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Subscribe to RSSAs the dust settles on Chicago's first teachers strike in 25 years, one critic says the biggest loser of the labor standoff is the students.
"This is not the big shake up this school district needed," said Kristina Rasmussen, executive vice president of the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank. "It goes back to the same system with kids being trapped in schools with little recourse. The students are the big losers."
Rasmussen said several issues that helped lay the groundwork for the strike remain: Most students in Chicago public schools are struggling academically, performing poorly on standardized tests and failing to graduate from high school.
School reformers cheered Mayor Rahm Emanuel's push for longer school days and greater teacher accountability, with job security being tied to student achievement. But teachers were able to soften the review system a bit, while also securing raises and maintaining a decent level of job security.
Chicago strike reveals a broken system
"In his fight with the teachers, he still ends up with a better-functioning school day," said Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
But Rasmussen believes Emanuel didn't push hard enough.
"He has an opportunity to be a great champion of education reform, but not if he approaches future battles with the same timidity," Rassmussen said.
The proposed contract includes a 7 percent salary increase over three years and a deal where 30 percent of teacher evaluations are based on test scores. While principals will retain hiring power, one-half of new hires must come from a pool of laid-off teachers.
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Emanuel has brushed off questions on how the district plans to pay for the new deal, pointing out “this contract, unlike past, is more frugal than past and yet it ensures that we invest in children.”
The new contract, according to the mayor will add $75 million to the $665 million deficit for the current year. Faced with a $1 billion budget deficit for fiscal 2014, the cash-strapped school system will have to make deeper cuts, including staff positions and closing low-enrollment schools to meet the contract's financial demands, according to NBC Chicago.
Chicago's clash came during a time of heated debate nationwide over how to improve public schools. Democrats and Republicans have blasted unions, as they face steady declines in membership, for backing the status quo.
But during the strike, opinion polls showed most parents and Chicago voters backed teachers and the union, with some parents and students joining rallies and picket lines. The mayor found public favor for his educational reforms, according to local media reports.
"He tried to show that he's tough, and on the side of the school kids and concerned with the parents, which played well," said University of Illinois political science professor Dick Simpson.
Supporters rushed to Emanuel's defense.
"We needed the longer day, we needed more accountability in the schools,” Danny Solis, a Chicago alderman, told NBC Chicago. “The mayor set the tone, it was hard fought.”
Education Reform Now, a group involved in the school reform movement, funded an advertising campaign on television to highlight the mayor's victories in the labor dispute. The ads aired Wednesday morning, claiming the mayor’s successful campaign for change.
Analysts say one figure whose profile was raised by the strike is Karen Lewis, the veteran chemistry teacher, Dartmouth College graduate and new union boss who led the union out on strike, the largest since Detroit public school teachers marched in 2006.
“She is a creation of the moment and the experience has created a much stronger and forceful Karen Lewis,” Bruno said. "There were tense times and profanity thrown around, but in the end she can thank Rahm every night for making her shine in and through this."
NBCChicago.com's Mary Ann Ahern contributed to this report.
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Quit crying over the students and start demanding more of them. If they want to learn - they will. We need to expect more of them.
The union and the teachers clearly demonstrated that they could care less about the students. All they care about is how much money they can put in their pockets and how can they make it so that they keep their job no matter how poorly they perform. Emanuel caved to the unions and let them win on the most critical parts of the contract. I guess he figured keeping those union votes was more important than improving the schools.
Another fine article from the Department of Pointing Out the Obvious.
I would agree that it is up to the kids to take some responsibility for their education. But I would also agree that this strike shows that the teacher Unions do not give a damn about the kids. They just care about the teachers. One fact remains clear to me. The more money you thow at education the worse it gets. Can anyone give me a case where they put more money in education and the grades got better? I would have moved to fire every single one of the teachers and looked for others. Good teachers are way underpaid but how do you tell who the good teachers are? The teachers Union will not let you evaluate them.
Teachers are not against evaluation--they would just like it to be done fairly. An evaluation process that does not mitigate for excessive absences, socio-economic factors, learning disabilities, or student transiency (all of which are regular features of urban districts) is fundamentally wrong. I also think that teachers are being scapegoated for widespread social and family decay, which while manifested in schools on exams, is not born there. The teachers in Chicago, from what I have learned, were left with no choice but to walk out, as agreeing to the process as it was originally proposed would have been tantamount to self-termination. It should also not go overlooked that the country's big money is seizing upon the anguish of working Americans during this economic downturn-- at times exploiting the real differences that exist between the working conditions of private and public sector workers and other times exaggerating them. Big money would like nothing more than to illegitimise public education through rickety and unreliable evaluation processes so that it can conveniently offer a for-profit replacement, which all studies indicate perform no better except in instances where students have been boarded by the school. The idea popularly floated today--that from California to Nebraska to New York--that a whole generation of teachers simultaneously imploded defies credulity. We'll take our share of the blame, but parents, too, could hold off perhaps on all of the material comforts and thrills until their children begin earning them again. We can't force people to learn.
oldwool... What's fair? Life isn't fair, never has been, never will be. It's not a sporting event, with referee's to blow whistles. At best you might get an interpretation from the courts, and the courts interpret the law, but that's not the same thing as justice. If you are born with a handicap, you personally strive to overcome your handicap, or you buckle, and at your end you will be known as one to strive, or one to buckle. Everyone didn't earn a gold medal at the olympics, as it should be. But if you look at the Olympians who participated with handicaps, even those who didn't win a medal, they were inspirations, and in most cases did better than people without that particular handicap. Teachers are to inspire to learn, and to do that they must teach literacy. Once the individual has literacy they can go on to learn about their particular individual interests, and learn with their literacy the mistakes of their predecessors so they don't have to repeat those mistakes as well as make their own.
The students bear some of the fault, but there are many teachers out there that are just bad at their job. There are pleanty of young, new teachers out there that coul easily outperform many of the incubent teachers, and would probably do it for less. While I will admit the Merit system is flawed, the alternative is not much better. Plus, hireing laid off teachers first is a horible idea, as it makes it much harder for new teachers to get hired.
Steve, thanks, but I really don't need a mini-course on the human condition. Obviously unfairness is a constant. And while unfairness cannot be entirely controlled for, it ought not to be created if avoidable either. Very few teachers would unwilling to submit to evaluations. Talk to one. On the other hand, only a fool would agree to voluntarily put his career and ability to feed his family on the line against factors over which he has absolutely no control over. No salesman, for instance, would agree to be judged for his ability to sell a product he is not allowed to visit. No police officer would turn in his badge because crime rates rose in a neighboring city. Yet, that is precisely what teachers are being asked to do in some states--to accept responsibility for test scores of students who do not attend class, or who don't speak English, or who arrive in the final week of school from some bend in the river. That kids come to school don't care. Fine, I agree, it is a teacher's job to try to correct that. That their parents have a different address and phone number every two months and are unreachable. Fine. That they are distracted by cell phones. Fine. That they have been socially promoted to 11th grade, despite their sixth grade reading level. Fine. That they have two children at home. Fine. Drugs. Gangs. Generationally entrenched resistance to mainstream America. Obviously. Those are factors in every urban school, every day--the abridged version. Four Presidents have been unable to addess them, as have hundreds of mayors, police chiefs, psycholigists, doctors and pharmacists. How about they all agree to be evaluated and summarily dismissed by how well inner city students perform on an algerbra exam. You, too, Steve. After all, life isn't fair.
"...one critic says the biggest loser of the labor standoff is the students." Biggest losers are the students or biggest loser is the student. It's amazing how English grammar has gone to hell in this country.
oldwool...I'm sure that very few teachers would like an evaluation, but they are bought and paid for, just like an athlete. An embezzler doesn't want an evaluation because they might have a family at home to feed. What you have is yes, Generationally entrenched resistance to mainstream America, but it is parochially enhanced entrenched resistance because the teachers won't teach literacy so the students can read a computer. For a Chicago school teacher, Chicago is the center of the universe, and that's what they want to teach the kids, that they are the big shots, and the kids are intellectual vassals. That's not the truth at all. The teachers are hired to teach. So teach. They use all these excuses for not doing their job, problems which others are quite aware of. If the kid is sitting in their classroom, teach him. If the kid is out of the classroom gang banging, that is an evaluation of the police department, the social services and humanities department, the churches, and etc, that's not on the teacher's evaluation. If an eighth grade teacher is teaching students with third grade reading skills, put the damned kids back in third grade until they can read at the grade literacy rate. That's not a teacher's problem, that's a school administrator's problem. Presidents are unable to address these problems because it is the states which make the laws, and the states which are to enforce the laws, and Illinois is so damn corrupt it doesn't enforce laws, and that's why you have your problem. Lack of accountability of people in positions of public trust.
oldwool,
If teachers unions in general would put forth a credible alternative evaluation plan, that would be one thing - but every time this issue comes up, all I hear is them bashing the proposed plan. It's not enough to just complain about someone else's ideas - they also have to present valid alternatives. If they don't do that, I don't think they deserve a say in the conversation.
I have raised 3 kids who all went to one of the poorest and worst preforming rural school districts in the state. In time they all went to college and did quite well. A big part of that was the expectations and efforts of their parents, combined with a reasonable education they still got in their poor school district. We have to expect more of our kids - within reason of course - that motivates them to do more and better themselves in life.
I don't know, when I was a kid, an extra week of Summer Vacation would definitely be considered a win!
Yeah, big whoop, out a week. They can make it up at the end of the year. If anything, they learned a lot about the economy, unions and bargaining. "Who loses? The Students" -How overdramatic.
I would argue the students have the most to gain. If their teachers are unwilling to work...to better the kids, which is their sole purpose for working...then perhaps some new teachers are in order.
I understand the pay concerns, but lawyers are doing that for you anyways so why stop instructing the children while the vultures hack it out?
With 60% of the students not graduating from high school the last thing the teachers deserve is a raise. I would suggest a better plan would be to cut their salaries in half and double the number of teachers.
There are a LOT of factors other than the teachers that limit performance of the students. It's too bad most are not considered fair game.
Get ready Chicago -- higher taxes are on the horizon, because you do realize you PAY for these unions that are bankrupting city after city?
400,000 students 30,00 teachers gives a ratio of just over 13 students per teacher and they were working a 5 hour and 45 minute school day shift. If you saw ANY photos of the teachers you would know who the real losers are. What a bunch of pathetic mutts. (No offense to dog lovers).
There are probably 2 administrators and other no-loads (like shop stewards, union clerks, that sort of thing) for every actual teacher.....if fact you might find it difficult to round up 100 actual teachers in this crowd.......
Good students are good students, bad students are bad students. There are students in the middle those are the students that a good teacher will reach, those are the students that lost. Those are the students that were given up on! In any given class you can have what I'm guessing 3 good students maybe 10 bad out of a class of 40, that leaves 27 students that a good teacher can reach!
The students won! Without these money before anything teachers, their intellect increased.
what the hell was that?
let me guess, Chicago education right?.
The biggest losers are the students? Well, I guess some of them might be.
I live in a relatively affluent community in MN. Not that I am. My kids have attended the area schools and sorry to say, I am very disappointed. Due to the pace at which technology has advanced, the teachers are lacking current training. Two of my children have spent most of their class time teaching the teachers. I am sorry if this offends some of the teachers out there, but that is my observation from first hand experience.
Here is how to fix education.
1 Eliminate the Dept of Education. I grew up before it was created and we were in search of excellence rather than giving a participation trophy to every student. For god's sake, a local high school eliminated the valedictorian because they thought it created too much competition, but their football team is competitive. It is no wonder many graduating high school can't communicate unless it is through text.
2 Give control of the classrooms back to the teachers, but hold them accountable. If johnny is a little prick, he should be sent to the principal and no parent bitching should allow the teacher to be scolded for doing so. If the teachers develops a curriculum that causes the students to fail and not learn, they should be held accountable.
3 All the money sent to the federal government should be kept locally and most of it should be used for continuing education for the the teachers so they can be one or two steps ahead of the students.
4 Parents need to be told that sometimes their kids "are" little @!$%#s and need some discipline, rather than believing that they can do no wrong.
I believe the settlement included ensuring that all students had their textbooks on day one and that additional teachers would be hired. This is a win for the students.
The real problem is that so many of the students are living in poverty and have received poor parenting--which to a certain extent is the result of poverty. If we want better teachers, we need to pay enough to attract the best and provide decent working conditions for them. I am baffled by the idea that paying less money will attract better qualified candidates.
You left out some facts.
Downstream property taxes will increase, more money will be diverted from their already bare kitchen tables, and maybe even worse. But, at least they'll have that text book quick and their teachers will go home to a nice home at the end of the day. That makes it all just fine....somehow.
No one is advocating that less money equals better teachers, only that more money does not equal better teachers either. More teachers...probably.
Why didn't this story mention that Chicago schools are some of the most under-funded in the nation? How come reformers are not asking for a greater investment in the education of poor kids? Why does this story not mention that Chicago teachers are woefully underpaid as compared to suburban districts outside Chicago? Why does EducationNation continue to support school reforms that have NO EVIDENCE or RESEARCH BASE? Report the REAL story, not one that supports rich people's ideas for making a profit from the education system!!!
You are absolutely right my friend. Whenever the governments cannot take their responsibilities try to look innocent through the media..
From the 2011 Illinois Interactive Report Card. Compare these to whatever area you like and get back to me with the underfunded and woefully underpaid teachers comment.
Interesting classroom size numbers. I grew up in an upper middle class district in TX. Our class room sizes were larger, and we performed very well....probably had graduation rates well into the 90's. Maybe that's not an issue....maybe the failure starts at home.....either way, they don't need more money to produce more failures.
I get it now..they students are not graduating because they cant speak English and are wanna be rap stars and drug dealers. Seeing this I guess the teachers deserve more money after all.
The Students? The Losers? Wow, I'm shocked!
Of course the kids were the losers. Whenever the adults fight, the kids usually lose.
"Biggest losers of Chicago's teachers strike? The students, critic says"
The biggest losers are the Chicago taxpayer. The 2nd biggest losers are the students who have the same lousy teachers.
Respectfully, Mr. Simpson and others seem to have no clue to the dynamics of the inner city classroom and the prominent issues relative to inner city students. A classroom or school cannot address the many problems students face outside it's schools. Inner city students bring adult level concerns, problems, experiences to the classroom. Chicago students of all ages are victims or a witness to violence thus the real life experiences takes first priority to any teachers efforts. Ask inner city teachers about student mobility affecting academic performance. How many and often do students move from one school to the next? Ask teachers how often they encounter the inability to contact a students parent (s), guardian (s), or lack of response to written correspondence. Consider students today enter schools with metal detectors, police officers on the premises, conditional outdoor recess. Schools that have no airconditioning a lack of books or basic supplies to afford the basic learning environment. A teacher in any other job would be considered an ideal and loyal employee working under these circumstances. Yet, student academic performance will factor measurably in Chicago's teacher retention. One day school districts will find they can't find anyone to work in schools regardless of their credentials. Little wonder why!
Loser and Chicago in the same sentence.....How ironic
or redundant
Definitely the kids are the biggest losers. They get to go to school every day and listen to those incompetitent teachers who do not belong in the school system. The unions are protecting them. Why???certainly not because the unions believe they really are GOOD TEACHERS, it's because the UNIONS get the monthly dues from the dirtbag teachers. That's all the unions want. $$$$$$$$$$$. Why you ask?????because they can buy all the politicians they want with that money.
Respectfully, R. Woodward please provide examples of your argument of "incompetitent teachers who do not belong in the school system." I agree at one time teacher tenure provided unheard of job security for some real characters (kindly). However, education funding along with continually changing education standards have measurably changed such job security. Again, I am very curious to know the factual portion of your information. I do encourage you to review the reasons some IL schools entire staff were discharged. I interpret your focus of "unions," in the plural referring to all unions not just the teachers union. I guess a blanket condemnation is better then nothing. When you have a chance explore the Illinois requirements for as you referenced for "those incompetitent dirtbag teachers." Actually, you should consider taking the state exams for becoming an IL teacher. You do know that the majority of states use the Praxis test unlike the state of Illinois. Illinois teacher certification tests are their own and considered one of the toughest in the nation. You equally are aware that Illinois educators must continue their education to retain their certification like so many other professionals. You do understand that the state sets the standards for every student not the teacher, union or school district. Every IL teacher and school Dist. is required to follow those standards. So if you feel teachers are central to the problem investigate further and see what role they really do play in the equation.
They always say that, the kids were the losers". And the people who say that really could care less about the kids or the teachers. Blue dog Democrat Rahm Emmanuel is a joke,
The sudents???? I wish my school's teachers went on strike when I was growing up. Get to stay home, have a longer summer. I'd say they are the biggest winners out of this whole mess. I remember a school back in MI going broke, and they had to graduate everyone early. That's when I made up my mind to vote striaght ticket when it comes to raising taxes. THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS NO. Don't care the reason, it NO.
When will the mainstream media do a serious investigation of the astroturf groups that CLAIM to support "education reform"? "It's all about the kids," they insist, but it's REALLY all about destroying public education, breaking unions, undermining the Democratic Party, and making money. The Illinois Policy Institute, which is so critical of the strike settlement, is so far to the right it makes Paul Ryan look like a socialist; why does MSNBC think ITS opinion about the settlement is "newsworthy"?
Wake up, America! There really IS a profoundly anti-democratic movement afoot to destroy public education. It cloaks itself in concern for the kids, but its "solutions" are worse than the problem...except for those who have stock in charter school operators and standardized test providers. If we give a damn about preserving democracy, we need to fight these stalking horses for the 1%!
we can see how good the democratic city of chicago has been doing with the school system they don't see it or maybe they do they are destroying them self with thick depth of bureaucracyand broken system they have no interest in fixing
The irony of this whole liberal instituted mess is that a thug union is complaining to a liberal mayor, in a liberal city, in a liberal state, that ranks off the charts in poverty, crime, high taxes, poor education, and high unemployment. The said victims are the children, which will no doubt grow up in this disaster with no money, no education, a criminal background, no job, and be stuck in poverty till age 18, at which point they will vote Democrat because they buy into the rhetoric and falsehoods that the Democrats are on their side and looking out for them to help get them out of the ghetto. Go ahead, blame Bush.
Biggest loser? The taxpayers, again!
problem;
the city's broke
solution;
spend more money
source;
lib logic 101 handbook
I'm in awe after reading some of this blog. And I'm disheartened. What a bias, unprofessionally written piece. Any of you teacher-bashers writing on this blog who have not taught in the public school system and had to deal with special needs students and special needs parents, drugs, poverty, disrespect, truancy, underfunding, state mandates made my lawmakers who have never taught, required continuing education paid for out of pocket and complete apathy, to name a few, are embarrassing! It's nice to spend another 10 hour work day, with several hours of paper-grading and curriculum planning ahead of me and a 6:30 a.m. tutoring session tomorrow while my own children play without me, and then, while researching for departmental meeting material, come across such demonizing and misrepresentation of educators. Stop exploiting teachers and using them as scapegoats.
Hey parents, here's an idea: Take accountability for your own failures! And let this marinate a bit... as the standardized test score expectations rise while funding plummets, salaries decline and family units and values fracture, you will continue to lose more and more of us. Then who will you blame?
How would teachers like to pay 10% more every year for everything they buy but do not get any better quality?