We have a shortage of nurses in hospitals and clinics; school is not the place for medical care, short of first aid. When a child is deemed to be traumatized or mentally ill, the family must step in and be responsible. By abdicating parental responsibility, we've destroyed our schools in favor of PC. The Chicago teachers are not fighting for nurses and counselors, but if that's what they want, then forgo the ridiculous pay demanded by the union and start paying into your bankrupt retirement fund at the rate agreed to years ago, but postponed for political reasons.
4
It is disingenuous to say that the strike is not about salary. It is about almost nothing else. There are about 20 items on the negotiation list, and 18 of them the teachers and city are narrowly divided (or are ridiculous demands just meant to curry favor with die-hard progressives, like housing assistance and the like).
The city had proposed to add a lot of counselors and nurses in their initial plan, and the CTU is upping that number in an irrational way to try to create bargaining power that they in the end will trade for higher salaries.
CPS has agreed to a 16% increase in the pay scale of teachers (not including CPI adjustments) over 5 years, which is 3.2%/year from today's schedule and the CTU wants 15% over 3 years, or 5%/year. The teachers are asking for a raise that is 56% bigger (5%/3.2% - 1) than what the city is offering, while at the same time setting up for another strike in 3 years. That is a huge increase in their payscale. Keep in mind teachers also get a cost of living adjustment each year and move through the steps and lanes for their actual "raise", and are already the highest-paid teachers in a big city in America.
CTU cares about NOTHING except higher comp for teachers.
At the end of every negotiation that is where they land, and anything that might be better for kids they horse-trade for more comp.
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@Dan
You are sadly misinformed. Nobody just “moves lanes”. Teaching is an extremely challenging profession and I am absolutely certain all the armchair quarterbacks wouldn’t last a year in a city classroom.
5
Only the hard-hearted would dispute that additional Counselors, Nurses, and other support staff are needed for the Chicago school district. But the issue comes down to something that this article dismissed with only one sentence - funding. It is not as if funding can be made available by reducing the profit margin as would be the case for General Motors (for example). Additional funds can only come from taxing the citizens more in future years, and how can this pipe dream promise be made in writing, as the unions are demanding?
As a former Navy Health Care Finance Officer working within the constraints of a fixed budget, I used to tell my Facility Directors: "OK, the only way to get what you want is to rob Peter to pay Paul. Who here at this table wants to give up some of their funding so that you can fulfill this unfunded desire."
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@Brent
How many millions did Trump Tower in Chicago get in tax breaks? The money is there, it’s just going to all the wrong people.
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Finally, someone from the paper is discussing the need for counselors, a topic that is frequently lost in education articles. As society becomes more complex and the problems with children multiply, counselors are expected to cure it all, and yet those positions are being eliminated or counselors are expected to travel from school to school. No one discuss that in the papers. In Ann Arbor, MI, which as high schools the size of community colleges, it's even hard for a parent to get a return call from a counselor. It would be interesting to see the ratio of counselors to students across the country.
How come the NYT articles never mention the specific amount of annual raises the teachers demand?
Anyone who looks at this objectively (excluding teachers and related parties) can see the teachers are out of line here. They’re looking for 15% over 3 years. They recently struck (2012) and are pushing for a 3-year contract so they can strike again at an opportune time – next mayoral election.
The comments that it’s more than money (and less work) are merely a smoke screen set up by supporters. Don’t be fooled. The average Chicago teacher is paid $79K - above other teachers in major cities. The mayor already offered to double nurses and social workers, but the union wants more support staff.
And remember whenever you hear about teachers’ salaries be sure to gross it up for all the days off + summer vacation.
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@Vincent Freeman
You're "spot on" Vincent
Full time employment is normally determined to be 260 days (2,080 hrs/8 hrs per day).
In the City of Chicago the total number of school days in which the district provides at least 5 hours of instruction to students in 2018 was 179 days
SOURCE: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/district.aspx?source=environment&source2=numberschooldays&Districtid=15016299025
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@Vincent Freeman Plus their takehome pay is 6.2% higher than a private sector worker earning the exact same salary since teachers (CPS specifically, but I believe this is true in most cases) don't pay into Social Security.
Yes, there is a expected future value of SS payments, but if you invested the 6.2% into SP500 index funds, your future value is expected to be higher.
1
An important corollary to this article is recent data from the CDC indicating that youth and teen suicides are at an all-time high. Particularly, the suicide rate for children 10 to 14 tripled between 2007 and 2017. I don't think it takes too much empathy for other human beings to understand that the collective health of a society's children is a pretty good barometer of the value of that society overall.
Many may write off the demands being made by CPS teachers by falling back on lazy, outdated stereotypes about a.) familial decline within minority communities b.) stereotypes about corruption that is somehow particularly "urban" c.) or any other images not based on direct interaction with these communities in need.
However, just know that the CDC data mentioned above includes ALL districts in the U.S., even the "nice" ones. Children are suffering everywhere and there needs to be a re-imagining of the supports we offer for kids everywhere.
If we can at least agree on that, can we agree that children growing up in poverty require the support of even more counselors, nurses and social workers?
This issue is far too important for us to fall back on our traditional auto-pilot debates about education.
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This article is first rate. Thank you for highlighting these key issues. I am a retired teacher out on the line with my fellow union members, and I have seen the stress and discouragement support staff face first hand.
It is worth noting, I think, that the private school in which Mayor Lightfoot enrolled her daughter has a nurse, a social worker, a psychologist and a library / media specialist. Obviously, Mayor Lightfoot is fully committed to providing her child with the best possible education.
In simple terms, this sums up our fight. We are asking that CPS provide the parents of Chicago's public school children with the same level of support Mayor Lightfoot's daughter enjoys.
7
The solution is simple. Chicago, and every city, just needs to impose the California state income tax rate system on its residents. Everyone would then pay their fair share of taxes, with those over $1million a year in income paying 14% to the City to fund pensions and schools. At about 8% average from those making 50k to 400k per year, and 10% from 400k to 1 million, there will be lots of money to meet the needs of public servants, both active and retired, and of hordes of minority students who are effectively orphans. Chicago could also invite all the recent Central American refugees and most importantly their children to move to Chicago to demonstrate to America that Chicago cares.
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@drcmd Why do you say that minority students are "effectively orphans"?
@drcmd Beware of someone who claims to have a "simple" solution to a complex issue and then proposes to take more of your money.
And yes, agree with Sally that "hordes of minority students who are effectively orphans" is the soft bigotry of low expectations. It is racist to assert that minority parents are unable to take care of their own children.
It is all about the pay - for the union bosses. Since unions can no longer forcibly take money out of school employee paychecks, they need more members to prop up dues income. How this article didn't note the significance of the relevant Supreme Court decision is simply bizarre.
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Since most kids fall into the lower middle class or poor category, likely do not have good health care and healthy food.
They are also subject to having a very fatigued single parent, divorce, sexual abuse, bullying, fear of a school shooter, depression.
They learn to "dream small" from parents who never were exposed to the possibility of bigger dreams. It is very important that schools step up to help these students.
The testing companies, and curriculums set up solely for test-taking, haven't resulted in students being better-prepared for college. Basic skills have fallen over the last 20 years.
Kids are not getting decent educations or necessary counseling. The U.S. fares poorly in comparison to other Western school programmes. The U.S. has a worldwide reputation as being poorly educated.
If today's adults had not suffered the income inequality that affected their parents, if their class sizes had been smaller, if nurses and counselors were on hand, if civics, critical thinking and the arts had been taught, it's doubtful a person like Trump could have been elected.
The future of the U.S. lies in a well-rounded education and the well-being of teachers and students.
I support the teachers' strike.
2
As long as schools are primarily funded by local real estate taxes, there will never be true public education. Wealthy towns provide quality schools. Middle class towns struggle to provide quality education. Cities & poor communities are unable to provide adequate education.
I served on a school board in the northeast where state contributions were inadequate and local taxes financed the schools. Now I live in a state where schools are financed on a countywide basis. The broader the base, the more equal the education.
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@Gailmd I guess FL has not changed, but in many states school taxes are collected, based on home values, and then divvied up by the state. The urban and poor areas get the same or more than the rest of the state. This has been true in GA since the early 1990s. Fast forward - the wealthier areas still have better schools and the city of ATL is abysmal. Guess your idea about more money doesn't bear out with the facts.
1
What's going to happen in places like Milwaukee where pension obligations eventually threaten not only schools but all public services? This is all nice, but eventually the money problem will need to be addressed. And I wonder what the greater economic climate will be like then.
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A niece of mine is a middle school teacher. She loves being a teacher. But not the pay. She still stays with her folks - until she gets married next year. It will still be tough if the young couple decide to have children soon
However, Illinois in general and Chicago in a tough pickle. They cannot make any more IOUs. So, these teaching folks themselves must have some reality problems themselves. They want to protect their jobs, get increases in pay and demand other school facilities
And of course it is a great show at election times. Sen Warren is going to get a lot of votes for her presidential ambition.This is not just the left. The right will wave their voucher flag. Hey, this is an equal opportunity hot button issue for politicians of all stripes. What's not to like!
Just a minor issue: can you squeeze blood from stones without a major overhaul?
1
Can't we switch the voucher system?
1
Have we heard from President Obama and or his Secretary of Education Duncan on this situation ? Incredibly, their educational policies were much more aligned with Betsy Devos' while in office than they'd care to admit - I don't recall either of them joining a picket line to support teachers.
8
I am a CPS parent and I am appalled by this strike. This is my 3rd strike in 10 years as a CPS parent. I supported the last two. This strike is absolutely without merit. Our children are being used as pawns in a political test of wills and I do not blame the mayor for her stand. The CTU is using this strike to try and wrest power from the mayor's office over items that are outside collective bargaining. This has been going on since the Daley Administration. But this time they think they are going to ride grass-roots populism to a victory.
What they don't care about, despite their protestations to the contrary, is that our students are being irreparably harmed. Athletes are missing playoffs; ACT and SAT prep is being missed and AP Tests will be given irrespective of whether the material was taught.
It's time for the CTU to get a reality check. Their demands total into the tens of millions. They refuse to understand the concept of a budget when the city is facing an $800MM+ deficit. They want and want and want. I want my kids back in school.
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@Gail O’Connor Hi Gail, greetings from the South Loop. Your comments highlight why my wife and I chose a Catholic school for our 2 young kids. CPS has subjecting kids as subjects in a sociological experiment, one which won't have known results until 10 years from now.
Our decision was mainly driven by school closures and realignments and changes in discipline policy. Would our kids go to the school 1 block away, or be reassigned to a far away neighborhood? Would kids be disciplined (including removing disruptive kids) or would the entire class be slowed down as a few kids are continually disruptive?
Yes, tuition is an out of pocket expense but it is still cheaper than moving to the suburbs and paying 2x as much for a house (and much higher property taxes).
6
@Gail O’Connor Thank you! The NYTimes cannot print the truth on this as they blindly support anything with the word union, strike, or teachers. The Chicago union is as corrupt as the local government, maybe moreso. But the amount of money my family pays to get a public education in Chicago is horrendous. Public Service unions should be abolished.
3
After teaching 30 years in public schools mostly 4th grade, I have seen children in families with alcoholism, drug abuse, prison sentences, divorce and dire poverty. I have taught students new to the country with absolutely no English speaking skills and learned a lot by the beauty and magnificence of their cultures. Poverty is the worst affliction for families because they struggle to survive and sometimes work two or three shifts to feed their families at minimum wage. Also with all the gun violence today, many young boys suffer from diagnosable mental health issues. I truly wish we could screen all children for mental health they way schools do for vision screening and dental health. Then having the resources to help the children and their families long term would provide a life long golden bridge to wellness, let us think long term care beginning in elementary schools and yes for the whole family.
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We're doing it for the children.
2
It seems proper funding for councilor in the schools will pay off in the long run.
1
Our school briefly had a part-time social worker. She was wonderful. I often referred students who's basic needs were unmet. She left us mid-semester. She said the grant funding her salary had expired.
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There is plenty of money for schools, after all we're the richest country in the world. The problem is that the bulk of wealth is in the hands of the 1% and corporations that don't pay taxes and put billions into the Cayman Islands. Mayor Lightfoot, a corporate lawyer by career choice, is still funneling money to real estate developers and already going back on her promises to help the working class and middle class of Chicago. Teachers are fighting for us all.
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Thank you to all of the teachers who devote your lives to those who need them most. Children know whether they are valued, or not.
I'm sorry our society has such distorted priorities and moves so slowly to change them. We have dozens of examples of fabulous education, healthcare and justice systems around the world but the leaders we choose ignore them, and we reward them for their hubris and laziness. The result is the immeasurable loss of each person's potential and trillions of dollars.
23
In Cleveland, MetroHealth has the "School Health Program." Mobile units (think food trucks, but healthcare) come out to the local schools for a variety of primary care and mental/behavior health services, as well as serving urgent care needs, lab testing, and sports physicals. There is a set schedule with dates/times throughout the school year so that students and their families can plan accordingly. There is no cost to the families and no co-pays... and if a student is insured, the insurer will be billed accordingly. The only thing that needs to be filled out is a consent for care packet... which comes in different languages, and translation services are offered by MetroHealth.
With all the great medical facilities/universities in Chicago, is there any way they can partner with the school district? Maybe it would be a great training program for those who want to specialize in primary care, pediatrics, or psych? According to a quick Google search, there are at least 8 within a 50 mile radius and each school can maybe take on a section of the city?
There has to be other options... there is not one school district that can take this herculean task alone. There has to be partnerships with others in the community.
10
@Yuriko Oyama The healthcare "food trucks" visit each school one day a month for six hours. They are more comparable to a mobile public health clinic. They are not a substitute for a school nurse available to assess sick/injured children. It has become so much a part of our culture to cut away things that used to be considered essential, then, when we realize that they really are important, look for "innovative" ways to approximate the same service on the cheap.
2
@Mary May is that how that is in Chicago, or do you live elsewhere?
I did look into this a bit further and found that Loyola, UChicago, and St. Bernard have pediatric mobile clinics. There may be more, but that is what I found with a quick Google search. If these are the only THREE for the entire city, perhaps what perplexes is me is that with the numerous hospitals and medical/nursing schools in Chicago there is not a higher participation rate with other institutions.
I did not imply that these would be replacements, but rather, SUPPLEMENTS to a struggling system.
Cleveland has managed to figure it out, and by no means is it a "cheap" replacement. The mobile clinics are on a weekly schedule, or every other week, depending on the location and need. These programs are supported by the major hospitals, with their clinicians and staff manning the operations. It's not like they send random people out.
In addition to the mobile clinics, the Cleveland Clinic and Metro are outright building facilities on school grounds. In one inner city school, The one Metro is building houses pediatric primary care, behavioral health, urgent care, and a Hispanic center. Other social services will be included: WIC, Mom's First, Reach Out and Read.
I am sure this can be replicated in Chicago... and if there would be opposition to something like this, then there are underlying issues and something else is going on.
@Yuriko Oyama You were misled by the article. Teachers aren't looking for counselors or nurses, they are just saying that now as they were getting criticized for this uncalled for strike. They want money - salaries and benefits, and they want their full salary in retirement with a commitment to large raises annually.
1
Schools are not community centers. They simply cannot exist to support children in what used to be the role of the parents. The problems continue to worsen because families cede their responsibility to the school system. It is no wonder that there are huge differences in test scores and college readiness.
How is a public school supposed to educate children when they have to raise them as well?
34
What has changed is not the parents. The change is that society now expects school systems to graduate every student regardless of their background or circumstance. In the past, those at-risk kids simply dropped out. To boost the achievement of at-risk students, we must provide support services.
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@Melissa M. Read the statistics at the unicef website please.
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@Melissa M. - It takes more than just a family to raise a child. It takes a whole community to raise kids who care about themselves and others, even under the best of family circumstances...
8
If schools are to become centers for multiple academic, psychological, and even medical services, which I believe is an excellent idea, a number of critical factors are essential for change. First, they need more funding, and those services must be robust, not shoe-string band-aids that barely touch the problem. Already, assessment services in most school districts, to provide testing of learning disability or even Autism, are sorely lacking in many areas. This must change. Secondly, the school unions will have to make room for licensed professionals, like clinical psychologists, who currently are not considered part of the k-12 millieau and are not given a formal full-time role in any district. School psychologists provide testing services, but doctoral level clinical psychologists could provide much more intensive mental health treatment services that are not currently available. Finally, Special education services must be more adequately supported by federal funding. Students with psychological or physical needs must be adequately supported by teachers' aides and additional school-based resources. Where are the priorities of this nation? The strength of our schools, particularly as centers of the community with multiple services available within them, is in all of our best interest.
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@Tintin So now it's society's responsibility to raise and care and feed and house and treat children? No, we're not set up for that communal style living and most of us have not signed on for communal approach for raising kids. Sorry, and I know it's not the kids fault, but parents are supposed to care for their kids; schools are to teach them how to think.
1