Election Day is Tuesday and many people will likely get out and vote this weekend. So it seems like a good time to remind Chicago Unheard readers of the history behind the CPS teacher pension crisis and the role two current mayoral candidates had in what happened: Paul Vallas and Gery Chico. In his response to a Sun-Times candidate questionnaire,…
Tag: Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Enyia and Preckwinkle Slay at Mayoral Forum
If you want to know what happened at the Chicago mayoral candidate forum last night, sponsored by a raft of progressive organizations and held at the Chicago Teachers Union offices, you can read the Tweets and even watch the Facebook Live. But if you want to know how the candidates came across to this taxpayer, homeowner and mom of a…
Progress, Problems and Politics in the Chicago Public Schools
Last weekend, I bought a subscription to the Chicago Sun-Times, which recently instituted a paywall. I love the gritty, bare-knuckles reporting and cut-through-the-noise columnists of the self-described “Hardest-Working Paper in America.” I’m even getting home delivery. Monday morning, the paper arrived with a lengthy story on “fiascoes” in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) that could become a headache for Mayor…
What’s Up in CPS the Week of June 4, 2018?
There’s never a dull moment in Chicago Public Schools. Sex Abuse in CPS The Chicago Tribune exposé on sex abuse in district schools prompted CPS leaders to create an action plan that features improved background checks, more employee training on reporting abuse and increased supports for victims. As the plan goes into action, it’s worth remembering inadequate protection against sexual…
Mo’ Money…No Progress
No one wanted another strike–but many people wondered how and were doubtful that the district could meet the CTU’s financial demands. So when Rahm, Forrest, and Co. were able to make it happen at the eleventh hour, many parents, community members, and even some students were able to breathe a sigh of relief. But how long will it be before…
Reason #3 on Why CPS Teachers Shouldn’t Go on Strike: We Need to Work Together to Save the District
You don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. That’s what my grandmother told me when I skipped an entire week of my freshman year of high school because I was upset with my mom and dad. Sometimes anger can cause people to lash out in ways that are ultimately far more harmful to them than to the object…
Rahm Promises Schools Will Open on Time, Dismisses CPS Strike Talk
SOUTH SHORE — Insisting Chicago Public Schools “are going to open up on time,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel dismissed strike threats Monday and defended a $250 million property-tax increase as “what’s right” to fund education. Speaking in South Shore, where he touted the completion of a district-wide air-conditioning program this school year, Emanuel assured parents the fall term would start as scheduled…
No More Band-Aids: Do the Surgery and Fund Illinois Schools
You can’t use a Band-Aid forever. Band-Aids aren’t useful for every kind of injury. If I break my leg open, a small adhesive Band-Aid will not take care of the problem. I will continue to remain injured until a real solution is used to make me whole again. I wish our elected officials in Springfield and Mayor Rahm’s office thought…