The Schools Chicago's Students Deserve; Support the Chicago
Teachers Union - Learn More About Pending September Strike

The Schools Chicago's Students Deserve
Research-based Proposals to Strengthen Elementary
and Secondary Education in the Chicago Public Schools

http://www.ctunet.com/quest-center/research/text/Deserve_summary.pdf

The Schools Chicago's Students Deserve is a new Chicago
Teachers Union study which argues in favor of proven
educational reforms to dramatically improve the education of
more than 400,000 students in a district of 675 schools.

These reforms are desperately needed and can lead Chicago
towards the world-class educational system its students
deserve. Our study presents 46 pages of research-based details
on the following 10 essential recommendations:

1. Recognize That Class Size Matters: Drastically reduce class
size. We currently have one of the largest class sizes in the
state. This greatly inhibits the ability of our students to
learn and thrive.

2. Educate The Whole Child: Invest to ensure that all schools
have recess and physical education equipment, healthy food
offerings, and classes in art, theater, dance, and music in
every school. Offer world languages and a variety of subject
choices. Provide every school with a library and assign the
commensurate number of librarians to staff them.

3. Create More Robust Wrap-around Services: The Chicago Public
Schools system (CPS) is far behind recommended staffing levels
suggested by national professional associations. The number of
school counselors, nurses, social workers, and psychologists
must increase dramatically to serve Chicago's population of
low-income students. Additionally, students who cannot afford
transportation costs need free fares.

4. Address Inequities In Our System: Students and their
families recognize the apartheid-like system managed by CPS.
It denies resources to the neediest schools, uses discipline
policies with a disproportionate harm on students of color,
and enacts policies that increase the concentrations of
students in high poverty and racially segregated schools.

5. Help Students Get Off To A Good Start: We need to provide
age-appropriate (not test-driven) education in the early
grades. All students should have access to pre-kindergarten
and to full-day kindergarten.

6. Respect And Develop The Professionals: Teachers need
salaries comparable to others with their education and
experience. They need time to adequately plan their lessons
and collaborate with colleagues, as well as the autonomy and
shared decision-making to encourage professional judgment. CPS
needs to hire more teaching assistants so that no students
fall through the cracks.

7. Teach All Students: We need stronger commitments to address
the disparities that exist due to our lack of robust programs
for emergent bilingual students and services for students
faced with a variety of special needs.

8. Provide Quality School Facilities: No more leaky roofs,
asbestos-lined bathrooms, or windows that refuse to shut.
Students need to be taught in facilities that are well-
maintained and show respect for those who work and go to
school there.

9. Partner With Parents: Parents are an integral part of a
child's education. They need to be encouraged and helped in
that role.

10. Fully Fund Education: A country and city that can afford
to take care of its affluent citizens can afford to take care
of those on the other end of the income scale. There is no
excuse for denying students the essential services they
deserve.

For more information contact the Chicago Teachers Union at
312-329-9100 or read the entire report on our website at
www.ctunet.com/Deserve

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Support the Chicago Teachers Union - Contribute to the CTU
Solidarity Fund

https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4013/c/468/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=7204

The Chicago Teachers Union is currently on the front lines of
a fight to defend public education. On one side the 30,000
members of the CTU have called for a contract that includes
fair compensation, meaningful job security for qualified
teachers, smaller class sizes and a better school day with
Art, Music, World Language and appropriate staffing levels to
help our neediest students.

On the other side, the Chicago Board of Education - which is
managed by out of town reformers and Broad Foundation hires
with little or no Chicago public school experience - has
pushed to add two weeks to the school year and 85 minutes to
the school day, eliminate pay increases for seniority,
evaluate teachers based on student test scores, and slash many
other rights.

Teachers, parents and community supporters in Chicago have
fought valiantly - marching, filling auditoriums at hearings
and parent meetings, even occupying a school and taking over a
school board meeting. Most recently, 98 percent of our members
voted to authorize a strike. But now we find ourselves facing
new opponents - national education privatizers, backed by some
of the nation's wealthiest people. They are running radio ads,
increasing press attacks, and mounting a PR campaign to
discredit the CTU and the benefits of public education.

We are asking you to support our struggle for educational
justice. You and your organization can show your support by
making contribution to our Solidarity Fund. All donations will
be used to conduct broad outreach throughout Chicago and
nation-wide. Specifically, we plan to print educational
materials, to distribute information about our positive
agenda, such as the CTU report The Schools Chicago Students
Deserve, and to mobilize massive support for educators in
rallies and gatherings throughout the city. Any amount you can
give will be a great help.

Thank you for your support.

In Solidarity,

Karen GJ Lewis, NBCT
CTU President

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