Chicago teachers: “Assault on public education needs to end here” [View all]

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http://www.peoplesworld.org/chicago-teachers-assault-on-public-education-needs-to-end-here/

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According to late reports, the union and Board of Education appeared to be making progress toward a new contract. The most contentious issues center on teacher evaluations and rehiring laid-off teachers. Behind the disagreements lie vastly different views of public education by the union and Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration.

The CTU says it is fighting for a collaborative voice in any education reform and seeks quality, fully funded public education, with smaller class sizes, fully staffed schools and a curriculum rich in art, music, physical education and language at every school.

Teachers see their fight as bettering not only their pay and benefits, but more importantly working and learning conditions benefiting the students.

The Emanuel administration is pushing a corporate-driven model of school privatization, which silences the voices of educators and community. It uses student standardized test scores as a significant factor to evaluate teachers.

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