Chicago Union Teacher Carroll W
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Family, friends and teachers New contract fight will focus on Independent auditor’s combined mourn the ‘bright light’ that was fair compensation, staff diversity, and consolidated Chicago Jemel Roberson, gunned down in school community concerns and Teachers Union financial report a club where he worked PAGE 5 classroom needs PAGES 6–7 from Bansley and Kiener PAGES 10–14 CHICAGOUNIONTEACHER January 2019 ⁄ Volume 82 ⁄ Number 5 Also in this issue... Coalition launches bus tour with messages Our position of power for whoever ends up as Chicago’s next mayor: Chicago can— and—must do better PAGE 2 Full-time school nurses would boost education outcomes, says one certified school nurse who says that it’s time for CPS to put a nurse in every school PAGE 5 CHICAGO UNION TEACHER CARROLL W. / 1901 AVENUE / CHICAGO, IL 60612 Oriole Park Elementary teacher running for alderman says all hands on deck needed for real change in Chicago (Photo: Leah Raffanti) PAGE 10 As CTU charter educators continue bargaining with Chicago International Charter School, district negotiations with the Board of Ed are underway. Our unity has put us in great position to fight for the resources we need for our classrooms, and we must stand together as one to win. PAGES 8–9 (Photo: Aaron Cynic) Coalition launches bus tour with messages to Chicago’s next mayor You could see a little fire light up in people, says one rider BY GRASSROOTS COLLABORATIVE five different city neighborhoods, The tour began at the site of the impact of surveillance pro- more power now. where more than a dozen Chica- the proposed Lincoln Yards proj- grams like the Chicago Police De- “And we’re expecting more… n Nov. 13, community go residents told stories of the ect, where the city is planning to partment gang database, which It got us thinking, ‘Alright, we leaders and union mem- challenges facing their commu- spend $800 million to create unjustly labels tens of thousands gotta do something about this.’” Obers launched a bold new nities and described what needed this new neighborhood—a clear of Black and Latinx young people. The message to Chicago’s next campaign called Reimagine to be done differently by the next example of why we have a tale of At Roseland Hospital on the South mayor was clear: Chicago can do Chicago (Twitter hashtag #Re- mayor of Chicago. two cities here in Chicago. Side, residents explained about better. We must do better. And imagineChicago), taking aim at CTU retirees Georgia Waller From there, they traveled to the health deserts that many Chi- the Reimagine Chicago platform the decades of disinvestment in and Willie Williamson were on Logan Square, Austin, Brighton cagoans live in, and how import- is the roadmap forward. our communities, and the mas- the bus. At the end of the tour, Park, Roseland and Woodlawn. ant it is to invest in resources like sive displacement of Black and Waller had this to say: Bus tour participants shared tales Roseland. Finally, the tour ended The Grassroots Collaborative is a Brown families taking place in of the housing crisis that is push- at the future site of the Obama coalition of community and labor Chicago. Reimagine Chicago is It gave us a chance to come ing families out of their homes Presidential Center (OPC), where power organizations representing a bringing together people and or- together on issues that are and children out of their schools. residents are organizing to win a broad and diverse set of communi- ganizations from across the city not foreign to our communi- They described organizing fights Community Benefits Agreement ties, working to build a movement to create a platform of bold ideas ties. Most of the communities to stop new charter schools and to stop displacement from their for economic and racial justice in and demands that they will make look the same. They are in get Chicago Public Schools to beloved neighborhood. Chicago, its metropolitan region and to Chicago’s next mayor. need…like, they’re starving. build new neighborhood schools. On the impact of the tour, the state of Illinois. For more about Reimagine Chicago kicked off Brighton Park looks no dif- Participants heard from com- Waller said, “You could see a little Reimagine Chicago, visit the group with a bus tour that traveled to ferent than Roseland. munity members who described fire light up in people…we have on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. s the National Board for Professional Teaching to the highest standards, NBCTs on and refined their teaching practice and con- Congrats Teaching Standards (NBPTS) went impact students every day: leading from their tent knowledge, while demonstrating their mas- Afrom a one-year process to a two year classrooms, mentoring colleagues, facilitating tery of the standards from the National Board to the process, 14 Chicago Teachers Union members and directing school, district, and union ini- standards that encompass their certificate. have earned the teaching profession’s highest tiatives, and working in higher education and Exceptional Needs Specialist National mark of achievement, as a National Board professional associations to advocate for strong Lisa Anderson, Certification Teacher (NBCT), and 115 NBCTs policy and practice. Menyett Baker, School Counseling Board have renewed their National Board Certifica- “National Board Certification is about Heather Dunfee, Exceptional Needs Specialist tion (NBC) credential. helping teachers become great,” said NBPTS Anna Garcia Deters, Exceptional Needs Specialist These teachers, librarians and school coun- President Peggy Brookins, NBCT. “It is about Neil Farlow, Exceptional Needs Specialist Certified selors join a growing community of NBCTs, elevating the teaching profession and it’s about now more than 122,000 strong across all helping children achieve at higher rates.” A Jessica General, Exceptional Needs Specialist Teachers 50 states. Chicago has produced more than decade of research shows the impact of Board Justin Huang, Adolescent and Young Adulthood 2,260 of them. Each of these accomplished Certified teachers is even greater for low-in- Mathematics class of educators earned the profession’s highest come and minority students. Jennifer Jones, Early Childhood Generalist mark of achievement through a rigorous, per- For teachers, school counselors, and librari- Heather Morrison, Exceptional Needs Specialist 2018 formance-based, peer-review process, demon- ans who want more information on how to be- strating their proven impact on student learn- come National Board Certified, earn the annual Rachael Nicholas, Adolescent and Young Adulthood ing and achievement. Chicago Public Schools stipend and advance on Social Studies/History BY LYNN CHERKASKY-DAVIS This is a great personal accomplishment, but the salary scale (at no cost), please contact Lynn Elisabeth O’Keefe, Adolescent and Young Adulthood it’s more than that. The achievement of NBCT Cherkasky-Davis at 312-329-6274 or email Lyn- Mathematics deserves to be celebrated because of the posi- [email protected]. Lorraine Platek, Early Adolescent Mathematics tive impact these accomplished teachers have The following National Board Certified on millions of students nationwide and on the Teachers have dedicated two years to the CTU’s Jonathan Reiman, Early Adolescent through Young teaching profession at large. The certification rigorous Nurturing Teacher Leadership profes- Adulthood Art process impacts teaching and learning well be- sional development and candidate support pro- Caitlin Stich, Early Adolescent through Young yond an individual teacher’s classroom. gram. During this time, they analyzed, reflected Adulthood Art 2 January 2019 ∕ Chicago Union Teacher CHICAGO UNION TEACHER Our fights are EDITED BY THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ∕ heating up, Lynn Cherkasky-Davis, Jennifer Conant, Christine Geovanis, Paulette Flanagan, Dennis Kosuth, Jesse Sharkey, Erica Wozniak even if the CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS ∕ CTU Communications, Aaron Cynic, Nduati Githae ADVERTISING MANAGER ∕ April Stigger weather is not DESIGN AND PRODUCTION ∕ Eric Ruder OFFICERS Sisters and Brothers, thanks to the new school funding formula, the Jesse Sharkey ∕ PRESIDENT During the Jan. 15 press conference when which our union helped pass through the Stacy Davis Gates ∕ VICE PRESIDENT we presented our contract proposals to the Illinois General Assembly. president’s Michael Brunson ∕ RECORDING SECRETARY mayor, one of the first questions asked was But you’d never know any of this by look- Maria Moreno ∕ FINANCIAL SECRETARY message how the city would pay the $1 billion price ing at a resource-starved CICS classroom. The Chicago Union Teacher is tag of our demands. If CICS has the money for bloated published eight times a year (three The next day’s headlines screamed, “CTU management and cushy deals with former times a year in print). The Chicago demands rich people” pay for teacher raises executives, we expect it to pay teachers and Union Teacher is the official and other school needs. The Chicago Tri- paraprofessionals a living wage, provide ma- publication of the Chicago Teachers bune editorial page—with two hit pieces ternity benefits, reduce class sizes and pro- Union, which is the exclusive on us in a span of five days—followed up by vide more classroom supports. bargaining agent for teachers, accusing us of being on a “collision course” Because let’s be clear, whether its Okla- counselors, librarians, clinicians and with taxpayers. homa, North Carolina, West Virginia, Ken- paraprofessional and school-related But we know full well that the city’s 1 tucky, Los Angeles or Chicago, educators are personnel in the Chicago Public percenters and their power brokers don’t standing up and fighting back. We’re raising Schools. take kindly to talk of making the wealthy our collective voices to say “Enough!” Chicago Teachers Union • Local 1 • pay their fair share. That’s not something Enough of tax breaks to the wealthy on American Federation of Teachers, the mayor and his backers want to hear, the backs of our students; enough with ignor- AFL-CIO.