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Chicago Teachers Union Gives 10-Day Strike Notice

The Prof

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CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago Teachers Union issued a 10-day strike notice Wednesday, saying teachers in the nation's third-largest school district are ready to walk off the job for the first time in 25 years.

News from The Associated Press

don't mess with rahm the ram, the 9 1/2 fingered bossman has the soul of an assassin

the teachers want more, teachers always want more, we work 181 days per year, 5 hours per day, very few of us commute...

in my district we teach block schedules---that means every teacher in my district either starts work at 9:45, ends his or her teaching day at 1:25, or enjoys a two hour and ten minute break in the middle of the day

ONE HUNDRED MINUTES OF PREP TIME PER DAY---that's my northern california school district

and it's been that way since we went to block schedules a little over ten years ago

kids, by the way, generally hate blocks---how'd you like to be responsible for assimilating mrs danilov's lessons when your russian trained math teacher drones on about trig identities for one hundred minutes at a time

it's excruciating

it's no picnic teaching that way either, i'd add

i encourage the kids to goof off every 20 minutes or so, then back to it

if they mess with me, i assign them 100 minutes of seat work

i try very hard to be funny

when my district went thru the pink slip nitemare three years ago i very gently spoke up in our after-staff-meeting union debrief, knowing the reception i'd get---shouldn't we consider going to 50 minutes of prep (ie, prep every other day) instead of laying off ms renfro, et al, the fired up young english teacher next door who had become a good friend

very few of my colleagues know my politics

don't mess with the ram

Rahm-Emanuel-sends-layoff-notices-to-city-workers - Chicago Sun-Times

in july of 2011 the hitman unilaterally ordered changes in his transportation dept---when the union balked at the new rules the ram canned 625 workers faster than the gipper cleaned up the atc (air traffic controllers)

the ram is scott walker on steroids

his compassion for the union workers he pretends to champion is as deep and heartfelt as uncle joe stalin's treatment of the proletariat

in chicago, the teachers are demanding 2%, they also object to the district's reform of the pay scale---no more automatic steps and columns that allow old fogies like me to make DOUBLE what that pistol ms renfroe made, before we pink slipped her into running a private child care service

it is what it is

the ram unilaterally increased the school day to 7 hours---he's trying to keep the kids in school and off the street

when you're sleeping thru mrs danilov's cosecants it's very hard to shoot to death the kid from the rival turf who is also snoring as the russian nazi continues to lecture to no one

last year the ram unilaterally rescinded his teachers' 4%

so we'll strike---it's all about the kids

obama is stumping this week on education---the issue backfires on him

republicans in tampa are spending a great deal of time talking REAL education reform---jeb is next

oblivious obama concentrates his convention on extremely divisive social issues arising from some stupid comment made by a republican senate candidate in missouri---and the president's own extremist positions on life are thrust to the forefront

when your record is 100% upside down it's impossible to distract to a favorable topic

meanwhile, all most americans really care about is the economy---and dc has become under this agenda-mad administration one much bigger and more sprawling sacramento

party on, progressives

enjoy your abortion palooza in charlotte

say hi to caroline kennedy---from the kids

zzzzzzz
 
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God damn I hate teacher's unions. And the Chicago teacher's union is one of the most notorious in the country.
 
Fire them all.
 
Because striking is surely the best way to help the students.

:roll:
 
News from The Associated Press

don't mess with rahm the ram, the 9 1/2 fingered bossman has the soul of an assassin

the teachers want more, teachers always want more, we work 181 days per year, 5 hours per day, very few of us commute...

in my district we teach block schedules---that means every teacher in my district either starts work at 9:45, ends his or her teaching day at 1:25, or enjoys a two hour and ten minute break in the middle of the day

ONE HUNDRED MINUTES OF PREP TIME PER DAY---that's my northern california school district

and it's been that way since we went to block schedules a little over ten years ago

kids, by the way, generally hate blocks---how'd you like to be responsible for assimilating mrs danilov's lessons when your russian trained math teacher drones on about trig identities for one hundred minutes at a time

it's excruciating

it's no picnic teaching that way either, i'd add

i encourage the kids to goof off every 20 minutes or so, then back to it

if they mess with me, i assign them 100 minutes of seat work

i try very hard to be funny

when my district went thru the pink slip nitemare three years ago i very gently spoke up in our after-staff-meeting union debrief, knowing the reception i'd get---shouldn't we consider going to 50 minutes of prep (ie, prep every other day) instead of laying off ms renfro, et al, the fired up young english teacher next door who had become a good friend

very few of my colleagues know my politics

don't mess with the ram

Rahm-Emanuel-sends-layoff-notices-to-city-workers - Chicago Sun-Times

in july of 2011 the hitman unilaterally ordered changes in his transportation dept---when the union balked at the new rules the ram canned 625 workers faster than the gipper cleaned up the atc (air traffic controllers)

the ram is scott walker on steroids

his compassion for the union workers he pretends to champion is as deep and heartfelt as uncle joe stalin's treatment of the proletariat

in chicago, the teachers are demanding 2%, they also object to the district's reform of the pay scale---no more automatic steps and columns that allow old fogies like me to make DOUBLE what that pistol ms renfroe made, before we pink slipped her into running a private child care service

it is what it is

the ram unilaterally increased the school day to 7 hours---he's trying to keep the kids in school and off the street

when you're sleeping thru mrs danilov's cosecants it's very hard to shoot to death the kid from the rival turf who is also snoring as the russian nazi continues to lecture to no one

last year the ram unilaterally rescinded his teachers' 4%

so we'll strike---it's all about the kids

obama is stumping this week on education---the issue backfires on him

republicans in tampa are spending a great deal of time talking REAL education reform---jeb is next

oblivious obama concentrates his convention on extremely divisive social issues arising from some stupid comment made by a republican senate candidate in missouri---and the president's own extremist positions on life are thrust to the forefront

when your record is 100% upside down it's impossible to distract to a favorable topic

meanwhile, all most americans really care about is the economy---and dc has become under this agenda-mad administration one much bigger and more sprawling sacramento

party on, progressives

enjoy your abortion palooza in charlotte

say hi to caroline kennedy---from the kids

zzzzzzz

wait ... are you actually a teacher? a board certified teacher?
 
Because striking is surely the best way to help the students.

:roll:


Have any teachers union actually went on strike for the benefit of the students? Because I have never heard of teachers going on strike to end social promotion(passing a child due to age regardless of grades), to get school supplies and equipment for kids,to make it easier to fire lousy teachers, to get only healthy food served in schools or any other thing for kids.
 
wait ... are you actually a teacher? a board certified teacher?

Given the poor quality of our education system, I wouldn't put much faith in the board's ability to certify anything.
 
Because striking is surely the best way to help the students.

:roll:

So, no one can think about their own compensaion for labor without considering others first? You shouldn't be concern with you pay without considering, what, the customer first? Explain.
 
Sounds good to me. They waited long enough. Hopefully, Rahm Emmanuel will make concessions so it doesn't have to go to a strike.
 
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Have any teachers union actually went on strike for the benefit of the students? Because I have never heard of teachers going on strike to end social promotion(passing a child due to age regardless of grades), to get school supplies and equipment for kids,to make it easier to fire lousy teachers, to get only healthy food served in schools or any other thing for kids.

It's time teachers' unions stopped treating the kids like cash cows. (That's not my line; it was in an editorial.)

@ The Prof -- the teachers' union laughed at 2%; you've got that wrong.

At present, the CTU wants a 29 percent salary increase over a period of two years. If the average salary of a CTU teacher is $69,000 as Crain’s reported, that would be an increase to just over $89,000. So far, CPS has come to the table offering a 2 percent salary increase, which would mean just under $2,000 based on that $69,000 figure.

What's Next For Chicago Teachers Union After Strike Authorization Vote?: Chicagoist
 
Because striking is surely the best way to help the students.

:roll:
I suspect there is an actual argument in here somewhere that serves as a criticism of the strike, but you haven't articulated it well at all. Do you have an actual argument beyond the vague snark?
 
I suspect there is an actual argument in here somewhere that serves as a criticism of the strike, but you haven't articulated it well at all. Do you have an actual argument beyond the vague snark?

why wouldn't the teachers be expected to work longer hours for no addition compensation [/s]
 
I suspect there is an actual argument in here somewhere that serves as a criticism of the strike, but you haven't articulated it well at all. Do you have an actual argument beyond the vague snark?

Those teachers represent Chicago values, you better believe it.
 
Have any teachers union actually went on strike for the benefit of the students? Because I have never heard of teachers going on strike to end social promotion(passing a child due to age regardless of grades), to get school supplies and equipment for kids,to make it easier to fire lousy teachers, to get only healthy food served in schools or any other thing for kids.
Then you are uninformed about the subject of this very thread.

There are three problems with your comment:

1. The interests of teachers and the interests of students often reinforce each other. For example, when teacher's unions fight for more teachers to get hired, then students get more attention, more art/phys ed/etc. classes and so on. Similarly, when teachers get more benefits, districts attract higher quality teachers which benefits students.

2. The union that is the subject of this thread is, in fact, negotiating things on behalf of students. Here's part of a statement by the president of CTU:

The school board’s failure to offer us fair compensation or to even consider measures to retain qualified and experienced teachers, paraprofessionals, and clinicians in our schools are very serious issues. However, those do not trump our concerns about:

  • Reducing class size so that we can adequately address the varying educational needs of each child before them, or
  • The need for not merely a longer school day, BUT a BETTER DAY which offers students a world class education. We must make it a priority to deliver to every student in every classroom a rich curriculum that includes art, music, foreign language, and physical education.

Chicago Teachers Union | CTU President Karen Lewis’s Statement on<br/>Delegates’ rejection of the Fact-Finder’s Report

3. Teacher's unions are not student unions, they are teacher's unions. As a result, they are under no obligation to consider student interests in their activities. Moreover, strikes are about workers - not students or consumers. Therefore, the legitimacy of a strike is not determined by whether or not the workers strike on behalf of people other than themselves. Even so, the Chicago Teacher's Union has decided to fight also for students without the obligation likely because their members are not the greedy villains some would argue that they are.

I hope that clears things up for you.
 
Those teachers represent Chicago values, you better believe it.

Capitalism? Make as much money as I kind, fine for rich folks, but not teachers?
 
It's time teachers' unions stopped treating the kids like cash cows. (That's not my line; it was in an editorial.)

@ The Prof -- the teachers' union laughed at 2%; you've got that wrong.

What's Next For Chicago Teachers Union After Strike Authorization Vote?: Chicagoist
Can you put this in context please, so we understand why teacher's are asking for such a large amount? Why do the teachers say they want an 29% increase in salary?

(FYI, that's the starting point, they're willing to go down.)
 
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Because striking is surely the best way to help the students.

:roll:

Come on, you don't actually think they care about the students, do you? They just want to line their own pockets. The only thing the students are good for in this is as pawns.
 
Come on, you don't actually think they care about the students, do you? They just want to line their own pockets. The only thing the students are good for in this is as pawns.
What makes you say that? As in, what specific things have they said to make you think that?
 
wait ... are you actually a teacher? a board certified teacher?

What does one need for that, a 2 year degree? I never played pro football, but I can tell you the Phins are lookin' at lose.


Capitalism? Make as much money as I kind, fine for rich folks, but not teachers?

Are they State employees?
 
What does one need for that, a 2 year degree? I never played pro football, but I can tell you the Phins are lookin' at lose.

Varies. Not sure in Illinois. However, what does that have to do with it? Some people do walk on. And they make money as well

Are they State employees?

Which means what? They have no right to be paid? They have no desires, no sense of what they are worth? Again, why would they be different? Want different? Work for different?
 
Varies. Not sure in Illinois. However, what does that have to do with it? Some people do walk on. And they make money as well

I don't see how being a certified teacher makes one particularly authoritative on the subject.

Which means what? They have no right to be paid? They have no desires, no sense of what they are worth? Again, why would they be different? Want different? Work for different?

State employees unionizing to pressure the state into paying them more isn't exactly capitalism.
 
What does one need for that, a 2 year degree? I never played pro football, but I can tell you the Phins are lookin' at lose.




Are they State employees?
aptitude for teaching, mostly
 
aptitude for teaching, mostly

I don't see how aptitude matters in a State union job. You spend your time, you get your pay. Slugs love that action.
 
What makes you say that? As in, what specific things have they said to make you think that?

In this specific instance, nothing, it hasn't gone far enough. In other teacher strikes though, they've trotted kids out for TV commercials and the like.
 
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