DOCSLIB.ORG

ABSTRACT GILLESPIE, JAMIE GUSTAVA. Framing Strikes

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
ABSTRACT GILLESPIE, JAMIE GUSTAVA. Framing Strikes ABSTRACT GILLESPIE, JAMIE GUSTAVA. Framing Strikes: A Media Analysis of Two Teacher Strikes. (Under the direction of Lance Fusarelli, PhD). With the presence of print media, broadcast media, digital media, and social media in our everyday lives, we are able to follow news events across the country and around the world as closely as we would like. Media portrayals of teachers, their unions, and school district officials are how most people learn about what is happening in schools. Public opinion on school issues is generally based on how they are presented in news media, making it important for teachers and school officials to understand how these issues are being framed in the news. In times of conflict within school districts, teachers and district leaders should make efforts to understand how public opinion is being shaped by issue framing in order to ensure their viewpoints are represented. In this study, I examined the media framing of teachers strikes in Chicago in 2012 and in Seattle in 2015 by analyzing depictions of the people, issues, and events involved in the months before, during, and after the strikes in local media outlets. My findings indicate that the overwhelmingly negative coverage of teachers and their union in Chicago may have impacted the less successful negotiations outcomes, while the mostly positive coverage of teachers and their union in Seattle may have played a role in the more successful negotiated agreement between teachers and the school district. ÓCopyright 2021 by Jamie Gustava Gillespie All Rights Reserved Framing Strikes: A Media Analysis of Two Teacher Strikes by Jamie Gillespie A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Educational Research and Policy Analysis Raleigh, North Carolina 2021 APPROVED BY: ______________________________ ______________________________ Dr. Karen Keene Dr. Duane Akroyd ______________________________ ______________________________ Dr. Lance Fusarelli Dr. Peter Hessling Chair of Advisory Committee DEDICATION For Andrew, Hannah, and May – my inspiration. ii BIOGRAPHY Jamie Gustava Gillespie has a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching French from the University of Illinois and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University. She is a lifelong advocate for public schools and had a 30-year career in public schools in Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin, and North Carolina as a teacher, program coordinator, principal, and district-level administrator. She also served as a school transformation coach for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Currently, she is a Research Associate at The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University where she conducts research and program evaluations for school districts, educational agencies, private businesses, and educational research institutions. Jamie is a native of Chicago and a resident of North Carolina since 2009. She lives in Raleigh with her husband, their younger daughter, a dog, and a cat. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………..……..ix LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………………...…x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION……………………..…………………………………....1 Background of the Study………………………………………………………………….3 Definition of Terms……………………………………………………………………….6 Media……………………………………………………………………………………...6 Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………………7 Significance of the Study………………………………………………………………….8 Overview of Methods……………………………………………………………………..9 Organization of the Study…………………………………………………………..……10 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE…………………….……………….11 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………....…11 Framing and Agenda Setting…………………………………………………………….11 Framing………………………………………………………………………….11 Agenda Setting…………………………………………………………………...13 Second-Level Agenda Setting……………………………………………………………15 Media Bias……………………………………………………………………….17 Portrayals of Educators…………………………………………………………………..19 Portrayals of Teachers’ Unions………………………………………………….19 iv Portrayals of Teachers…………………………………………………………...20 Portrayals of Other Educators…………………………………………………...21 Critical Discourse Analysis………………………………………………………………23 General Principles………………………….……………………………….…...23 CDA Frameworks………………………………………….………………….....25 Critiques of Critical Discourse Analysis………………………………………...26 Critical Discourse Analysis in Education Policy……….............................……..27 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….30 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY…………………….………….31 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………31 Selection of Case Study………………………………………………………………….31 Site Selection and Sampling……………………………………………………………..33 Data Collection and Analysis…………………………………………………………….34 Data Collection…………………………………………………………………..35 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………….35 Reliability and Validity…………………………………………………………………..37 Limitations and Delimitations of the Study…………......……………………………….38 Researcher Bias…………………………………………………………………………..39 Summary…………………………………………………………………………………40 CHAPTER FOUR: CHICAGO ….……………………………………………………………41 FINDINGS……………………………………………………………………………………….41 v Introduction………………………………………………………………………………41 Overview of Articles……………………………………………………………………..41 Chicago Tribune………………………………………………………………………….43 Chicago Sun-Times………………………………………………………………………43 Chicago Reader…………………………………………………………………………..44 Seattle Times……………………………………………………………………………44 The Stranger………………………………………………………………………………44 Chicago Strike……………………………………………………………………………45 Chicago Sun-Times………………………………………………………………………45 Anti-strike articles…………………………………………………….………45 Pro-strike articles……………………………………………………………….64 Chicago Tribune………………………………………………………………………….70 Anti-strike articles…………………………………………………………….72 Pro-strike articles……………………………………………………………….96 Chicago Reader…………………………………………………………………………105 Summary………………………………………………………………………………..111 CHAPTER FIVE: SEATTLE…………………...……………………………………………113 FINDINGS……………………………………………………………………………………...113 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..…113 Seattle Times…………………………………………………………….………………113 Anti-strike articles……………………………………………………..………113 Pro-strike articles…………………………………………………...………129 vi The Stranger………………………………………………………………………..…132 Anti-strike articles…………………………………………………………..…132 Pro-strike articles………………………………………………………..….132 Summary…………………………………………………………………………….….144 CHAPTER SIX: DISCUSSION……………………………………………………………...146 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..146 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………146 Issue framing………………………………………………………………………….146 Contextual comparison………………………………………………………………...149 Results of Chicago strike………………...…………………………………149 Results of Seattle strike……………………………………………………..150 Portrayals of educators………………………………………………………….…..154 Implications for Research…………………………………………………………….155 Implications for Practice………………………………………………………………..157 Summary………………………………………………………………………………..159 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………….…..161 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………………188 APPENDIX A………………………………………………………………………………….189 INTERNET SEARCH TERMS………………………………………………………………...189 APPENDIX B……………………………………………………………………………….…190 vii DOCUMENT ANALYSIS PROTOCOL………………………………………………………190 APPENDIX C……………………………………………………………………………….…191 PHOTO ANALYSIS PROTOCOL…………...…………………………………………….….191 APPENDIX D……………………………………………………………………………….…192 PEOPLE IN STRIKES…………………………………………………………………...….…192 APPENDIX E………………………………………………………………………………….193 SAMPLE OF CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS…………………………………...…….193 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Publications and articles……………………………………………………..….………42 Table 2. Chicago Sun-Times articles……………………………………………………….…….45 Table 3. Chicago Tribune articles……………………………………………………………..….72 Table 4. Chicago Reader articles……………………………………………………………..…105 Table 5. Seattle Times articles……………………………………………………………….….113 Table 6. The Stranger articles……………………………………………………………….…..132 Table 7. Summary of items relating to the strikes in all publications……………………….…..144 Table 8. Pro- and anti-strike items, by type, during Chicago strike………………………….…..152 Table 9. Pro- and anti-strike items, by type, during Seattle strike……………………………….153 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Relationships between media formats, frames, themes, and discourses….…………….12 Figure 2: Chicago Tribune photograph September 12, 2012a.…………………………….......…82 Figure 3: Chicago Tribune photograph September 12, 2012b……………………………………83 Figure 4: Chicago Tribune photograph September 12, 2012c……………………………………85 Figure 5: Chicago Tribune cartoon September 13, 2012..………………………..………………87 Figure 6: Chicago Tribune cartoon September 18, 2012.……………………………….……..…91 Figure 7: Chicago Tribune cartoon September 14, 2012. 7: ……………………………………102 Figure 8: The Stranger photograph September 11, 2015………………………………………..142 x CHAPTER ONE Introduction Almost since their inception, teachers’ unions have been a focus of public debate. Although there have been teacher organizations since the mid-19th century, unions for teachers did not begin to develop until after the passage of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, also known as the Wagner Act, which granted private employees the right to organize and bargain collectively. Although the law did not explicitly give those rights to public employees, over the next 50 years most states passed various public employment relations acts that allowed public employees, including teachers, to organize and bargain collectively (Cooper, 2015). With official recognition, teachers’ unions began to negotiate and advocate on behalf
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Mayor Rahm Emanuel Has a Reported $9 Million to Spend on His Re-Election Bid
    Vol. XXVI Number 1 FALL 2014 The race for City Hall Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a reported $9 million to spend on his re-election bid. Is it enough to win, especially among black Chicagoans catalyst-chicago.org anxious about schools and jobs? A Publication of the Community Renewal Society From the Editor A campaign for good schools and jobs By Lorraine Forte ments on Cottage Grove are being revi- White households with an income Editor-in-Chief talized, small businesses have popped of $100,000 a year now outnumber up—a coffee shop here, a clothing store black households by a 6-to-1 ratio. ive months from now, Chicago there—and pothole-riddled streets have Responding to these and other num- voters will go to the polls to been repaved. But perceptions die hard. bers, the mayor’s office points to success choose whether to send Mayor Consider the citywide statistics be- stories such as Chicago Neighborhoods Rahm Emanuel back to City low, compiled with the help of The Chi- Now, projected to target $2.9 billion al- FHall for another term. It’s no secret cago Reporter from city, Chicago Public together to projects in seven communi- that Emanuel is not popular right now Schools and federal data: ties that include predominantly black among Chicagoans. But whether or not Bronzeville, Pullman and Englewood. Chicago has the highest black unem- another candidate can ride the wave of Whatever the statistics, one thing is ployment rate among the nation’s five discontent into the mayor’s office is still largest cities—25 percent, compared clear: There is plenty yet to be done to a big question mark.
    [Show full text]
  • Action Civics Showcase
    16th annual Action Civics showcase Bridgeport MAY Art Center 10:30AM to 6:30PM 22 2018 DEMOCRACY IS A VERB WELCOME to the 16th annual Mikva Challenge ASPEN TRACK SCHOOLS Mason Elementary Action Civics Aspen Track Sullivan High School Northside College Prep showcase The Aspen Institute and Mikva Challenge have launched a partnership that brings the best of our Juarez Community Academy High School collective youth activism work together in a single This has been an exciting year for Action initiative: The Aspen Track of Mikva Challenge. Curie Metropolitan High School Civics in the city of Chicago. Together, Mikva and Aspen have empowered teams of Chicago high school students to design solutions to CCA Academy High School Association House Over 2,500 youth at some of the most critical issues in their communities. The result? Innovative, relevant, powerful youth-driven High School 70 Chicago high schools completed solutions to catalyze real-world action and impact. Phillips Academy over 100 youth action projects. High School We are delighted to welcome eleven youth teams to Jones College Prep In the pages to follow, you will find brief our Action Civics Showcase this morning to formally Hancock College Prep SCHEDULE descriptions of some of the amazing present their projects before a panel of distinguished Gage Park High School actions students have taken this year. The judges. Judges will evaluate presentations on a variety aspen track work you will see today proves once again of criteria and choose one team to win an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, DC in November to attend the inaugural National Youth Convening, where they will be competition that students not only have a diverse array able to share and learn with other youth leaders from around the country.
    [Show full text]
  • Nues Herald-Spectator
    Your local source since 1951. - Thursday, January 2, 2014 AW&ArPC»CIS company ACHICAGO SUN-TIMEScorn publication niles.suntimes.com $1 I Nues Herald-Spectator ATHEIST CASH COULD GO TO FOOD PANTRY (C GO FOOD FUTURES: WHAT'S ON THE MENU FOR 2014 MOMMY» NEW YEAR, NEW YOU WITH THESE The minorityvs.the.mayor HOME SPA RECIPES Two village trustees take issue with Przybylo's leadership style i PAGE 6 All rights reserved Nues Herald-Spectator © 2014 'Sun-Times Media I Your guide to the weekend and beyond 930C-$'1L0911 S31IN ISNOL)tD P) 0969 Isla 3DW:N.Lti 5t0099frfrTE 6ro-.jo-iOOOQOO 2 THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2014 A PIONEER PRESS PUBLICATION NIL Paid Advertisement Take Advantage of Local Utility Rebates Before Funds RunOut CHICAGO, IL - Local utility companies have made tion around your home. rebate funds available to consumers when insulating and There are many reasons why the foam product is air sealing their home. Chicagoland homeowners are better: encouraged to act quickly and take advantage of these . With an R-Value of 5. per inch, USA Premium funds while they last. For qualified customers financing Foam Insulation provides the highest R-value in a may also be available. Retrofit stud wall application. Brian Carlisle noticed several drafty areas in his 55- . Four inches of insulationactsas a two-hour year-old, 2-story brick Georgian home. He didn't think firewall as it is resistant to flames and will not there was much that could be done to insulate his brick burn. walls and was resigned to another cold Chicago winter.
    [Show full text]
  • Chicago Politics Article
    a seven-day strike by the teachers and next two to three years will determinethe IN A ONE­ struggled to get a handle on a spike in face of Chicago for the next 20 to 30years," gun violence. According to a recent poll, he says. And given his bona fides at the Emanuel has lost support among black highest levels of the Democratic Party­ PARTY Chicagoans- who were vital to his easy former White House chief ofstaff for Pres­ victory in 20II- while his overall ap­ ident Obama, go-to Congressman during TOWN LIKE proval rating hovers at 50%. The mayor's the rise of Nancy Pelosi, senior adviser to efforts at school reform, urban redevel­ former President Bill Clinton- his clash THIS ONE, opment, infrastructure repair and job with the left may prove to be a proxy for training all seem to irritate the status a broader fight nationwide over the iden­ all great conflicts are intramural. Repub­ quo in favor of other, often corporate, in­ tity of the Democratic Party. Some of the licans pose no threat to Chicago Mayor terests. Changes he has made in'the po­ same constituencies attacking Emanuel Rahm Emanuel as he enters the third lice department have puta dent incrime, have beefs with Obama over such issues year of his four-year term, gunningfor re­ but that hasn't won him the confidence as drone strikes, Guantanamo and, yes, election. It's his fellow Democrats who are of residents who experience the worst education reform. But they have been re­ scheming to destroy him.
    [Show full text]
  • CTU in the News
    IN THE NEWS Tammy Duckworth Earns Raves For DNC Speech; Rahm Applauds Unions As He Tries To Bust One At Home Illinois politicians stood out in what was a strong night of speeches at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night, capped by a powerful speech by First Lady Michelle Obama. http://chicagoist.com/2012/09/05/tammy_duckworth_michelle_obama_high.php Do Major Romney Donors Like Rahm More Than the Chicago Republican Party? On Sunday, the Chicago Republican Party called on Rahm Emanuel to cancel the speech he will give tonight at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC. In a statement, Party Chairman Adam Robinson wrote that it would be inappropriate for the mayor to leave Chicago while the city was still dealing with a looming Chicago Teachers Union strike and a seemingly never-ending murder epidemic, and demanded that he "provide immediate, visible and specific leadership to address the twin crises facing our city." http://gapersblock.com/mechanics/2012/09/04/do-major-romney-donors-like-rahm-more-than-the-chicago- republican-party/ CPS to discuss details of strike contingency plans CHICAGO— Parents of CPS students are on edge as the threat of a teachers’ strike continues to loom http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-chicago-teachers-union-contract-negotiations-continue- 20120905,0,2867320.story CPS starts school as CTU teachers strike looms A teacher strike could have students closing up their books and putting down the pencils in less than one week http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8797099 CTU takes legal action, sticks with Sept.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Annual Report Dear Friends
    VIC TOR Y2019 ANNUAL REPORT DEAR FRIENDS Victory. At Women Employed, when a huge win for low-income students Thank you. The victories outlined them to plan for child care and elder we celebrate a victory, it means more when we secured a $50 million increase in this report could not happen without care and manage their households. Our women are safe and respected at work. to need-based financial aid in Illinois. you—your commitment, your financial equal pay victory will help ensure that It means more mothers can take care of And our bridge and Career Foundations support, and your advocacy. Women millions of women are paid based upon their kids when illness strikes, without programs delivered by more than 12 Employed is turning your contributions their skills and experience, and not upon fear of losing a job. More people working partnering organizations and City into tangible changes that are removing what they earned at some prior job. in low-paid jobs have better control and Colleges of Chicago are helping low- barriers to economic equity and allowing These wins take time, long-term vision, predictability over their schedules and skilled adults get on a pathway to more women to advance and achieve and determined, dogged pursuit. But access to the training and education economic sustainability. their aspirations. when they finally come, our successes alter the possibilities available to women they need to take the next step to Thank you for fueling our relentless Together, we are changing systems. and their families. something better. It means food on the support of equity.
    [Show full text]
  • CANDIDATE INFORMATION Name on Ballot: Jesus “Chuy” Garcia Office
    CANDIDATE INFORMATION Name on Ballot: Jesus “Chuy” Garcia Office Sought: Mayor District Name/Number: Chicago Citywide Home Address: 4226 W 25th Place, Chicago, IL 60623 Employer: Cook County Commissioner Phone: Email: [email protected] Candidate signature attesting to the truthfulness, accuracy, and authorship of this Questionnaire: _February 5, 2015___Jesus “Chuy” Garcia ___________________________________ Date Print Sign CAMPAIGN INFORMATION Campaign Manager: Andrew Sharp Phone: 312.207.0152 Email: [email protected] Address: 651 W. Washington St, Chicago, IL Website: www.garciaforchicago.com a. Have you run for public office before? Yes, please see my answer to (e) below. b. Have you been appointed to any public committees, commissions, task forces? Yes, after he was elected Mayor in 1983, Harold Washington named me Deputy Water Commissioner. c. Have you, are you, or will you be accepting funds from any mayoral candidate or PAC, eligible for campaign use by February 24, 2015? N/A d. Please list top 5 largest campaign contributors SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana American Federation of Teachers Chicago Teachers Union Amalgamated Transit Union Cook County College Teachers e. Why are you running for this office? What makes you the best candidate? Across Chicago, families are suffering from shootings and violence, education cutbacks and a lack of opportunity. I believe it is time to set a new course for our city, and I am the best qualified candidate for the job. I have extensive experience in elected office, as a Committeeman (22), Alderman (22), State Senator (1), and Cook County Commissioner (7). My leadership style would represent a drastic departure from the current mayor’s top-down approach.
    [Show full text]
  • The 2012 Chicago Teachers Union Strike
    The Councilor: A Journal of the Social Studies Volume 74 Article 4 Number 2 Volume 74 No. 2 (2013) June 2013 Striking Back Against Corporate Education Reform: The 2012 hicC ago Teachers Union Strike Kurt Hilgendorf Chicago Teachers Union Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/the_councilor Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Elementary Education Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons, and the Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons Recommended Citation Hilgendorf, Kurt (2013) "Striking Back Against Corporate Education Reform: The 2012 hicaC go Teachers Union Strike," The Councilor: A Journal of the Social Studies: Vol. 74 : No. 2 , Article 4. Available at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/the_councilor/vol74/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in The ouncC ilor: A Journal of the Social Studies by an authorized editor of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Hilgendorf: Striking Back Against Corporate Education Reform: The 2012 Chicag Striking Back Against Corporate Education Reform: The 2012 Chicago Teachers Union Strike Kurt Hilgendorf Chicago Teachers Union Soon after the Chicago Teachers Union’s (CTU) House of Delegates voted to suspend the union’s seven-day September 2012 strike, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel blanketed local television airwaves with $1 million in paid advertising funded by Democrats for Education Reform, a New York-based “Astroturf” organization heavily financed by hedge fund operators. In the ad, Emanuel claims that though negotiations were difficult, “more accountability is the right deal for our kids.”1 Aside from being a mild nuisance to primetime TV viewers, the commercial became a conversation piece among Chicago residents.
    [Show full text]
  • Billy Corganls
    PAWSAnnual Report CHICAGOmagazine Summer 2014 SMASHING PUMPKINS FRONTMAN BILLY CORGAN’S PAWS CHICAGO ALUMNI SAMMI & MR. THOM GETTING WISER GOLD STAR DOGS ABOUTT GET ING OLDER Behavior Enrichment in TIPS FOR GERIATRIC PET CARE the No Kill model pawschicago.org IN 013 2 ABOUT If we could, we’d give it a thumbs up. 5,872 ADOPTIONS 17,767 SPAY/NEUTER SURGERIES A DOPTION VACCINATIONS, MICROCHIPS PAWS Chicago has revolutionized the shelter of Chicago’s homeless animals through its cageless, No Kill Adoption Centers in Lincoln Park and the North Shore. These Centers, in & BLOOD TESTS tandem with innovative adoption events and enrichment programs, enable PAWS Chicago to find new homes for thousands of animals each year. 39,043/YEAR OR HO LISTIC ANIMAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING 110/DAY As a No Kill shelter, PAWS Chicago is a safe haven for animals. Through a state-of-the-art Shelter Medicine program, each rescue receives full medical treatment, regardless of its condition, while a comprehensive Animal Behavior program provides social and behavioral enrichment. Each pet is treated as an individual, ensuring that he or she receives the nurturing care, treatment and rehabilitation it needs to live a healthy, happy life. SP AY/NEUTER PAWS Chicago’s Lurie Clinic - the city’s largest provider of free and low-cost spay/neuter 51,250 surgeries - and its mobile extension, the GusMobile Spay/Neuter Van, work tirelessly to bring its life-saving services to neighborhoods challenged with pet overpopulation. POUNDS OF In 2013 alone, nearly 18,000 dogs and cats were spayed or neutered through these two PET FOOD PAWS Chicago programs.
    [Show full text]
  • Teacher Unionism in America Lessons from the Past for Defending and Deepening Democracy
    Teacher Unionism in America Lessons from the Past for Defending and Deepening Democracy By Jon Shelton public education. Had Trump lost the elec- toral college vote, I would still have argued n 2017, I published Teacher Strike!: that forging member-driven unions and a Public Education and the Making of a broader coalition with our communities is New American Political Order.1 The more important than ever. As we face the book was my scholarly attempt to racism, sexism, and unmitigated class war- Iunderstand how the hundreds of teacher fare of the Trump administration, however, strikes in the United States in the 1960s, it is quite possible that teachers’ efforts to ’70s, and ’80s affected American politics. I wage successful political action represent argued that, even in an era more favorable the fulcrum through which we will either to public employee unions than ours is revitalize our democracy or slip even more today, teachers’ activism still collided with drastically into authoritarianism. misguided labor law, institutional racism To rebuild our democracy, working that sometimes pitted teachers against the people must organize. And teachers, as communities in which they taught, and a professionals central to instructing our would receive the same benefits of citi- tragic wave of fiscal crises. Activist teach- future citizens, share a special responsibil- zenship without contributing. ers’ critics—mostly on the Right but some- ity. By becoming more active in their own In 2016, the Supreme Court seemed times on the Left—often used these unions, they can build alliances with other poised to overturn the constitutionality of conflicts to try to discredit teacher unions.
    [Show full text]
  • A World-Class City a Financial Blueprint for the City That Chicagoans Deserve
    A World-Class City A Financial Blueprint for the City that Chicagoans Deserve Saqib Bhatti & Alyxandra Goodwin February 2019 About the Authors The Action Center on Race & the Economy (ACRE) is a campaign hub for organizations working at the intersection of racial justice and Wall Street accountability. We provide research and strategic support for campaigns to win structural change by directly taking on the fnancial elite that are responsible for pillaging communities of color, devastating working-class communities, and harming our environment. The ReFund America Project (RAP) is a project of ACRE. RAP tackles the structural problems in the municipal fnance system that cost governments across the United States billions of dollars each year at the expense of public services. We research the role of fnancial deals in contributing to public budget distress and work with policy experts, community leaders, and public ofcials to develop, advocate for, and implement solutions to save taxpayer dollars. Acknowledgments This report builds on decades of work done by grassroots community organizations and labor unions in Chicago that have been working to improve the lives of the city’s work- ing-class communities and communities of color. We are deeply in their debt and would like to thank them. We would also like to thank Elizabeth Parisian and Greg Will for their research contributions, without which this report would not have been possible. A CITY THAT IS TRULY WORLD-CLASS IS ONE THAT TAKES CARE OF ITS RESIDENTS Executive Summary Whether it’s digging out of their alleys after a big snowstorm or marching in the streets to win an eight-hour work day, Chicagoans have a rich tradition of coming together to take care of their communities.
    [Show full text]
  • Resolution Honoring CTPF Member Karen Lewis, Chicago Teachers Union President Emerita
    Resolution Honoring CTPF Member Karen Lewis, Chicago Teachers Union President Emerita WHEREAS, Karen Jennings was born on July 20, 1953, on Chicago’s south side into a family of teachers, and attended Chicago Public Schools Kozminski Elementary School and Kenwood High School; and WHEREAS, she left high school early to attend Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, and then transferred to Dartmouth University in New Hampshire, an Ivy League institution which had only recently admitted women, where she earned the distinction of being a trailblazing student and the only African American woman in the class of 1974; and WHEREAS, she was a brilliant student and talented musician who spoke three languages, she considered a career in medicine, but chose teaching instead after she “fell madly, passionately in love with it,” and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and music from Dartmouth in 1974, and went on to receive a master’s from Northeastern Illinois University, and an M.F.A. from Columbia College; and WHEREAS, she returned to Chicago and taught Chemistry at Sullivan High School and later worked for Lane Tech College Prep High School and King College Prep, and at Lane Tech met John Lewis, a fellow teacher, whom she married in 2001; and WHEREAS, she served as a high school chemistry teacher with distinction for 22 years, earned National Board Certification, and impacted thousands of students, and measured her success by the “hugs earned at the end of each year;” and WHEREAS, she was active in her community, serving as a member
    [Show full text]