CPS announces calendar, with inconveniences for many
Chicago Public Schools on September 28 announced the new calendar, required because the Board agreed to make up the seven days missed because of the strike. As the following note from Jesse Sharkey, published on the CTU website, makes clear, the Board worked out its calendar changes unilaterally, and the union only learned about them when the rest of the world did.
NOTE ON NEW CALENDAR FROM CTU:
Dear _________,
Today the Board of Education released a revised calendar for the ’12-‘13 school year. The calendar schedules 7 make-up days to replace the time lost due to the strike.
CPS decided to shorten Track E’s October intersession to 1 week, to make President’s Day into a student attendance day, and to add one day onto the end of the calendar (for a total of 7 days.) The President’s Day holiday will be “made-up” in June—where we will be paid for a non-attendance day.
Track R teachers and staff will see Winter Break shortened by two days, President’s Day made into a student attendance day, and four days will be added onto the end of the calendar (for a total of 7 days.) Like Track E, the President’s Day holiday will be “made-up” in June—where we will be paid for a non-attendance day.
At union headquarters, we have received a number of e-mails and calls complaining about the changes—for example, from a member who had already booked tickets to care for a sick relative who just found out, two weeks in advance, that their October calendar has changed.
The CTU will assist all members whose principals and other administrators fail to be accommodating in such cases. In addition, nothing prevents a member from using sick or personal business days during make-up time.
Historically, making up days lost to a strike have been a challenge—in 1987 the Board shortened Winter Break by a week, canceled Spring Break, and pushed school into the summer.
Though this year’s strike was shorter than 1987, the Board’s make-up is complicated by a longer calendar that had already cut out two holidays (Columbus Day and Casimir Pulaski Day) and though the union complained bitterly about the calendar, and ultimately walked out, we were unable to change it.
Please review the calendars available for download with this link. Now that CPS issued the calendar for the year, CTU will begin production on our pocket calendars in the coming days.
In solidarity,
Jesse Sharkey
CTU Vice President
