CPS tries to close popular technical Overwhelming strike vote at fi ve Tough CTU contract enforcement education program, but Prosser more charters schools as educators produces arbitration wins for teachers, parents, students fi ght ramp up fi ght for equal pay, more members, sets stage for district- back—and win PAGE 2 student resources PAGE 4 wide enforcement PAGE 5 CHICAGOUNIONTEACHER May 2019 ⁄ Volume 82 ⁄ Number 7 Also in this issue... Everything you need to Our unity is know about Special candidates Election for upcoming Edition CTU leadership our strength elections PAGES 8 –13 As we near the end of the year, our union is as strong, as unifi ed, and as ready to fi ght for our students as ever PAGES 3 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER CARROLL W. / 1901 AVENUE / CHICAGO, IL 60612 Out-of-control testing prompts educators to push stronger contract protections, more teacher voice in assessments PAGE 7 Our unity and strength are as strong as ever as we bargain with charter operators and the Board of Education for the schools our students deserve. There is power in the rank-and-fi le, evident in strike victories and legislative movement toward an elected school board. When we fi ght, we win! PAGE 6 Prosser community fights to save popular CTE program CPS, network chief attempted to circumvent CTU contract to close Auto Body shop, but teachers, students and staff win in the end. Students in Prosser Career Academy’s Auto Body Shop class are engaged in learning BY CTU COMMUNICATIONS certification and job placement in and develop job skills the field for the first time in years. for beyond high school. n a victory for teachers, parents Prosser teachers and staff re- (Photo: Keshaun Thompson) and students, Chicago Public port that the decision to close the ISchools has backed down on shop was made by CPS Network plans to close its beloved Auto 15 Chief Randel Josserand and ing Secretary Michael Brunson the future of Auto Body Repair. students obtain jobs after high Body Repair program at Prosser principal Mark Schall, who did said. “There was no transpar- Next, the school’s delegates, Kas- school to pay for college. Career Academy this year, a plan so at first unilaterally and with- ency and honesty in this reno- sandra Tsitsopoulos and Erin There is inherent hypocrisy in instigated by the network chief out consulting students, parents, vation process—something the Walach, began organizing teach- the district expressing desire to in direct violation of the Chicago community members, school admin openly admitted to, mind ers, staff, parents and students. best prepare students for life af- Teachers Union contract. staff or the Prosser Local School you—until members organized as An online petition supporting ter high school, while at the same Vigilant CTU delegates and Council. Such action would have a community and demanded to the program garnered more than time trying to eliminate a popular members at the school exposed been in direct violation of Article have their voices heard.” 2,300 signatures in just days, and CTE program that would provide the plan to close the program and 18-18 of the CTU/Chicago Board The Prosser school commu- the Union called out the plan at either long-term employment or immediately launched a cam- of Education Agreement. nity learned the program was on the Chicago Board of Education work while attending college. paign to raise awareness and op- “This is not about one person the chopping block after architec- meeting in March. Prosser will offer Auto Body position. Teachers, students and or one shop—this is about how tural drawings for a $12 million The LSC mobilized and vot- next year, but the network and parents could not fathom why CPS and the administration con- Career and Technical Education ed unanimously against closing administration still plan to CPS would close the program, ducts business, and the process (CTE) renovation at the school any shop programs. CPS and the phase it and other programs out which has been thriving under that should be followed when showed no designated space for school’s administration ultimate- over the next several years. The instructor Keshaun Thompson. decisions are made about school the program. The Union and LSC ly reversed course, pledging at a school community must make Students have been obtaining communities,” CTU Record- members then began questioning recent LSC meeting to keep the these decisions, however, and program for at least the next year. not the district and administra- “It was great to look out into tors behind closed doors. Pross- the auditorium and see so much er teachers and staff believe the support for [Auto Body teacher] network is pushing back on its How we did it: A timeline of events at Prosser Keshaun Thompson and his stu- school because it does not want dents who have been struggling to fund all of the CTE programs, to get answers about the future but they will continue to engage Fall 2018 The LSC is informed about Article 18-18 of the of their shop,” Tsitsopoulos said the school community about this Architectural plans for a $12 million CTE renova- Union/Board of Ed Agreement, which states that about the LSC meeting. “When issue and demand a transparent tion are released to select individuals, but not the the formal steps to closing a shop include “consul- we stand together, we can better conversation about what can— LSC. There is no designated space for a separate tation with the LSC.” Auto Body Repair teacher advocate for transparency. and cannot—be afforded. Auto Body Repair shop in the plan. CTU delegate Keshaun Thompson files a grievance under Arti- “Our students conduct- This is the reason that Kassandra Tsitsopoulos takes note of this and be- cle 18-18 about CTE program closings. ed themselves with grace and Tsitsopoulos says the school com- gins to ask for updates for next LSC meeting. CTU Recording Secretary Michael Brunson aplomb and it was amazing to munity cannot bask in the glory testifies at the Board of Ed meeting, calling out hear them speak about their of its victory for too long. Winter 2019 the planned closing and alerting the Board to school and career pathways.” “We’ve gotten a commitment Principal Schall informs some staff that Auto the contract violation. CPS Chief Education Of- The school community still is to keep this wonderful program Body Repair and Auto Tech will be taught in the ficer LaTanya McDade says she is not aware of not sure why CPS would push to open for at least another year,” same classroom next year, which would alleviate any plans to close the program. close such a successful program she said. “But given the secrecy, the need to close the Auto Body Repair shop. that was increasing student en- the backroom dealings and the April 2019 gagement in high school—a goal lack of community input we ex- March 2019 At an LSC meeting, CPS says it will not be clos- the district claims to champion. perienced, we aren’t taking any- Principal Schall claims he “misspoke” and ing the program this year. The district will phase Research shows that students thing for granted. should have communicated that, “…it is not our out the program next year instead, but offers no in CTE programs have higher “We are ready to fight any intent to offer Auto Body next year in a separate details on what that means for the 100 students graduation and college entrance future decision that puts our classroom.” already enrolled. rates than regular non-college students and their potential for track students, and many CTE success in jeopardy.” 2 May 2019 ∕ Chicago Union Teacher As strong CHICAGO UNION as ever TEACHER EDITED BY THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT Sisters and Brothers, fight with the Board of Ed. Our union CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS ⁄ This past year has been one of the is the only one in the state—charter or Jennifer Johnson, Keshaun Thompson, most exhausting, exciting and inspiring otherwise—prohibited from striking Jim West ever for our union. over critical school needs such as class ADVERTISING MANAGER ⁄ Lupe Coyle We started the school year with the size, student services and school clean- usual suspects predicting the Janus liness. A bill to change that has passed DESIGN AND PRODUCTION ⁄ Eric Ruder ruling would spell the death knell for the Illinois House, and we are working the CTU and the labor movement na- to ensure it passes the Senate. In the tionwide. meantime, we’re pressing those issues OFFICERS Eight months later, we remain as at the bargaining table and gearing up the Jesse Sharkey ∕ PRESIDENT strong, as fierce and as focused on for a strike, if needed, in the fall. Stacy Davis Gates ∕ VICE PRESIDENT our vision of creating a just city for We also proved the naysayers wrong president’s Michael Brunson ∕ RECORDING SECRETARY the schools our children deserve. And with important wins in the municipal Maria Moreno ∕ FINANCIAL SECRETARY we are more committed than ever to election. Seven new progressive alder- message The Chicago Union Teacher is achieving wins in our new contract men and alderwomen, nurtured by published eight times a year (three that will move our schools and our United Working Families and Chica- times a year in print). The Chicago union forward, and reverse the harm go’s activist community, won election Union Teacher is the official done during Rahm Emanuel’s eight- with CTU support. One of their first publication of the Chicago Teachers year reign over our city. acts was a sit in challenging the massive Union, which is the exclusive It was not the first time we have Lincoln Yards tax giveaway.