Progress Illinois, September 13, 2012, 3:52 PM
CTU: No School Friday
It looks like 350,000 Chicago Public Schools students will get a full week off. The Chicago Teachers Union said in a press release this afternoon that there will be no classes Friday as the CTU House of Delegates will meet at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Presumably, the meeting could result in the House of Delegates approving a new contract and calling off the strike.
However, CTU would only say that "the Bargaining Team will update leadership on new developments."
Karen Lewis says in a statement that, "We've made progress in some areas, but still we have a way to go."
Also, CTU announced in the release that they are holding a rally noon Saturday at Union Park.
Continue to check back with PI for more on the CTU strike.
Talks make real progess
Union, school board cite progress on issues like how to evaluate teachers.
September 13, 2012
City Room
WBEZ web report:
The Chicago Teachers Union president says a deal to end the city's first teachers' strike in 25 years is close.
Teachers Union President Karen Lewis told reporters on Thursday that Chicago Public School students could be back in the classroom as soon as Monday.
"Oh I’m praying, praying, praying I’m on my knees for that please," Lewis said. "Yes, I’m hoping for Monday that would be good for us, that would be very good for our kids."
Lewis said there were still lots of details to wade through, but the atmosphere around the negotiations had changed, and she says she's optimistic.
"We want to make sure this is done right. I mean, doing something fast is not the way to go. You know, haste makes waste," she said.
As for getting students back into the classroom, Lewis says it's unlikely students will be back Friday even if a deal is reached Thursday. The house of delegates still has to vote on the final contract proposal.
"We still have some major stuff we have to look at, from the pace in which these things go I doubt very seriously I can get a house of delegates meeting together tonight."
Union and district officials have been meeting almost around the clock to try and get a deal done. School officials say they're also confident a deal could be reached soon.
Transcript of WBEZ broadcast report:
Chicago public school children will miss their fourth day of school today (Thursday) since the start of a teachers strike Monday.
But the heads of the teachers’ union and Chicago school board say progress is being made.
Teacher union president Karen Lewis said Wednesday’s long day of negotiating ended with some real progress especially dealing with the thorny issue of teacher evaluation.
She says the school district’s negotiating team is starting to hear its concerns.
But Lewis isn’t ready to declare victory.
LEWIS: No, no, no. Progress. Significant progress. It has not been checked off yet plus you all have to remember we have a larger bargaining team that we have to talk to. We would like to get this done. Let’s hope for Friday.
School board president David Vitale also acknowledge progress on evaluations and recall of laid off teachers.
The union says it’s also concerned about the closure of a hundred schools.
Vitale says there’s no plans right now to close schools but the district has to deal with having some 130-thousand more seats than it needs.
The two sides will resume talks this morning.
MP. WBEZ.
However, EdNotes Online September 13, 11:15 PM, has a September 15 Chicago rally flyer posted
Stand Strong with
Chicago Teachers
Saturday
12:00 noon
September 15
Union Park
Lake & Ashland in Chicago
The 30,000 teachers, school social workers, clerks, vision and hearing testers, school nurses, teaching assistants, counselors, and other school professionals of the Chicago Teachers Union are standing strong to defend public education from test pushers, privatizers, and a national onslaught of big money interest groups trying to push education back to the days before teachers had unions. Around the country and even the world, our fight is recognized as the front line of resistance to the corporate education agenda. Educators and our supporters have pledged to travel to Chicago in solidarity to rally. Click here to say you'll be there! NOTE: The union is not on strike over matters governed exclusively by IELRA Section 4.5 and 12(b).
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