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* Rate Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s response to the Chicago teachers strike.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 12:41 pm
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Not nearly as good as the @mayoremanuel’s response would’ve been.
Comment by TJ Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 12:45 pm
Pitiful.
Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 12:48 pm
Where’s “Plan B”?
Comment by Air-Is-Total Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 12:51 pm
Emanuel has the banks and the capital class with him. Who cares about other people?
The teachers will break.
And the longer the strike lasts the more people will want charter schools.
Win-win
Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 12:51 pm
TJ for the win!
It’s been disappointing. I’d like to see some public disclosure of the demands and of who stands where.
Comment by Lakeview Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 12:53 pm
I give the Mayor credit for trying to bring accountability to CPS rather than simply throwing more money at the status quo. I think the previous Mayor would have offered about the same money but wouldn’t have made the same push for change, which is how he bought peace with CTU.
Did Emanuel overplay his hand? It’s too soon to say, but he did have a plan in place in the event the union walked out. It may not be adequate, but he was caught flat-footed. I know a lot of people are going to take shots at this comment, but Emanuel didn’t force this strike. It was not inevitable. It was a choice the union made and they’re going to have to live with the fallout.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 12:53 pm
he *wasn’t* caught flat-footed.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 12:54 pm
on a scale of 1-10: I’d give him a 7. I dont think he thought the teachers would be so united and follow karen Lewis so strongly. Otherwise, he is prepared for the long fight, and eventually the CTU will have to accept a contract that is well below the standards of the old one..
Comment by PQ's Primary Opponent Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:02 pm
It’s a bit of a loaded question. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give the Mayor a 0 for the months leading up to the strike and a 6 since it began.
Some examples:
Because of the botched “rent a protester” effort in the early stages, the Mayor can’t effectively organize counter-protests of his own. Reporters are primed to write a negative story.
Because of his caustic remarks from the onset, the Mayor can’t even be in the room, sleeves rolled up, solving the problem.
While his recent remarks have struck a far less confrontational tone, he can’t adopt the stronger message platform of Secretary Duncan encouraging all sides to come together to work things out for the kids…if he did, the Tribune editorial board would accuse him of “caving.”
One undeniable result of the strike is that thousands of teachers out on the streets, many of them talking to reporters, means that Karen Lewis is no longer the sole face and voice of the CTU. Rahm was in a much stronger position when he could, at least in part, make this a narrative of Rahm v. Lewis. That’s done for good now.
I’m not sure I put much faith in PQ’s PO predictions. Historically, and across the nation, teacher’s unions rarely “lose” a strike, atleast relatively speaking. The final contract is always better than the “last, best offer” before the strike, and the long-term costs to the public support for teachers is always much smaller than the costs to the administration. Karen Lewis’ name won’t be on the ballot in 2015.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:28 pm
Really, who knows how to grade him? Eric Zorn wrote an article a couple of weeks ago that said that we the interested parents and taxpayers don’t have a clue what’s going on behind the closed doors of the negotiations. We don’t know what specific proposals are being put on the table and what is being rejected, or why, or by whom. Therefore the public does not know who is being reasonable and who is not being reasonable. We don’t know how close or far apart the sides really are after weeks of talks. We don’t know if one side is being more disingenuous in their public stances. We don’t know the competence of the actual negotiators for either side.
All we really have is our own frustration defined by public posturing, media events and pretty bad shilling/PR/optics coming from both sides. Eric called for televised negotiations. That probably won’t happen, but I think it might change the dynamics of the spat considerably and speed the outcome if it did.
Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:30 pm
Neither here nor there. Mostly agree with YDD but doubt his case for Karen Lewis vanishing from earned media.
I also would note that even including the 2007 municipal elections, there’s not a lot of clear PR victories for organized labor in Chicago. Last I checked Wal-Mart is putting as many stores down as it pleases, etc. Perhaps it’s a union town, but it hasn’t shown lately.
Comment by Will Caskey Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:33 pm
What is the Mayor’s Plan B?
He came into office and brought this on himself. He could have accommodated the CTU as Daley had, but Rahm wanted to shove the Union into the 21st Century.
He knew who he was dealing with. He knew how they thought. He knew as a parent what parents wanted from the Chicago Public Schools. He knew the budget conditions. He is not a new Mayor anymore.
What did he think would happen with his actions?
What is this man’s Plan B?
The longer this goes on, the worse it becomes for everyone except Chicagoland parochial schools.
The City has become not only unmanagable and unsafe, but now the City is unteachable.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:33 pm
See the Kass column in today’s Tribune; it’s one of his best. Ultimately the public is going to side against the union for all of the reasons given by Kass.
Comment by Keyser Soze Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:34 pm
That’s like spotting the cleanest dumpster in the alley.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:38 pm
I have been reading your posts regarding this strike issue, 47th Ward. I suppose you can be accused of taking a GOP/conservative position on this but I would argue that is not the case (not that you need my support, of course). The union is over-playing its’ hand in this matter. The reality check is staring us all in the face. While teachers can’t be entirely blamed for poor test scores we all know there are bad ones out there. There is no straight-forward way to address bad teachers - that needs to change.
It would be better if Rahm were a republican. It would be easier to rate him that way, wouldn’t it?
Comment by dupage dan Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:38 pm
Not good. I think Carol Marin pretty much nailed it with her column today. Rahm thought he could score some easy points by fighting with an unsympathetic figure (Karen Lewis) and he did pretty much come out on top in the longer school day battle. But once the strike happened he became a big loser. Looks like he’s lost control.
Comment by Tony Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:39 pm
Oooo… John Kass predicts the public will turn on the teachers. A Right Wing hack columnist writing for a corporate Republican paper…
Kass really has his finger on the pulse of Chicago. Practically everything he’s written has been ahead of the people.
In fact, it’s so far ahead, none of it has happened yet.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:40 pm
I believe in grading on the curve, so after taking into account Rahm’s bottomless capacity for boorish condescension and profane smugness, I’ll give him a 5/10.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:47 pm
John Kass??????? John Kass?? REALLY?? C’MON MAN!!!
Comment by PQ's Primary Opponent Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:51 pm
Thanks DuPage Dan,
I’m a dad with kids who will soon be ready for school and I really really want to send them to Chicago public schools. I’m very lucky that our neighborhood school is one of the best in the city. It’s a good school because of the teachers there, its principal, its local school council and the support it recieves from everyone in the neighborhood, not just parents. But it’s also a good school because most of the neighborhood kids that attend are from middle class families. It still has a sizeable population of low income students, but not the 90% poverty that is common in CPS schools.
The Mayor can’t make schools better. The teachers can’t make schools better. Only all of us working together can make schools better. Does that make me a conservative?
If CTU is seen as standing in the way of improvement, they’ll lose. Right now, the Mayor’s message, pointed at times, is that the status quo is unacceptable. I agree with the Mayor.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:52 pm
My take on his response is that he is being very careful in his responses so he does not make matters worse. The problem is that his words measured as they are do not match the manner in which they are given nor do the match his body language. Rather than betting on when the strike will end I think a pool on how long it takes before the mayor explodes either in public or private.
I also was a little surprised that he brought the President into this. I would have thought that he would be very careful and work very hard to keep this out of the arena of things the President has to respond to. His mention the other night that the President has already taken a side by pushing for the same things Rahm is wanting through the President’s promotion of “Race to the Top.”
Last week you had Dan Montgomery, and the head of the SEIU front row center cheering on the President and this week you have Dan Montgomery on the picket line siding against Rahm, and thew SEIU janitors being allowed to honor the picket lines. And Rahm makes the statement that the President has weighed in on his side. Not a cool thing to say in my estimation.
Comment by Irish Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 1:56 pm
@Caskey -
Oh, I doubt Lewis will disappear. In fact, CPS and the Mayor will do all they can to bring the story back to her.
But look at the results of their latest attempt: it wasn’t Lewis defending her “silly” remarks, it was rank-and-file teachers.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:04 pm
3 or 4. He thought he was going to roll over the union just because he is Rahm. He didn’t want to take time out of raising superPAC money to prevent this strike. He has misplayed this since he went to Springfield to get laws changed without even trying to work with the teachers
Comment by Fed up Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:04 pm
@mayoremmanuel would be awesome if he kept it going.
Comment by Fed up Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:06 pm
Emanuel’s handling of this situation has been pathetic. He goaded the union into striking and assumed an air of false confidence when the legislature pushed through a new law making it harder for the Chicago Teachers Union to authorize a strike vote. Despite the newly restrictive law, the union had no difficulty in approving the strike authorization with many votes to spare.
Public opinion will shift if the strike is prolonged, but Emanuel is correct in that the strike could have been avoided. That result would have required the Mayor to quit antagonizing the union and demonizing the teachers at every turn.
@Carl Nyberg: A corporate newspaper that prints anything spoon fed to it by David Axelrod? C’mon.
Comment by Esquire Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:07 pm
He’s pushing the envelope in ways that haven’t been done before. He’s not the best at PR, and he’s not the best hands-on negotiator in this arena, but he will be seen as trying to improve things. 7/10.
Comment by walkinfool Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:17 pm
Rahm will be back in Springfield getting laws passed that would make Gov. Walker envious after the election. He might just get the general assembly to outlaw Karen Lewis maybe he can get them to pass a law that if one teacher doesn’t want to strike no strike.
Comment by Fed up Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:21 pm
John Kass. HAHAHAHAHAHA.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:25 pm
The problem with Rahm is Rahm. There are so many easy points to be made about kids not learning while teachers get more money (rewards for failure). But, and it’s a big but, Rahm goaded teachers, he ignored parents and did it his way. As long as he continues to not seek input and support he’ll be on his own. The teachers knew to get the parents involved. Rahm didn’t and now he’s got the Trib and the banks, but not much more.
Comment by justbabs Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:31 pm
Not good, not good at all. He is acting very Romney-esque trying to play to an audience that doesn’t send their kids to CPS and thinking CTU would roll over. He may win a war of attrition, but it will by a Pyrrhic victory.
Comment by D.P. Gumby Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:43 pm
Right now he’s losing the PR battle to Karen Lewis. If this strike keeps going into a 2nd or 3rd week (which so far seems likely) then I expect public opinion will shift toward Rahm. Offering a sizeable raise prior to the strike and the evaluation issue will help his cause.
Comment by Bluefish Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:49 pm
Emmanuel’s basic silence and relative inaction on this issue is actually a positive for him. Letting Lewis bask in the limelight and allowing her to continuously fan the flames will turn the public against the CTU pretty fast.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 2:56 pm
Ya get what ya pay for.
Comment by Springfield Dan Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 3:07 pm
Insufficient data to rate the mayor. He’s a pugnacious sort, and I wonder if he is trying to manuever CTU for a PATCO kill shot or at least a grievous wounding. If the strike is ongoing into next week, I expect he intends to hold his ground.
Appears this has nothing to do with education; all to do about the future of government employee unions in Illinois.
Comment by Cook County Commoner Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 3:08 pm
Keep giving them those union dues that you think would keep them on your side with their lies…..If it is not about the $ they don’t care what you want………… deal with it…..Hows that hope and change working for you????????????
Comment by usapride Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 3:18 pm
The public will turn if the strike goes long - all it will take is for one or two parents to lose their jobs over a strike-related childcare snafu. It’s not like the teachers are striking against greedy corporate robber barons; they are on strike against a public that has been dealing with the effects of a long recession and that is not satisfied with the quality of the schools. (And yes, given how complex the problem is, it would be nice if the parties involved talked about ways to work together to improve schools instead of pointing fingers at each other. I’m not sure it helps the teachers’ cause to blame parents, given that parents are taxpayers who pay their salaries.)
Comment by Lakeview Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 3:20 pm
Lakeview, which teachers have blamed parents? When did CTU or Karen Lewis blame parents? In fact, when did anyone blame parents? Did I miss something?
CCC has is right. This isn’t a fight for salary or raises. It’s about teachers losing control over their own fates.
Comment by Burnham Wannabe Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 3:46 pm
Rating - 1 1/2 middle fingers.
I don’t think he contemplated the national GOP support, and the harm it would cause to his party role.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 4:00 pm
Burnham, I have heard teachers say over and over that the schools are just fine and the teachers are just fine, the problem is the parents! If the kids don’t come to kindergarten knowing their alphabet, you can’t expect teachers to teach them. If the parents can’t help with homework, you can’t expect the teachers to teach them! The corollary is the line given to your white middle-class Chicago parents who are trying to navigate school choice, “Don’t worry, your child will do just fine anywhere!”
So, yeah, go ask a teacher about merit evaluation, and count how long it takes to hear “we should evaluate parents! If the parents don’t work with their kids, how can we expect to teach them anything?”
So, yeah, I hear it all the time. Not from Karen Lewis, and not from CTU, but from actual teachers.
Comment by Lakeview Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 4:05 pm
I have a relative who formerly taught in the CPS and has also taught in other schools (private and public) in urban areas serving underprivileged students. A constant worry is the home environment of some pupils.
Sometimes, it is unbelievable what teachers are expected to assist with. Children are beginning kindergarten without having been toilet trained and some are still wearing diapers. Others receive no daily meals apart from the food given to them as part of the school breakfast and lunch programs. The parents of some of these unfortunate and neglected children appear to do nothing in terms of active parenting other than procreating.
I do not see how public school teachers can be expected to right all that is wrong in the life of these neglected kids. Can we afford to provide social workers and counselors for everyone?
Comment by Esquire Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 4:20 pm
“I do not see how public school teachers can be expected to right all that is wrong in the lives of these neglected kids.”
Comment by Esquire Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 4:22 pm
The strike is only three days old so I think it is too early to grade the mayor. If this goes two or three weeks, then it is time for grading, and harshly at that. Right now the district is burning snow days and not much more.
Comment by commonsense in illinois Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 4:25 pm
almost as soon as he took office, he decided to “take on” unions - especially the teachers union. The longer school day with no more pay immediately comes to mind. Then going to Springfield having the law changed, Rahm being Rahm, etc. - others have put it much better than I can.
In any event, the fact they went on strike is a huge blow for the Mayor. What in the world did he expect after creating the animosity in the first place? He will most certainly wear the jacket for this. This was avoided for 25 years and in his first term he mishandles it like this?
Now, Paul Ryan is complimenting him? Boy, that’ll help solve the dispute (nice piece of political ju-jitsu by Ryan). He helps to further drive a wedge and confirm the suspicions of many Chicago progressives that he is another corporate Democrat, no better than the Republicans-while the GOP can run around saying look how bad teacher’s unions are-even Obama’s ex-chief can’t get a hold on them-and call Obama’s leadership further into question. All over the talk shows they are talking about the strike in the President’s home town. Great, Rahm.
The point is, he should have done everything possible to avoid this situation. Not only did he NOT do that, he made it worse. For putting himself in this position, AND the President no less, Rahm deserves a F-. Unbelivably dumb.
Comment by awful Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 5:39 pm
Meh.
Comment by amalia Wednesday, Sep 12, 12 @ 6:02 pm
This is the beginning of the end for Rahm. He was pushed out of the White House, dumped on Chicago, and is proving that a winning media strategy is not good governance. Violence is out of control, and the working families of Chicago are pissed.
Comment by Anonimo Thursday, Sep 13, 12 @ 9:28 am