Chicago Public Schools are facing another strike from the Chicago’s Teachers Union (CTU). In 2012, the CTU participated in a seven day strike, resulting in drastic improvements for both students and teachers. Though it brought peace, the outcome did not result in an ideal situation for any parties involved. Since the strike began when school was underway, all procedures were rushed in order to avoid students from missing school. The strike was a critical event during my 7th grade experience at Clinton Elementary School. The school temporarily closed, but I remember teachers went door-to-door asking for local support from citizens and calling government officials for a resolution. It was very inspirational to see the dedication and motivation teachers had to bring a change in the education system.
After seven years of peace, the next teachers strike is scheduled for October 17th, 2019. In order to avoid students missing classes, it is ideal for a resolution prior to this scheduled strike. The CTU is seeking many changes to their contract, but their main concerns are adjustments to class sizes, more staffing, and higher salaries. According to Truth in Accounting, the CPS is currently $17.1 billion dollars in debt. As the debt grows yearly, CPS needs to find a way to appease CTU and their bottom line.
Lemar Hamidi is a social media and marketing intern for Truth in Accounting, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Chicago that researches government financial data.
