CPS strike? (Chicago, Lake Forest: private schools, college, live in)

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Karen Lewis might be one of the most offensive PR people in history. Everything about her. I was raised by grade school teachers, have lived with them as roommates for 6 years and am really good friend with many. I generally support teachers greatly and understand all the crap they go through. I haven't totally drawn any lines in this strike because I don't feel educated enough on the issues - but every time that woman opens her mouth my instinct is to be against her viewpoints. She needs a ton of lessons on how to deliver a point and debate.

Yep, it's like she's trying to be an ass. "To say that the contract will be settled today is lunacy,” CTU president Karen Lewis told cheering teachers.

Chicago teachers strike heads into second day - chicagotribune.com

[A2DAC1985]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Karen Lewis might be one of the most offensive PR people in history. Everything about her. I was raised by grade school teachers, have lived with them as roommates for 6 years and am really good friend with many. I generally support teachers greatly and understand all the crap they go through. I haven't totally drawn any lines in this strike because I don't feel educated enough on the issues - but every time that woman opens her mouth my instinct is to be against her viewpoints. She needs a ton of lessons on how to deliver a point and debate.

I read this this morning:

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis forged her confrontational style in the classroom. - chicagotribune.com

I don't know enough about the teachers union or this Karen Lewis to put any thoughts into this.

What does everyone else think?

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Yep, it's like she's trying to be an ass. "To say that the contract will be settled today is lunacy,” CTU president Karen Lewis told cheering teachers.

Chicago teachers strike heads into second day - chicagotribune.com

To hear the board president say they're working hard and hoping they might even end this today, that they're not far apart on many issues.......then Karen comes out screaming that they're not even CLOSE on the issues and to think this is going to end soon is lunacy.

Wow. Parents, students, citizens and people trying to move around the loop are all trying to look for a solution and for this to be productive and a compromise by both sides. Karen Lewis, regardless of how things are on the inside, comes across like she wants this to be a bloodbath and drag on forever. At least fake it and SAY you're looking for a solution.

The CPS board and the city are hardly raping the teachers union and being big bad bullies here. There's no need for her offensiveness. The school board is BANKRUPT. The city is broke. The union caved on almost everything. What the hell does she want? Chaos in the streets until they get 100%. I'm more and more turning against the union in this mess. They think they've got Emanuel by the throat or something, that everyone is suppose to blame him for this. It's going to come back to them very quickly in the next few days.

[whakru]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Karen Lewis might be one of the most offensive PR people in history. Everything about her. I was raised by grade school teachers, have lived with them as roommates for 6 years and am really good friend with many. I generally support teachers greatly and understand all the crap they go through. I haven't totally drawn any lines in this strike because I don't feel educated enough on the issues - but every time that woman opens her mouth my instinct is to be against her viewpoints. She needs a ton of lessons on how to deliver a point and debate.

YES! Agree with this!

Also, they interviewed one of the teachers on the picket line(30+ years teaching) and she was basically yelling that it is "her RIGHT to have a pay increase and she was part of the strike in 1986 and stayed out of school for 13 days back then and she will stay out 30 days this time if she has to until they WIN".

Wow. WIN? That is really what it comes down to isn't it? The sense of entitlement that some of these teachers have and feeling that they have a right to a pay increase. Last time I checked the constitution that wasn't in there. They should really check into is speaking on their behalf because they are not helping their situation with these types of comments.

So much for this being about the kids.....

[coldwine]

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.

I am no longer as familiar as I used to be with the issues, but at this point I'm just accepting as truth the story of the city diverging large sums of money away from schools. It's one of the least corrupt things to go on in Chicago.

So we will have what we have had for decades now: an underfunded city school system that fails to educate. I suppose most children do not find it a consolation that they live in the age of NCLB and thus would not be properly educated anyways. On the other hand, the CBS article a few pages back did highlight an issue I had not thought of: How, if the city is as hard strung as city officials are stating, are they able to pay for a longer school day? Just the costs of running longer days, especially in winter. Realizing greater use out of assets that are already vastly strained. It indicates that at least a modicum of thought was given by one side as to issues other than salary.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

The school board is BANKRUPT. The city is broke.

I'm amazed that people think this any kind of justification for not paying any public workers competitive salaries. If you're broke do you expect the grocery store to just take whatever money you offer them for the food you want? Do you expect the city to not pay it's full bill for construction projects Walsh is working on? Are you irate that a Walsh engineer can earn over $200,000/year? All of those things are paid for by your taxes, but somehow corrupt city contracts that waste millions are immune from outrage, while a city worker making a solid middle class wage is expected to bear the brunt of the city's fiscal mismanagement. It's also important to note that Chicago teachers' salaries are not out of line with state averages, and that the unemployment rate for people with a bachelor's degree is about 4%. All of this talk about "they should be happy to have a job" is BS. The unemployment crisis is hitting the undereducated hard, but it isn't that bad out there for anyone with a college degree.

Underfunding education in Chicago has been going on for years. Teachers did not strike when the city refused to give a pay raise that was in their last contract. They didn't strike when the city failed to contribute a cent to their pension fund for a decade. Now that the grievances have built up to the boiling point public workers are just supposed to sit back and take it because "the city is broke". WTF.

[mangomadness]

I admit to not knowing the full details, just high level information that's presented in the media. My issue is this:

Why are the teachers so against performance evaluations? Accountability needs to come from somewhere and I know principals can get fired for the poor performance of their school. In regular organizations, a manager has the power to evaluate and implement corrective actions to help their employees get back on track. This should happen in the schools as well. I have no problem whatsoever with teacher performance evaluations.

I understand the issue about the pay raise that was taken away recently, the longer hours and longer school year for the same pay. I don't know where the money is going to come from, but I can understand that concern.

I just want to see children in school getting a meaningful, well-rounded education. No more teaching to the test. Teach children how to think critically from an early age. Math, science, and technology exposure at an earlier age because too many children are afraid of math/science for whatever reason. Put the arts, music, and phys ed back as well.

I really worry for my nieces and nephews, but this just puts more on the parents to educate their children at home (which parents should be doing anyway). Still, its like there's almost nothing happening during the few hours they are there.

The kids should come first, bottom line.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by coldwine

How, if the city is as hard strung as city officials are stating, are they able to pay for a longer school day? Just the costs of running longer days, especially in winter. Realizing greater use out of assets that are already vastly strained. It indicates that at least a modicum of thought was given by one side as to issues other than salary.

Their plan was to pay for a longer day by just not paying for it - no extra compensation for the extra hours. That goes beyond teaching staff, and how poorly the move was plan was shown when no effort had been made to get support staff (janitorial, nursing, counseling, etc.) to change their schedules for the change.

Extra costs like heating building don't really exist. Most school buildings take a couple days to get up to temp (or down for those that have AC), so they don't really adjust the temps overnight. Most schools couldn't turn off their heat during the heatwave last March, some they were running the heat when the temps were 85 (and some schools have windows that don't open).

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Attrill

I'm amazed that people think this any kind of justification for not paying any public workers competitive salaries. If you're broke do you expect the grocery store to just take whatever money you offer them for the food you want? Do you expect the city to not pay it's full bill for construction projects Walsh is working on? Are you irate that a Walsh engineer can earn over $200,000/year? All of those things are paid for by your taxes, but somehow corrupt city contracts that waste millions are immune from outrage, while a city worker making a solid middle class wage is expected to bear the brunt of the city's fiscal mismanagement. It's also important to note that Chicago teachers' salaries are not out of line with state averages, and that the unemployment rate for people with a bachelor's degree is about 4%. All of this talk about "they should be happy to have a job" is BS. The unemployment crisis is hitting the undereducated hard, but it isn't that bad out there for anyone with a college degree.

Underfunding education in Chicago has been going on for years. Teachers did not strike when the city refused to give a pay raise that was in their last contract. They didn't strike when the city failed to contribute a cent to their pension fund for a decade. Now that the grievances have built up to the boiling point public workers are just supposed to sit back and take it because "the city is broke". WTF.

I hardly know anyone in the private sector who has gotten a raise since 2007 or 2008. CPS teachers on average make over $70K per year. They've gotten a ton of raises since 2007 and want another 16% I believe it is in the next few years. The board was going to give them that.

I'm not saying I'm against the teachers - but you can HARDLY use those excuses. The city and schools are broke. No 16% raise. My company went throug the recession. No raises. It wasn't rocket science.

[LeotheOrangeCat]

Originally Posted by Attrill

Most school buildings take a couple days to get up to temp (or down for those that have AC), so they don't really adjust the temps overnight. Most schools couldn't turn off their heat during the heatwave last March, some they were running the heat when the temps were 85 (and some schools have windows that don't open).

Sounds like my apartment building.