Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » First ever charter school teacher strike a possibility
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
First ever charter school teacher strike a possibility

Wednesday, Oct 31, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* More evidence that the governor’s first term in office is not ending the way he initially hoped

On Tuesday, teachers at 15 Chicago charter schools voted 98 percent to authorize a strike as they continue to bargain a contract with Acero Schools, the largest unionized charter network in the city. On Friday, four locations of the Chicago International Charter Schools (CICS) will take a strike authorization vote. And teachers at nine other Chicago charter networks are also in contract negotiations, and could similarly opt to take strikes votes in the coming months.

If no agreement is reached, Chicago could be home to the nation’s first-ever charter strike. Teachers have been inching closer to this possibility for the past two years, during which time eleventh-hour deals have narrowly averted strikes against at least three other charter operators.

That’s a stunning reversal from 2012, when Chicago charter operators bragged that, unlike unionized public schools, charters were unaffected by teacher strikes.

Since then, “Chicago has become the epicenter of charter union organizing in the country,” as Illinois Network of Charter Schools President Andrew Broy lamented in the Chicago Tribune last year.

What’s more, charter teachers are currently bargaining their first contracts as members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), which also represents the city’s 27,000 public school teachers. In March, the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers that represents more than 30 charters in the city, merged with the CTU in a bid to strengthen the hands of both unions.

       

22 Comments
  1. - Stark - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:49 am:

    Weird, it’s almost like charter schools aren’t about promoting the best education possible for students and that they are more about allowing wealthy people to control the educational curriculum of kids while increasing their local influence and reducing their tax burden by suffocating support to public education. Huh.


  2. - Almost the weekend - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:54 am:

    CTU’s leadership is so far to the left I’ve always wondered where their rank and file stood. Hopefully with this merger, less fireballs are thrown and more action is done behind the scenes.
    Not to mention with an open mayoral election coming, they can get their foot back in the door after being exiled for eight years.


  3. - Juice - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:59 am:

    Almost the weekend, who do you think elected the leadership? These are not jobs that are just handed out, they are elected to those positions by the rank and file.

    When CPS had trouble getting the contract ratified a couple of years ago, it was because the rank and file didn’t think union leadership had pushed the administration enough, not the other way around.


  4. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:00 am:

    –unlike unionized public schools, charters were unaffected by teachers strikes–

    For those teachers who actually have to live on that money (not a salary that merely supplements the real money earner in the family), charter or not, they can’t pay their bills. It’s time teachers were paid like professionals with similar educational requirements so they aren’t treated like servants happy to take whats given. Good for them. This is the 21st century now………


  5. - West Sider - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:02 am:

    CICS was formerly headed by Beth Pervis- still an honorary member of the BTIA.


  6. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:10 am:

    @West Sider: You mean, the Beth Purvis who was paid a quarter million dollars a year from the DHS budget for the title, “Secretary of Education?”

    That Beth Purvis?


  7. - Huh? - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:11 am:

    “It’s time teachers were paid like professionals with similar educational requirements so they aren’t treated like servants”

    Second the motion. Minimum starting salary is good start.

    I would like to amend the motion to add that teachers are to be respected and valued for the work they do.


  8. - Not It - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:18 am:

    Im shocked that the leadership of the CTU would be pushing their charter members to strike. How much of this is just manufactured in order to embarrass charter schools, and how much of this is legit?


  9. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:19 am:

    This never would have happened if had gotten that hurricane like some wanted.


  10. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:22 am:

    =That Beth Purvis?=

    Yes, THAT Beth Purvis who was a member of the BTIA and was paid $250 k (partially to offset the “not good enough” benefits) to be our secretary of education. A position that has been vacant for some time.

    Super

    Stars


  11. - Roman - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:23 am:

    == Chicago charter operators bragged that, unlike unionized public schools, charters were unaffected by teacher strikes. ==

    Not the only thing they bragged about that hasn’t exactly worked out. They also said they could operate with less funding and their test scores would be higher.


  12. - Actual Red - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:26 am:

    @Not It
    Based on what the article says about pay disparities, I’m guessing this didn’t take all that much manufacturing.


  13. - Question - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:40 am:

    what is BTIA?


  14. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:42 am:

    Raunerism has infected so many things, it’s thibgs like a strike that might be the cure to understand Rauner’s way(s) were never about “better” but about “breaking”


  15. - efudd - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:46 am:

    Educated people, providing the most vital of public services, demanding a living wage.
    The nerve.
    Seriously, this is so delicious it must be fattening.


  16. - City Zen - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:46 am:

    ==CTU’s leadership is so far to the left I’ve always wondered where their rank and file stood.==

    They might be shifting back. There’s a emerging sub-group in CTU called Members First pitting themselves against the current CORE regime. Seems that there are many members fed up with the SJW focus Karen Lewis pushed and want the union to return their focus more on compensation and work environment.


  17. - Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 12:05 pm:

    Years ago teachers were among the elite minority of college graduates in the community. They were similar to Doctors, Lawyers, and Ministers. Now they are part of a highly educated community and have lost their elite status. This stings.

    Yes they do important work. So does the engineer who designs safe roads, the mechanic who keeps the car safe to drive, the farmer who provides food, and many others.


  18. - wondering - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 1:56 pm:

    Conservatives backed “school choice” for one reason. Union busting. The irony is that charter school contract negotiations can’t be restricted by legiskation as public school contracts


  19. - City Zen - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 2:48 pm:

    ==The irony is that charter school contract negotiations can’t be restricted by legiskation as public school contracts==

    The bigger irony is that CTU now has to disclose their financials to the US Dept of Labor like the majority of unions across the country. I’ll take that trade all day, any day.


  20. - Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 3:37 pm:

    There are good reasons other than union busting to support school choice. There are school systems that are failing to educate students. Parents who can vote with their feet and the system declines further.

    School choice enables some of those mobile families to stay in place.


  21. - Travel Guy - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:47 pm:

    ==There are good reasons other than union busting to support school choice. There are school systems that are failing to educate students. Parents who can vote with their feet and the system declines further.==

    …spoken like someone who has only heard the buzz and hasn’t done any research on the subject. These schools get to choose who attends and who is kicked out based on whatever (often arbitrary) criteria they set. Still, they do not perform as well as local public schools in over half of cases.

    By design, this actually causes the system to decline further and bolsters the right’s desire to dismantle public schools so that they can fully access one of the last large, untapped pots of public money…and destroy unions.


  22. - Ed Equity - Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:35 pm:

    Charter schools were originally created to innovate, to allow more personal choice, to develop new educational models, to change publicly funded education so that it could reach kids who had been previously written off and actualize the talent of those who can do better.

    More than a decade into this - the charter movement, and the advocacy system built to advance it, ultimately are now designed to protect it have become the thing it was once meant to change.

    The strike confirms charters are now “status quo 2.0″.

    Better than “status quo 1.0″, but still not innovating and creating the models it had once promised. Where will innovation in education come from now?


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* Reader comments closed for the holidays
* And the winners are…
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to previous editions
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Report: Far-right Illinois billionaires may have skirted immigration rules
* Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards (Updated)
* Energy Storage Brings Cheaper Electricity, Greater Reliability
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller