CPS recommends firing at least 13 based on background re-checks

Chicago Public Schools officials recommended late Friday that at least 13 adults working in schools — including three teachers — lose their jobs as a result of what a new round of background checks has turned up.

Two teachers aides, a central office staffer and at least seven privately employed janitors also are being recommended for removal.

Those numbers could rise since cases for about 143 of CPS’ roughly 43,000 workers and for about 1,800 of the 16,700 working in CPS schools still need further investigation.

CPS would not say where any of the staffers recommended for firing worked, nor what kinds of past arrests or convictions have disqualified them from employment with the schools system.

The teachers and aides are represented by the Chicago Teachers Union and are entitled to due process before they’re fired. Any of the 144 employees who continue to refuse to be reprinted also will lose their jobs.

“Shocking — but typical — that no one from (the mayor’s) hand-picked board of education has relayed any of this information to the CTU,” CTU president Jesse Sharkey said. “We look forward to getting the information so we can assess it appropriately.”

Under advice from former U.S. attorney Maggie Hickey, CPS required new background checks this summer for all adults working in schools as part of its response to a massive sexual abuse scandal.

CPS also rechecked the backgrounds of about 8,000 current school volunteers, about 500 of whom await word on whether they’ll be allowed back in schools.