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Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis speaks to supporters Saturday during a rally at Union Park in Chicago, Ill.
CHICAGO -- Thousands of striking Chicago teachers rallied on Saturday to keep the pressure on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to wrap up an agreement with their union to end a strike that has closed the nation's third-largest school district for a week.
The rally brought labor leaders, community activists and teachers to Chicago's Union Park for one of the largest demonstrations against Emanuel's education reforms since the strike began Monday.
"You have proven to the world that you're not going to take it anymore," Lorretta Johnson, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, told demonstrators the day after the two sides reached a tentative labor deal.
See strike coverage and more Chicago news at NBCChicago.com
Kids may be back in school Monday if the Chicago Teachers Union is able to reach an agreement about salary increases, teacher evaluations and rehiring policy for laid-off teachers. NBC's Rehema Ellis reports.
“We are on strike,” CTU President Karen Lewis told the crowd estimated to be about 25,000 decked out in red. “We have a framework; we do not have an agreement.”
Lewis was one of 20 speakers who spoke at the event, which lasted more than two hours.
Led by Lewis, a former high school chemistry teacher, 29,000 unionized teachers, counselors, nurses and other support staff staged their first strike in 25 years, leaving 350,000 Chicago students with no school this week.
Emanuel angered the Chicago teachers by trying to push through proposals to radically reform teacher performance evaluations and weaken job protection for teachers whose schools are closed or perform poorly academically.
Related:
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- Could Rahm Emanuel deal big blow to union power?
- theGrio: 'Safe havens' for kids offered during Chicago teachers strike
- Question at heart of Chicago strike: How do you measure teacher performance?
Emanuel retreated from some of his proposed reforms, although details of what he has agreed to with the union have not been made public. Negotiators for the mayor and the union announced a tentative agreement on Friday that could lead to an end to the strike.
The confrontation has left many Democratic mayors and politicians supporting Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff for President Barack Obama. Other Democrats have sided with the unions, which are major financial supporters of the party and are needed to help Obama win re-election in November.
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Emanuel denied Saturday there had been any pressure from the White House to settle the strike.
"The short answer is no," Emanuel's spokeswoman, Sarah Hamilton, said. "There was no pressure, and no pressure would have worked, because they know that the mayor firmly believes that what we are doing to reform and improve our schools is the right thing."
The union is wary of Emanuel, who has been called a "bully" and a "liar" by Lewis.
Organizers hoped Saturday's rally would rival some of the huge demonstrations last year that protested the efforts of Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to curb the power of unions. The Wisconsin protests were unsuccessful but drew tens of thousands of government workers, including teachers.
Activists and supporters from other unions joined the sea of strikers wearing red T-shirts at Saturday's rally.
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"This is not just a Chicago struggle; this is a struggle for workers everywhere," civil rights leader Jesse Jackson said. "You've led a new struggle for courage."
If all goes well in the negotiations between the Chicago School Board and the union this weekend, Lewis said she would ask some 800 union activists on Sunday to suspend the strike and teachers would return to classrooms Monday morning.
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Leave a Comment:
What great roles models. Would love to watch just one of these supposed "teachers" explain to their students why it's ok for the kids to have evaluations but it's not ok for the teachers to have evaluations. At least the kids in the chicago charter schools will obtain a quality education from truly professional teachers.
If only the students could organize and strike until they received competent teachers. It must be truly awful to be an intelligent kid stuck being preached to by these lazy, greedy, incompetent failures day after day.
Which one teaches PT?
I am betting this is the most energy any of them have put into anything for a long time. They look like a bunch of lazy desk jockies.
I wondered this exact same thought when I first heard about the teachers striking. There was a time unions had a place and did serve a purpose. They have been obsolete for quite awhile now and should be done away with completely. They need to be evaluated and given raises per their job performance like the rest of us out here in the real world....
All unions are today is Legalized MAFIA..... These teachers have proven that EXTORTION is stilll strong in America.....Too bad Mr. Mayor did not have the same guts that Regan did and canned them all.....
Exactly - if this was a private sector job they would be on their a** for poor performance but since the union steps in and lets them stay the whole system suffers
Geez, I never thought I'd see the day I'd support Emanuel on any issue.....but here it goes, go Rahm!
Government employee unions should be illegal. Fire their a$$es. Why should they have it any better than the private sector? Perform or hit the road, do more for less, deal with the reduced benefits, just like the rest of us.
You're exactly right and of course you can tell that the CTU President is an active vital women who weighes about 350 lbs! I'm sure she's great for the City's health care rates! Yes, interesting that Unions don't want any accountability! Doesn't shock me - does anyone know how difficult it is to actually fire a poor performing public employee?
If I hadn't removed my daughter from the local public school mid year, she wouldn't be nearly straight A's and considering being a doctor. She is on target to be the all-time win leader for her high school. Man, I'm glad we got her and my son out of the public schools.
Or a new struggle for greed. Depends on your perspective and whether you're the one paying the bill. It sure as hell isn't a struggle for the kids.
Every one of these teachers should be fired! It's my understanding that Chicago teachers are the second highest paid teachers in the nation. When our economy is in the shape it is in and many have had to take cuts/freezes in pay/benefits and are having to work 2-3 part time jobs to get full time hours, it is selfish for them to demand more. Most of these teachers don't work the full year round or full days (if they teach summer school, they get paid extra to do so). They should be treated like everyone else, and that means they should receive regular evaluations of their job performance. I'm sick and tired of hearing about teachers who pull crap that anyone else would immediately be terminated for, but they get to keep their job because they belong to a damn union. Also, contrary to popular opinion, I want the teachers to set a good example for their students, but I don't want teachers teaching my children what their own personal beliefs should be. That's my job and my right as a parent! How is this strike benefiting the STUDENTS?
Go get them Folks!! All of you are doing a great job. I agree with you completely. We have millions of people not able to find a job, lost everything and have very little to look forward to with this administration then we see this again. Wiasconsin was enough!! Jump on them up they deserve it!!!
CTU- There's a video on YouTube ridiculing you...how will you react?
They should have pulled a Reagan and fired them all. There are more than enough out of work teachers who would gladly take the jobs at 25% less pay and with the evaluations. There is no reason for the city of Chicago to allow itself to be held hostage by these lazy arses who do not think that they should have to meet any performance standards in order to keep their six figure jobs (yes, senior teachers in Chicago make that much). You have for too many senior tenured teachers who are just phoning it in at best and can not be fired. The union protects them and they continue failing the students. In a district where the graduation rate is only about 50% there is no way you can tell me that 99.9% of the teachers are satisfactory to outstanding, which is how the current union devised, bogus evaluation system rates them. It is time to do right by the students and eliminate all tenure so that it is possible to get rid of these failing teachers and bring in new ones who are willing to actually work and perform their jobs well for their paycheck.
I have an idea.....bus in parents from all over the country and "protest" the teachers. Then hire some of those DOJ lawyers (lawyers for sale) and have them represent ALL parents in suing the teachers and their Union, that could linger for YEARS.
Shucks, instant lawyer "jobs saved".
I would like to add to my comment #1.12
There are also many people (some with degrees) that have been unable to find a job at all and have lost everything! Again I say...Every one of these teachers should be fired! Hire some teachers that will actually be grateful to have a damn job and be willing to put the STUDENTS first (like a true teacher is supposed to do)! And again I ask...How is this strike benefiting the STUDENTS?
Yeah, right, let's fire all the teachers and replace them with... illegal aliens! That way, you see, the state will be saving itself a boatload of money since the illegals will work for a pittance.
But, wait a minute! If the illegals replace the Chicago teachers and work for little money then teachers all around the US will have their salaries reduced and that's exactly why illegals should be deported.
So, OK, let's fire the teachers on strike, deport illegals, and then what? Oh, hire American teachers who've spent tens of thousands of dollars on getting the college degrees and certification needed to become teachers.
But now we're back to square one because these newly hired teachers will demand enough money to support their families and pay their college loans. And if Emmanuel refuses to do that, well, guess what? The newly hired teachers will go on strike even if they're not part of an union.
But no problem. Let's fire them and replace them with minimun wage workers who have no college degrees, no knowledge of what it takes to teach, no idea of what child psychology is and are clueless about the entire spectrum of mental and social problems they'll be facing in every class and at every hour of work.
WOW! How come we didn't think of this before?! Yeah, man, all these folks talking about firing the Chicago teachers sure know what they're talking about. The geniuses they are!
Fire them all, they are worthless, and do not deserve their over priced paychecks, Its not normal for there to be that many fat people in one job discription they are over paid over fed and underworked they are blobs sucking the city dry, its like a hollywood nightmare, look out for the herd of fat lazy teachers, no wonder the first lady is against fat people she went to Chicago and saw the teachers. they have a real problem there. I have never seen so many out of shape people, Ill bet you not more then 10% can walk 1 mile in 30 min. they are a disgusting example for our youth.
Nothing like rahm caving in to a bunch of fat, lazy, overpaid, underworked "teachers" (my ass). But, of course, there was no pressure from the WH! LOL LOL LOL
I worked for a company in chicago a few years ago ,and in order to get the job i HAD to join the Teamsters. And when i got a raise my dues went up. we went on strike but before we voted to strike we were told that if we stayed out more than 2 weeks we could all be fired, and replaced. I bet they end the strike before 2 weeks are up. And if i didnt need the job i would not hae taken it bucause it made me think of the imigrants coming into new york and paying out of their extorted money to get a job. I was hurt on the job and was out of work almost 1 year, and when i tried to go back because i had to try . I asked the union rep how come NO ONE NOT ONE person came to see if i was ok or if i needed anything .By the way it took 6 month to get workers compensation.the union rep told me WE ARE THERE FOR WAGES AND NEEGOTATIONS THATS ALL. i told him funny because i had an uncle when i was a little kid and he was hurt on his union job , and every week someone came and brought him some money and food. So for me personally Unions do nothing but suck hard working peoples money so they can show up in $1000 suits to negotiate for their pay raise that will come from our raise if we get one. I say FIRE ALL THOSE FAT LAZY NO PROPER ENGLISH SPEAKIN LIP SMACKIN CHEETO FINGERED PIGS .HIRE SOME TEACHERS DYING FOR A JOB. NOT A FAT PAYCHECK .and they dont want evaluations based on the students abilities,because they all know the FATHER OF EDUCATION Pestelozzi said,"YOU SHOW ME A BAD STUDENT, AND I'LL SHOW YOU A BAD TEACHER!"
Pigs feeding at the public trough.
how dare anyone want to rank their employee on a performance base! dont they know union workers dont have to work they just have to show up. wonder why our kids are dumber than a box of rocks look at the teachers and yes the parents are just as much to blame.
I wonder if this is obamas future vision for American education? Teachers first, students dead last.
'Jesse Jackson said. "You've led a new struggle for courage." '
Actually, it's a struggle to keep the same failed policies in place for the union that has failed our students for generations - leaving our children without needed education and job skills.
With nearly half of the kids in Chicago unable to graduate from high school, all the teacher's unions can say is "Nope, we don't want no valuations".
The Democratic mayors of major cities are reaping the results of their unquestioned catering to the unions just to get elected.
Can anyone name a private sector job in America that does not require evaluations for job performance?
I for one am glad this strike happened. It showed beyond any doubt how useless unions have become. People all over US are loosing jobs, homes, retirement, etc and these pigs turn down a DOUBLE DIGIT raise over 4 years( I think the number was 16%) because they don't want their job performance to be assessed. Get rid of them all and hire new people. Teachers graduate from colleges every year so their are plenty of job applicants. Enough is enough time for the unions to join the real world and tighten their belts like the rest of us. YOUR JOBS ARE NOT GUARANTEED! Perform or be gone!
Jesse Jackson, rebel without a brain!
CPS teachers are a disgrace! No wonder they don't want student performance tied into their evaluations because only about 50% of students ever graduate from CPS. Last time I checked 50% was an F. Chicago needs more charter schools.
Agreed! We need to END Public Employee Unions. They work for "us" not a company or cooperation, these greedy slim-balls. I say fire them all if they don't come back immediately, and give some new college grads the opportunity to start in the teaching profession. I'll bet they'll do a much better job than these losers. Pull a Reagan and fire their rotund selves. Looks like a gathering of the obese.
Love the main picture showing a protestor carrying a sign that says "Lets throw out the trash" apparently they don't even understand that they are the trash, no wonder American test scores are embarrassing.
Jesse Jackson..."You've led a new struggle for courage". I agree....any worker that wants a 16% raise and no evaluation on their performance is a "new struggle for courage". What an idiot.
Not only that, they want a sixteen per cent raise over and above the fact that they are already making nearly $30K per year more than the average of the people paying them. And, almost none of those taxpayers have "tenure" in their jobs (only the university professors). Nearly all of them are contributing more than just three per cent towards health coverage and very few of them have a "defined-benefit" retirement plan, most have a "defined-contribution" one which means basically, you're largely on your own in retirement.
Also, teachers constantly remind us how they are "professionals" like lawyers, doctors, CPAs, architects and the like. Well, do these groups go out on strike like dockworkers and laborers? Do they have a seven-hour-a-day, nine-month-a-year work schedule? (I am fully aware that good teachers love what they do and work far harder than this. It's the ones who do not who become union leaders and the ones who hid behind tenure, work rules, and the like. They're just "serving time" until they draw their pensions.)
Intel2==You got that right!! A big, old, brain dead idiot.
Those that want evaluations likely are not people that get evaluated
The Chicago teachers union has only shown the world one thing, it is time to do away with public employees unions. And Jesse Jackson coming into the fray simply added to their incredibility. Don't they realize the harm they have done unions with this mess?
Time to get them off the payroll and put on teachers that want to teach instead of picket.
Oh Please Please Please let me hear how Rham willl spin this for Barry.
VoterWithAwareness===You know it is going to come. The election isn't to far off it will show it's head before then. Obama the go out and get the union vote man of the town. Unions make up 11% of the work force and 100% of the Democratic Union Voter. I'm not going to mention the money they raised for Obama.
Hang in there all Chicago teachers. I'm supporting you.
Hang in there? Hang in there? What a joke...overpaid semi-qualified jerks .
some people should really not wear red.....goodness did she even look into a mirror when she dressed this morning.....my guess is she does not teach nutrition.
I feel so sad for the students.....what a hopeless situation.
And what sham union job are you soaking up, steak?
Hey Don, you made one mistake.... they aren't even semi-qualified.... they are incompetent, unqualified parasites feeding on the minority children of Chicago. If they weren't doing such a bad job of "educating" the children of Chicago, they would be laughable.... but now, they will go back to more of the same.... 7 hour days, 9 month contracts and 70K a year. If I could do that as a physician, I would love it.... but, after expenses, 10-12 hours a day, 12 months a year.... I don't get that much.... hard to believe, but I am not a specialist.... just an old G.P. who still makes house calls here in the west.
Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! 25,000+!!! FATHER GOD Is With You My Sisters & Brothers-CPS TEACHER'S UNION!!! I Am So Proud Of You CPS Teacher's Union & Supporters!!! A Shout Of To: CPS TEACHER'S UNION President- Mrs Karen Lewis!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! You Are Almost There!!! The Children, Parents, & All Teachers Across The Globe Will Thank You For Standing Up [Many Issues Need To Be Resolved]. Although This Is Just The Beginning Of [Re]Solutions For Application, Please Remember That FATHER GOD IS WITH YOU & So Am I & So Many Others Like Me Are With You Too!!! All The Way!!! All The Way!!! Have A Blessed Weekend Sisters & Brothers!!!
No, Gloria, I think you have that wrong. Most of us are pissed about this. This union has put regular hardworking folks at a complete disadvantage in bargaining. Please, please quit it with the brothers and sisters crap.
Moderator, please uncollapse this thread. No one violated the code of honor, just said things that aren't popular, which is neither a crime nor a sin and people should quit "reporting" it, the little snitches.
Now that I've said that, Gloria J you must be a product of the Chicago schools as you have no ability to punctuate or phrase an English sentence. And I had not heard about "Father God" being on the side of greed and sloth before; I'd always heard that He was on the side of the downtrodden, not the lazy and irresponsible.
Yeah, those teachers are semiqualified, Masters degrees are a dime a dozen. Some of the people on this thread need to have their diapers changed.
That's so true. Most of those teachers could've been scientists or doctors or lawyers or engineers, but they chose the hardest job with the hardest hours and the hardest degrees to get. Give them what they deserve!
What a shame that we have let people disgrace some of our finest. These teachers work with kids that most people do not even care about. I hope, but know they will not, teachers get the "respect" they deserve. I have volunteered my time with the schools and have witnessed, first hand, their hard work and dedication. Some of you, who have commented here, should do the same. And by the way, I AM A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN!
Tetrapoda,
You do know that an 'education' in teaching is where all the stupid college students end up, right? It's the degree of last resort, before facing dropping out of college. Teaching degrees are even easier to obtain than worthless "philosophy" degrees. So sadly, Yes, a Masters degree in 'teaching' is a dime a dozen.
Millions of people jobless around the country, yet it's ok for a unionized group of teachers to just walk off the job with no reprisal. I love the the person holding the sign that says 'we are the kids'. Really? Pretty sure the kids are at home with parents who have to take time off work and not get paid while these jerks are on the streets complaining about doing a job they supposedly love.
They have little more discipline than the kids, that's for sure. Think that a lot of them are spoiled brats. People don't buy that "It's all about the kids" anymore. For most of them its about getting a huge raise to do their jobs even though many of them couldn't find anything else paying half as much.
Maybe you all need to try teaching, that is if you're educated enough. They work 10 months, not 9 and they get paid for 10 months, not 12. Boy! It's easy to see who lacks the education. Get your brats off the dope and put them to bed before 11pm, would be a start. Teachers are NOT correctional officers nor a drill seargent. They teach. If you can read this thank a teacher, and don't piss and moan, they don't tell you how to do your job.
Well, I thank my mom, who taught me how to read before I started public school, for being able to read this and to write replies. Here, there is an eight-week summer break and a week fall break, Christmas break, and a two-week spring break, which adds up to nine months for me. And, even your way, you make our point. While most taxpayers in Chicago are making about $47,000 per year for eleven and a half monts a year, most teachers there are making nearly $70,000 a year for ten. Oh, the searing injustice!
Ralph - you only help make the point against teacher's stikes. an annual salary is just that- annual. And if they earn that and get 8 weeks vacation, all the more reeason they have no complaint. The coment that says - how do they explain evaluations to children if they refuse them? is spot on! No one- at any level is free from revue unless they own the company and suffer the consequences of their actions.Teachers are not special - they are important and therfore deserve a fair wage0 but that is for doing their jobs properly.
This is sickening. A bunch of teachers afraid of being evaluated for performance sticking it to the taxpayers. They are so out of touch with the rest of America it is beyond pathetic.
The problem is that the teachers don't want to be evaluated based on the performance of students on a standardized test............so the teachers need to come up with a method of evaluation they would accept as fair and realistic to assessing performance.........I don't think they have done that..............but then again my wife who took education courses 50 years ago says that they were debating how to assess teachers back then.............
If a group of students decide they will disrupt a classroom and refuse to let the teacher teach.........what would you do?...........expell them all?............You gotta be there to see it happen before you come up criticizing teachers in an impossible situation in many communities where peer pressure is more important than learning and parents don't really give a dam because they never needed any lernin...........waste of time.........peddle dope and make more money.
A vast majority of Chicago teashers cant even speak proper english. Have you ever gone to a teacher confrence there? i had 4 children in chicago schools and most teachers speak like they waz axin they mamma fo whut de shud do! I have seen it and people wonder why they dont want evaluations.
Well, to the upside...it was a story that contained Chicago and school and didn't involve the beating to death or shooting of a student. Things are looking up, wouldn't you say?
Minds are a terrible thing to waste
I blame rap music, hip-hop and VH1.
If the teachers would stop indulging in those vices and get back to education our kids would be a lot better off.
Atlantic-Paul===Good Shot, you got them.
In one of the photos of the striking Chicago teachers, a woman is holding up a red placard that reads "Viva La Huelga." That's right, hold up protest signs written in Spanish. That will get you lots of public support for your cause. Probably why they don't want to be evaluated - they don't know English. And they pay these people an average of $76k a year? Amazing.
Has anyone checked to see if these teachers came into the U.S. legally?
Kimisan===Just think what the average unemployed Chicago Tax Payer could do with a little of that money.
you ever heard the ACORN, the community organizer? these protester came from outer states just as the union did at any protest rally. boama don't want to be seen so he sent his cronies ACORN and his mafia to flex their power on the taxpayers.
They need $76k a year to pay for their kids private schools...............nearly 40% send their own kids to private schools.
has anyone ever woundered who made these rules for the teachers in the first place? maybe if the public would havce asked these questions in the first place the country would not be where it is at this point. It's nice to have a villian and to point the finger at the teachers they have to be certified to teach they have to pass tests to teach. Maybe the priciple could be more like a boss and make sure that they are doing a good job. Maybe there could be laws to be able to expell kids that are out of control this is a public problem we all need to fix it
Be careful speaking about teachers who don't speak English. Just recently the President let over 1 million illegal aliens stay in the US just by paying $485. If you want Change.....go and vote in November before all the jobs are gone.
So where can I sign up to be a CPS teacher? The average pay is $70,000+ a year, virtually no way you can get fired or held accountable for job performance, and you're guaranteed to have every summer, holiday and weekend off and PAID. Did I mention they also have one of the shortest school days and school years in the country? If that deal is so bad they want to strike I don't think they'll ever be happy.
Do you think these teacher are going to give up one of these high paying cushy jobs. Think again. Even if one became available you would probably have to do unspeakable things with that union representative. Is it really worth it?
This is nit about the strike since I don't know all the details, but the public in general have no idea how many hours a teacher puts in. Saying that the have weekend, holidays, vacation and summer off is not correct if you are talking about dedicated teachers like my neighbor. She spends at least 2-3 hours every night grading papers and 10 hours or more on the weekend writing lesson plans and grading more papers. When you have 25 students and each turns in a paper it takes time to read them all and grade them. I don't know about Chicago, although I have heard the teachers there are among the highest paid in the nation. Here in NC with a Masters Degree my neighbor makes $50,000/year. That is not a lot of money for the work she does. I think the biggest problem with the school system now is, when I went to school so many years ago, the teachers had the full backing of the parents. Not any more. The day starts with the parents. A child needs a good breakfast to work well in school. The parents have to be there for the child when it is time to do homework. The parents must be interested in the child's school and work with the teachers not against them. Little Johnny is NOT an angel. He is a monster that disrupts the class and makes it that much more difficult for the teacher to teach. I went to school in Boston and we had a great educational system. Since the late 60's, the school systems across the country have been going down hill. It is not the teachers union but the cuts in budgets and the wrong use of money that is the problem. This country should be 1st in math and science. I am not sure we are even on the list any more. Enough ranting for now.
Lawrence Grossman===You make a very good case and you think highly of your neighbor, that's always good. These teachers are going to get raises but they are afraid of the evaluations/getting evaluated. That's the sticking point. The money and the benefits seem to be good the evaluations is another part. It is no different in the Private Sector you can get a job anywhere but you have to work to keep that job. That's all it takes. Yeah they are afraid and they need to be.
Oh ROFL, Lawrence. Many use movies to babysit their students and haven't upgraded their lesson plans much since they started teaching. I KNOW because I started teaching in an inner city school system and I was appalled by their lack of caring and the just plain laziness I saw displayed so often. It was totally sickening!
I hate that Rahm didn't stand his ground and send in substitutes. They couldn't have done any worse and probably would have done better.
He doesn't have the balls to stand his ground. He has to get the teachers back in the schools so that this doesn't become a problem for Barry in November.
These are the kind of people who are supporting Obozo.
Illegals - busing all over the country declaring their RIGHTS
Chicago School teachers - fighting for pay raises without any performance evaluation
Mayor of Chicago - Presidental Campaign manager and succumbing to whatever the teachers want
OWS - Who destroy public and private property wherever they park themselves costing the cities and residents millions in repairs and restoration. Who disrupt the work of average people.
This is just a demonstration of what the next 4yrs will be like.
These children need to be in the classroom. They deserve it.
He has balls. They just happen to be held by Obama.
From the looks of the picture its very obvious they were not striking so they could buy more food.
That's right. They could all be "Poster Children" for Michelle Obama's obesity campaign!
Howdy Ho===They better watch out Obama-Care is coming to get them. Obama-Care is going to do a lot more then run your medical life it will run your life completely. Try buying a 20 once Coca Cola in New York, as an example.
I keep noticing this clenched fist with the star symbol, those clowns in Wisconsin had a similar one with an armored clenched fist with a big red star, they are all so much more intelligent than the rest of us.
DA COMRADE!
It's the symbol of the Workers', Pesants' and Teachers' State. Proletarians of the World, Arise! Support your Pseudo-Intellectual Brothers and Sisters! You have nothing to lose but your
chainscommon sense!@Tony-344506,
I live in Wisconsin. That was one of the signs from the Wisconsin protesters. The fist forms the shape of the state of Wisconsin. Idiots from my state are just showing their loyalty to their fellow union people abusing the system.
Either way, this is a lose-lose scenario for teachers. This strike has probably done more to sway people against the teachers union than anything in the last few years. Their greed knew no bounds, their absolute resolve to protect themselves from mediocre or failing performance has lost a ton of respect and support.
Sheila-846240===Kinda makes you think of the Teachers Unions and Food Stamp Program. Read below:
Teacher Unions and Politics
God forbid that Congress actually require that something be paid for!
the only ones who care are the union folks because the teachers are still getting their beni's and pay and the kids are failing at school just like they are at home, so why not just fire all the teachers and split the money between a sports or job training program so the kids will get something for their time, the parents (sorry parent, my bad) don't have to watch their own kids, and some useful skills will lead to real jobs for the kids who take the job training path. also if your in this area don't pass up the oppertunity to try selling so gym and diet memberships cause there appears to be a real oppertunity to make some quick cash going to waste
I doubt they would go for a gym membership, too much effort and work required to get the desired results.
the biggest problem with Chicago schools is after gunsmith classes no one want to take any other classes
NYC, clearly you have forgotten the "shank" class.
Oblame-O
you're right, I forgot they copied it from the classes given in the Bronx.
Chicago deserves what it gets if they back down to the Union. Will Illinois be the second state in this country to have a city file bankruptcy because they can’t afford to pay retirement benefits that were promised to greedy public employees? What will these retired clowns do when the city can no longer pay them in their retirement years and they don’t have union thugs to extort money on their behalf. I hope I live long enough to see that. It will do my heart good to finally see them get what they deserve. I don’t know who I despise more; Obama’s boy the Mayor or the teachers and their unions. They deserve each other.
Typical union thugs.
fire them all.
Raises should be based on individual performance not mob rule.
Unions have no place in a civilized world.
Fire all of them...and replace them with teachers in nearby states. Illinois is out of money...why do you think Rahm Emanuel will help you? Obama certainly isn't helping you...I see he has distanced himself from this issue as well. Unions need to be dissolved in America. Yes, I said it, DISSOLVED.
Looks like I am not the only one who feels that way.
Since taxpayers pay for public employees salaries, they should be illegal. I don't get a say on how they are required to do their jobs, I don't get to evaluate them, I don't get a say in their interviews/hiring/firing. They work for the taxpayers and we're ignored. As for the CPS teachers, siince they haven't had to strike in 25 years then they've obviously had the local politicians by their b — — — — quite nicely. With the highest average paid teachers in the country, with the highest rate of dropouts (above 40%), I find it hard to believe that less then 10% of the teachers are qualified at this point. I usually support teachers because I have family members in education, but sorry, the unions and the Dept. of Education have destroyed our education system now.
I would think the teachers would welcome an evaluation to prove their point that they deserve a raise! Right now the statistics show them as having a very poor performance.
The reason they object to evals is because most of them would loose their job.
They are blaming their students and their students' family/home life for the poor performance. I really don't see how raising teacher salaries is going to solve THAT problem.
What is going on MSNBC? You keep reporting how the end is near for this story, But it just won't end. Keep up the good work. Ha Ha HA. MSNBC has absolutely zero creditability as a news source.
This is somewhat similar to the news media beginning to predict cabinet members for Obama's second term. Wishful thinking.