CTU TO JOIN SCHOOL- CUT PROTESTS
Rahm defends 4 unpaid furlough days for CPS
As Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday defended four unpaid furlough days just imposed on Chicago’s public schools, the Chicago Teachers Union announced plans to join national protests against school spending cuts.
CTU officials and members plan to stage walk- ins at schools across the city to lodge their opposition to policies enacted by the mayor, governor and presidentelect that they deem harmful.
“Our members and their students and school communities are facing a litany of threats both inside and outside of the classroom,” CTU president Karen Lewis said in a press release. Thursday’s “action is about unity, solidarity and strengthening the bonds that we will all need to overcome challenges from City Hall, Springfield and beyond.”
Unionized charter school teachers also are joining in the protests Thursday, including at Instituto Justice Leadership Academy, 2570 S. Blue Island Ave. There, students, teachers and others — including Ald. Carlos Ramirez- Rosa ( 35th) and the president of the union of charter school teachers ChiACTS Local 4343 — will hold a news conference and “walk- in.”
Citywide, protesters plan to demand that all CPS schools, including charters, be made into “sanctuary schools,” where undocumented immigrant children won’t face deportation. They also are advocating a tax on the wealthy to increase school funding and protesting billionaire Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump’s pick for U. S. secretary of education.
They’re also angry about word that came down Friday afternoon that all CPS staffers would face four unpaid furlough days through June.
The surprise announcement was made as top mayoral aides work to ease lingering investor concerns about school and city finances, hoping taxpayers won’t pay the price when Chicago tries Thursday to borrow $ 1.16 billion by selling general obligation bonds.
Last month, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill giving CPS $ 215 million in state pension help — aid that already had been built into the school budget — created a potential crisis that could force devastating classroom cuts. Rauner has maintained he wants to see wider public- pension reform.
On Wednesday, Emanuel was asked why CPS felt the need to order the furlough days when a $ 700 million payment to the teachers pension fund isn’t due until June 30. Was it more about appeasing investors and preventing CPS’ dire finances from sparking an interest- rate spike?
“The way to look at this is, if the state had followed through on their commitment to make sure that every teacher, every student and every taxpayer across the state was treated fairly, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” the mayor said.