. Weingarten Rights—a teacher protection Check out the CTU New Member is New Member program featured to have union representation at any meet- page on our website at www.ctunet.com/ important information for attendees on ing that could lead to their discipline or newbies. By popular demand, the CTU contract updates; union activism; the have an effect on their personal working Quest Center is opening the “New Mem- path to tenure for probationary appoint- conditions. is important right is named ber Learning Series” to all new, novice and ed teachers; ‘knowing your rights’; pro- for AFT President Randi Weingarten. veteran CTU members. Pre-register now fessional learning offerings designed for is author discussed upcoming pro- at www.ctunet.com/pd. CTU new teachers; and current findings from fessional development opportunities pro- Michael P. Moriarty, NBCT, is a CTU the CTU Research Department. vided by the CTU Quest Center including professional development facilitator.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 49 EVENTS

5 Photos: Nathan Goldbaum

Contract Summit Draws Hundreds in Fight for City Students Deserve Th e March 12 Contract Sum- power in the school and com- Members also accepted chal- open-ended contract strike mit brought together more than munity. Members discussed lenges to hammer on revenue begins; and draw in and engage 600 school delegates and other contract strategy and the needs and on our short- and additional allies across the city school leaders for a full day of Union’s plans to stop attacks long-term revenue solutions; to pressure for these revenue training to defend our contrac- from the mayor, governor and keep our union strong and unit- and political solutions. CTU tual rights and organize our CPS CEO Forrest Claypool. ed, even before the time for an —Ronnie Reese

5 Photos: Special Olympics Chicago

Taking the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Chicago March 6 was a great day to of bringing awareness to how Polar Plunge with a great deal with $5,257 raised for pro- take a plunge into the icy important SOC can be for our of pride and energy as chants grams supporting children and waters of Lake Michigan for special needs children here in of “CTU” could be heard as adults living with disabilities. our students and all those who Illinois and throughout the they raced to the water’s edge. Congratulations to all our are a part of Special Olympics world. With more than twenty When they emerged from the members, friends and families Chicago. e Chicago Teach- members, Team CTU took on lake, the smiles and cheers for a job well done! CTU ers Union did a wonderful job icy waters at the 16th Annual from members said it all, along —Georgia Waller

50 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER BOOK REVIEW

The Long Struggle for Sustainable Community Schools BY JACKSON POTTER on the “word” at Friere warns that we cannot assert the expense of the importance of civic engagement but n the late 1980s Paulo Freire, the the “world.” For go on to repress democratic discourse famous Brazilian educational theorist, Freire, the key in our classrooms when students ask Ibecame the superintendent of schools pedagogical pro- uncomfortable questions. is is what for Sao Paulo, Brazil. In that role he cess is one of CPS does when its curriculum on the pushed to democratize instruction and “conscientiza- murder of Laquan McDonald avoids decision making, and fully resource the tion,” or the the tough questions about the history schools in Brazil’s largest city. need for educa- of racist practices in Chicago’s law Freire was able to engage in this tors to connect enforcement or denies the harsh lived visionary project because popular to and embrace teaching as a political experience of black and Latino students movements had come together to form project that engages our students in a in their communities vis a vis the police. a political party, the Brazilian Workers “common process of knowing” in which Friere calls this the “hidden curriculum” Party, and pushed forward a radical our students are not “empty vessels” but in which oppressive values of society agenda of social transformation. historical beings imbued with assets and get communicated and conveyed with- is historical example may sound great human potential. It also requires out being explicit. If we are to disrupt familiar to you. e Chicago Teachers a political commitment to joining with the “hidden curriculum,” teachers must Union has made similar efforts to unite our students in analyzing the world, its question the ways in which we inten- with community organizations and inequalities, challenges and changes that tionally or subliminally reproduce the parents to promote a campaign for sus- are necessary to realize our collective “social, historical, cultural and class- tainable community schools, a model ideals. based” biases and assumptions of the that necessitates enveloping our stu- is endeavor requires us to have society of which we are part. dents with robust programming; parent utopian dreams that Friere hopes will Ultimately reading Friere remind- engagement; more project-based teach- allow us to imagine a society that is ed this author that educators must ing; wrap-around supports; restorative “less unjust, less cruel, more demo- challenge preconceptions about our practices; and culturally relevant/con- students, especially low-income black structivist pedagogical practices. Friere’s cratic, less discriminatory, less racist, and less sexist,” which is why “teaching and Latino students that face the experience also relates to the CTU’s brunt of our country’s racial and eco- efforts to create an independent political literacy is, above all, a social and polit- nomic inequalities. CTU organization, known as United Work- ical commitment.” One way to do this ing Families. e Union has built UWF is to unite our theory of teaching with Jackson Potter is the CTU Staff to challenge the corrupt two-party sys- our practice in the classroom. Coordinator. tem and offer policy as well as candidate alternatives who “walk our walk” and support a progressive agenda for work- Friere warns that we cannot assert the importance of ing people. In “Pedagogy of the City,” Friere con- civic engagement but go on to repress democratic nects the classroom to the larger project discourse in our classrooms when students ask of social change in the city, and in a series of interviews, lambasts the tendency for uncomfortable questions. traditional educational methods to focus

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 51 COMMENTARY

SEC: It’s Time to Hold the Banks Accountable BY KAREN LEWIS and Chicago Public Schools have now with school closings, teacher layoff s and paid banks more than $1.2 billion for cuts to mental health services. ver the last few years, parents and these toxic swaps. Mayor Emanuel has stubbornly teachers in Chicago have been Even though bankers represented refused to sue the banks for misrepre- Ocalling on Mayor Rahm Emanuel these deals as safe investments, they senting the risks in these deals, and for and his appointed school board to try were riddled with risks for the public illegally colluding to manipulate inter- to renegotiate the city and school dis- that became all too apparent after the est rates to extract greater profi ts from trict’s toxic swap deals with banks such banks crashed the economy in 2008. Chicago taxpayers. His administration as Bank of America. Wall Street bank- Now the banks that sold the deals are has gone so far as to sign waivers, ers pitched these deals to city and making a profi t at taxpayers’ expense releasing some of the banks from all school offi cials as a way to save money, as a direct result of the crisis they legal liabilities arising from these toxic but the fi nancial crisis revealed their caused. In the meantime, taxpayers who deals. Even though the mayor refuses dangers, and they backfi red. e city bailed them out are being forced to cope to take on the banks, the federal gov- ernment can act to protect taxpayers’ interests since banks broke federal laws when they sold these predatory deals to Chicago and CPS. e Securities and Exchange Com- mission (SEC) could bring disgorge- ment actions against Bank of America EFORE and other banks to claw back their B PR S O ill-gotten gains from Chicago and CPS. L F I I In recent years, however, the SEC typ- P T ically has been very soft on Wall Street U S

P crime. In the rare instances that the SEC does prosecute banks, it settles low, often lets them get away without admitting guilt and continues to grant “waivers” that treat banks that are recid- ivist law breakers as trusted actors. Even though there is ample BOYCOTT BANK OF AMERICA

52 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER COMMENTARY

evidence that banks systematically defrauded municipal clients like the We need someone now who will protect us from banks City of Chicago, the SEC has taken a “water under the bridge” approach to that are robbing our children of their futures. this set of legal claims arising from the 2008 financial crash. e SEC also has let big banks continue to collect wind- Even though the crash was eight banks such as Goldman Sachs and fall profits while taxpayers and school- years ago, working class communities JPMorgan Chase wrongfully took children bear the costs—through in cities across the country are still from them could help ease the pain. reductions in city services and draco- suffering its impacts. e money that e good news is that the SEC has the nian cuts to education. authority to act. e bad news is that right now it’s refusing to do its job. Chicagoans desperately need the current SEC commissioners to inter- * vene and do what Mayor Emanuel FREE $20 Visa Gift Card won’t—hold the banks accountable and just for getting a no-obligation auto quote! recoup taxpayer dollars. But if they refuse to do that, we need our next pres- You can have it all with Meemic! ident to appoint new SEC commission- • Savings up to 35% ers who will hold the banks accountable • Educator-customized auto and home and get back the money that Wall Street insurance coverages bankers wrongfully took from Chicago, • Feel good about doing business with CPS and other municipal borrowers a company that gives back to education! around the country. ($500,000 will be given back in 2016 alone!)** CPS is facing an immediate finan- cial crisis. e $502 million it has Call Today at 855-240-5575 or find spent on swap payments would have a local agent at Meemic.com/Agent been enough to fill its entire $480

“ The six-month premium for our two cars was much million budget deficit and avoid dev- lower than what we had been paying to another astating classroom cuts that include carrier. It added up to big savings every year.” up to 5,000 teacher layoffs and cuts – Melinda Jackson to special education. Teacher & Meemic Member Chicago schoolchildren cannot wait until 2019 for a new mayor who is will- ing to challenge Wall Street. We need someone now who will protect us from banks that are robbing our children of * No purchase necessary. Gift card offer available through 4/18/16. Visit Meemic.com/Offer20 their futures. CTU for complete details and restrictions. ** Financial support to schools provided by The Meemic Foundation. Karen Lewis is president of the Chicago Teachers Union.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 53 IN CLOSING

AL1 AUSTIN-NORTH LAWNDALE ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ AL2 All Present ∕ PL2 PILSEN-LITTLE VILLAGE ELEMENTARY Galaviz, AUSTIN-NORTH LAWNDALE ELEMENTARY Doyle, Jacqueline L.; Brian ∕ RR1 RAVENSWOOD-RIDGE ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ RR2 Humphreys, Timothy A. ∕ BP1 BURNHAM PARK ELEMENTARY RAVENSWOOD-RIDGE ELEMENTARY All Present Niederfrank, Willis ∕ BP2 BURNHAM PARK ELEMENTARY Fallon, ∕ RI1 ROCK ISLAND ELEMENTARY Lekkas, Harry Gloria R.; Poplawski, Nicole A. ∕ EG1 ENGLEWOOD-GRESHAM G.; Majka, Margaret A. ∕ RI2 ROCK ISLAND ELEMENTARY Taylor, Lakeshia L. ∕ EG2 ENGLEWOOD-GRESHAM ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ SK1 SKYWAY ELEMENTARY Clay, Jamila K.; Davis, Deborah J. ∕ FR1 FULLERTON ELEMENTARY Crockett, Nicole M.; Simpson, Delegates ELEMENTARY Kennedy-Nieves, Suzanne R.; Villa, Mary ∕ FR2 Allyson L. ∕ SK2 SKYWAY ELEMENTARY Murphy, Not Present FULLERTON ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ FL1 FULTON ELEMENTARY Katherine I.; Sanchez, Lora ∕ SSH SOUTH SIDE All Present ∕ FL2 FULTON ELEMENTARY Griffin, Allison E. ∕ FSS FAR H.S. Cameron, Alisia L. ∕ SW1 SOUTHWEST SIDE HOUSE OF SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL Brownlow, Dorothy M.; Rountree, Eric H.S. All Present ∕ SW2 SOUTHWEST SIDE H.S. DELEGATES F. ∕ GH1 GARFIELD-HUMBOLDT ELEMENTARY Greco-Serwa, Sandra Crockett, Turan C.; Skalinder, Eric ∕ WS1 WEST MEETING ∕ GH2 GARFIELD-HUMBOLDT ELEMENTARY Wisnar, Mercedes D. ∕ SIDE H.S. All Present ∕ WS2 WEST SIDE H.S. LC1 LAKE CALUMET ELEMENTARY Horton, Rebekah J.; Spearman, Holic, Sara L. ∕ CITY-WIDE CAREER SERVICE Nicole N.; Whitehead, Sheryl F. ∕ LC2 LAKE CALUMET ELEMENTARY Gaither, Arttice S.; Gonzalez, Maria A.; Hampton, Wednesday, All Present ∕ ME1 MIDWAY ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ ME2 MIDWAY Vermie L.; Johnson, Kimberly Y.; Parker-Taylor, ELEMENTARY Waywood, Ann J. ∕ NW1 NORTH-NORTHWEST SIDE H.S. Karmen L.; Sanders, Vickie; Scott, Ella M. ∕ March 23, 2016 Coupaud, Helena; Gryglak, Emma; Kimbrue, Hayley ∕ NW2 NORTH- CITY-WIDE Bures, Robert F.; Freed, Jeanne M.; NORTHWEST SIDE H.S. Yonan, Joanne S. ∕ OH1 O’HARE ELEMENTARY Heath, Howard L.; Knudstrup, Karen A.; Lamme, Allison, David R. ∕ OH2 O’HARE ELEMENTARY O’Donnell, James M. ∕ William R.; McCormick, Mary T.; Milkowski, Lawrence E.; Nelson, PE1 PERSHING ELEMENTARY Polak, Alexander M. ∕ PE2 PERSHING Lois; O’Connell, Jennifer L.; Reilly, Mary Sharon; Saffro, Scott J.; Slavitt, ELEMENTARY All Present ∕ PL1 PILSEN-LITTLE VILLAGE ELEMENTARY Marlene; Socoloff, Miriam A.

YOU

54 april 2016 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER IN CLOSING

In Memoriam

2015 December 10 Sidney R. Daniels, Substitute Teacher February 11 Lillian C. Heminover, Funston December 12 Margaret McCarrin, Twain February 12 Ellen Marie Schneider, Neil January 2 Barbara Pohrebny, Technology Services February 12 Eunice T. Webster, Bowen 2016 February 13 Dorothy E. Barclay, Henderson January 16 Carldell Cade, Woodson February 13 Barbara Ellen Conner, Otis January 17 Jewel B. Harper, Haugan February 13 Earlene Fleetwood, Brown January 25 Marianne O. Murray, Vanderpoel February 13 Marshall E. James, Scammon January 25 Marion E. Roberts, Wirth February 14 Marcus A. Crown, Simeon January 26 Raymond Grant, Whitney Young February 14 Ruth B. O’Neal, Dyett January 29 Raymond A. Johnson, Region 6 Of ce February 16 Florence P. Draznin, Cleveland January 29 Lucille Robinson Driver, Englewood February 17 Florence P. Ray, McCorkle January 30 Franklin Maoteo, Substitute Teacher February 18 Jessie B. Blohm Hamlet, Carter February 1 John L. Schoof, Corkery February 18 John J. Glazier, Christopher February 2 Billy K. Alderson, Kershaw February 18 James R. Harden, Hughes February 3 Irene Robertson, Aldridge February 18 Barbara Jean Mitchell, Libby February 5 Angelo C. Magnavite, Calumet February 18 Andrew Robinson, Substitute Teacher February 5 Gayle E. Modell, Overton February 19 Nezelle Bradshaw, Dusable February 6 Francis J. Finn, Harper February 20 Angelena Jemison Smith, Rosenwald Carrol February 7 David C. Schmidt, Wells February 20 Nancy E. Stanley, Marquette February 7 Sonya Sukowski, Chopin February 21 Ian A. Campbell, Stone Academy February 7 Ernie D. Thompson, Steinmetz February 23 Ellen B. Perry, Dept Of Curriculum February 8 Raymond A. O’Brien, Marshall February 23 Jerry Bernard Thigpen, Westinghouse February 10 Gwenda Majors Cox, Phillips February 23 Avery Washington, Richards February 10 Joseph C. Strance, Hyde Park February 25 Emily A. Bevington, McCutcheon February 10 Glenda Joyce Westbrooks, Lawndale February 26 Kenneth W. Peterson, Mt. Vernon February 11 Addie M. Beasley, Hughes February 27 Irene E. Bailey, Riis February 11 Charles S. Edwards, King

Lists of deceased members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) are provided to the Chicago Union Teacher by the offi ce of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) and are printed as received. If you notice an error or omission, please fi rst contact the CTPF at 312.641.4464 or via email at [email protected] to report the information. Please contact the CTU Financial Dept. as well by phoning 312.329.9100. Both the CTPF and CTU disburse death benefi ts to a member’s designated benefi ciaries.

CHICAGO UNION TEACHER april 2016 55