This was our first week of bargaining with CPS! As the Sun-Times reported, our negotiations opened with optimism as our 60+ rank-and-file members—the largest bargaining team in our union’s history—presented our ambitious proposals to CPS. We’re ready to deliver on these proposals to transform Chicago Public Schools. Our first member-led presentations to CPS were about:
- A library and librarian in every school
- Robust arts education
- Green schools
- A better school day for elementary and middle school students
- Investment in early childhood education
In each of the presentations, our bargaining team members shared the concrete policy proposals our union developed over the last six months as well as lived experiences from our schools, the kind that can only come from educators in the classroom and in our schools. CPS was slow to respond to our demands and had no counters at our 2nd session on Tuesday. Like last time, they have an extended team of bargaining members.
ABOVE: Team CTU at CPS Central Office on the first day of bargaining: Financial Secretary Maria Moreno, Vice-President Jackson Potter, Counsel Thaddeus Goodchild, Rank and File Teacher Faith Mitchell, President Stacy Davis Gates, Counsel LaToyia Peterson, Rank and File Teacher Nina Hike, Counsel Robert Bloch, Grievance Department Director Zeidre Foster, Recording Secretary Christel Williams.
Check out the slides from our bargaining presentation here.
A Librarian in Every School: In 2012 there were 450 librarians in CPS. Today there are only 80 — which means 80% of students in CPS attend schools without a librarian. The vast majority of students attending schools without a library and librarian are Black students.
During our presentation to the CPS team, “Having a librarian in every school is necessary for quality education, and it’s a priority in our contract,” said Nora Wilste, librarian at King College Prep High School.
Our proposals include a librarian in every school and also provide the support and resources needed to rebuild the school library system in CPS, including $30 per student for library materials and 10 central office staff to coordinate school library support across the district and ensure equity.
Arts Education: Only 10% of CPS elementary schools offer arts education. In 90% of the schools that do not offer arts, 85% of the students are Black. Every student deserves access to the arts. Our proposals here include clearer language for arts specific equipment, workstations and technology, as well as arts specific professional development for those educators. Our proposals also include two funded arts positions for elementary/middle schools and support for students with IEPs in arts courses.
“A school day that centers joy is one with robust arts programming and support for our students,” said Erin Lynch, a teacher at Jahn School of Fine Arts who presented during bargaining.
After our presentation, CPS said they agree: art teachers are not “prep time” teachers. Every student in every school in Chicago deserves the kind of enrichment that arts educators provide. And, we have an expectation that their agreement will mean a multi-dimensional investment in arts education.
Green Schools: Years of underinvestment in Chicago’s neighborhood schools that serve Black and Brown communities have made many CPS buildings unsafe. Right now, CPS has no real plan for renovating or replacing these buildings. CPS schools are also contributing to the pollution in our school communities, producing yearly emissions equivalent to 900 rail cars worth of coal. During bargaining, Lauren Bianchi, who teaches social studies at George Washington High School, shared pictures of dilapidated areas in her school as an example of the kinds of repairs and structural problems many schools face.
Repairing and retrofitting the many schools that need better facilities is an opportunity for livable, green, union jobs for students, parents, and community members.
Our…
This article was originally published by a www.ctulocal1.org . Read the Original article here. .