Radical Graffiti
New graffiti honoring the socialist Fourth International and its founder, Leon Trotsky, recently appeared on the fieldhouse of Harold Washington Park in the Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. The park bears the . . .
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Rallies against tax breaks for corporations say schools and communities must benefit from Amazon’s new ‘HQ2'...
As Chicago’s mayor and Illinois’s governor offer some $2 billion in corporate tax give-aways to Amazon – in a competition between cities to see which will offer the most public financing to become the site . . .
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Filthy CPS schools prompt Kenwood HS supporters, CTU officials, to put on haz-mat suits in effort to highlight the need to clean up corruption in privatized custodial contracts at CPS...
Wearing bright yellow head-to-toe haz-mat (hazardous materials) suits, members of the Clean Kenwood Coalition, including officials of the Chicago Teachers Union, highlighted “unhealthy” conditions in Chicago Public Schools. They said the protective gear would let . . .
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Several hundred teachers and allies protest at Chicago's City Hall on first of four 'furlough days'...
Several hundred Chicago Teachers Union staff, union members, and supporters joined together to protest at Chicago's City Hall on February 3, 2017, the first of four 'furlough days' imposed on school workers by Chicago Public . . .
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‘Tax the rich’ is the message as a coalition of unions and community activists protests at State of Illinois Building in Chicago, while lawmakers meet to pass emergency spending plan in Springfield...
Emergency state budget negotiations prompted an emergency rally. Illinois lawmakers were meeting in Springfield to pass a temporary spending plan on Thursday, June 30, 2016 (as the state earned a dubious distinction as the only . . .
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Protests for Chicago school funding continue as majority of City Council moves to put TIF money into the schools...
Many of the leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union may have been in Minneapolis for the 100th anniversary convention of the American Federation of Teachers between July 17 and July 22, 2016, but the members . . .
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BOARDWATCH: Remarks by David R. Stone
[ Editor's Note. The following is the "Statement to Chicago Board of Education, 7/27/2016" by David R. Stone, teacher of diverse learners, Gallistel Language Academy. David Stone provided the Board and public with his contact . . .
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New ‘Southeast Area’ school will end years of overcrowding at Gallistel – but parents and teachers still feel disrespected as CPS hiring for the new school seems to be excluding teachers from the former schools...
Constructing a new public school to relieve overcrowding in two neighborhood schools should be good news in this time of budget austerity –- but parents who had lobbied for years to get the new school . . .
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May Day protests in Chicago continue struggle that began here...
Union and community activists rallied outside of the Trump Tower in downtown Chicago on Sunday, May 1, 2016, to push for changes in the corrupt capitalist system represented by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The . . .
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CTU official asks why Board refused to arbitrate 'toxic swaps' at hastily called hearing on billion dollar bond issue... Board gives vague answer...
Jackson Potter, member services coordinator of the Chicago Teachers Union, was the only public speaker at the hastily called Chicago Board of Education "hearing" on issuing new bonds to cover the Board's projected budget deficit. . . .
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Union busting, Chicago - style... Rally at Urban Prep charter school's 'board' meeting challenges firing of 17 teachers who unionized -- then were fired this month!... Speakers at June 25 rally challenge Urban Prep's lies, CPS expansion of the school...
The "Urban Prep Academies" charter schools network in Chicago has become the latest battleground in the war on teachers unions. A rally at the school followed an end-of-the-year announcement by Urban Prep's leadership that the . . .
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Ames community fights on to save neighborhood school, as Board moves ahead with plans to change it to a military school
Ames Middle School is nearing the end of a battle between community activists and the Chicago Board of Education. The battle is part of a wider struggle over whether democracy has a place in the . . .
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Ames hears military chief from CPS say 'Get past the politics...'... Battle continues at Ames: Neighborhood school vs. military school
Fighting over the future of Ames Middle School, Chicago Public Schools officials during he final full week of January 2014 promoted their plan to have a Marine Military Academy High School move into the building . . .
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Board meeting sign-up on November 12 for the November 20 Board meeting... Will Board of Ed listen next week? Ames parents wonder about promises made to them as they fight takeover by military school
Democracy, in theory, allows members of the public to speak and possibly influence government decisions that will affect their lives. The Chicago Board of Education still retains some vestiges of democracy, and at least one . . .
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Meetings scheduled for Tuesday, November 5... Ames Middle School parents continue fight against insertion of Marine Military Academy, destruction of Ames
Fighting the latest attempt to turn Ames Middle School from a neighborhood school into a citywide military high school, approximately 85 supporters gathered on short notice to spend about three hours canvassing their neighborhood on . . .
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Student testimony at Ames Middle School news conference, Saturday, November 2, 2013
The following statements were presented by two Chicago Public School students at a news conference at Ames Middle School on Saturday, November 2, 2013. The event was sponsored by the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, opposing . . .
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Ames Local School Council votes to slow takeover by Marine Academy
Ames Middle Schools Local School Council (LSC) heard from both sides in the debate on whether a selective enrollment military high school should move in next year and passed two motions designed to slow . . .
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Ballot initiative seeks to keep military academy out of Ames Middle School
Voters may get a say in whether Ames Middle School becomes a military academy high school, or remains a neighborhood school for grades 7-8. A coalition of parents, community members and supporters is launching a . . .
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‘Toilet paper protest’ greets Barbara Byrd-Bennett at Chase Bank outside a Chicago Tribune 'conversation' about Chicago schools
Toilet paper or teachers? Or maybe a shortage of both — that could be the result of drastic cuts to schools’ budgets next year, according to Chicago Public Schools students, parents, employees and supporters at . . .
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Pension hearing draws overflow union/retiree crowd as lawmakers consider ‘compromises’ to cut public worker pension and medical benefits -- but not increase funding
Pension “reform” proposals that could dramatically reduce future benefits for anyone with a State of Illinois pension drew a crowd opposing the cuts. Some 200 current and retired teachers and other state employees converged on . . .
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Displaced teachers air ongoing concerns at Chicago Teachers Union meeting
Dozens of laid-off Chicago Public School teachers and paraprofessionals shared their concerns and questions at a little-publicized meeting of the Chicago Teachers Union’s Displaced Members Committee at CTU headquarters in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart on Tuesday . . .
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Readers story leaves out context of Hirsch High School... CPS and mayor sabotage Hirsch
Last week, the Reader ran one of its longest stories ever comparing the fate of two students, one from Chicago's Hirsch High School and another from the north shore. The story, which has a great . . .
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'Pay your fair share!' march to Hyatt as striking teachers protest tax breaks for billionaires like Board member Penny Pritzker
By late afternoon rain was in the air. Thousands of striking Chicago teachers and their supporters marched through downtown Chicago on September 13, 2012, the fourth day of the Chicago Teachers Stirke of 2012, to . . .
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Occupy to provide support for upcoming Chicago teachers' strike
The night before the monthly meeting of the Chicago Board of Education, on June 26, 2012, more than 125 representatives of various labor and community organizations, called to a meeting by Occupy Chicago, met and . . .
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Back in federal court July 10... CTU lawsuit for laid-off teachers returns to federal court; victims of mass firing in 2010 could win right to be rehired
While Chicago Public Schools continues to utilize legal loopholes to get rid of veteran teachers without providing them with the right to a year in the "Reserve" pool during the summer of 2012, a lawsuit . . .
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AFT REPORTS: Rally during AFT convention supports Detroit teachers' union
Detroit Federation of Teachers, facing a devastating union-busting attack, garnered support from other union members from across the United States on Friday, July 27, 2012. Several hundred delegates to the American Federation of Teachers went . . .
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AFT REPORTS: AFT delegates canvass communities on behalf of Michigan law to protect collective bargaining in public and private sectors
More AFT support for Michigan unions
On the second day of the convention, many AFT delegates again went out into the community to support a local union struggle. This time it was to canvass . . .
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AFT REPORTS: Some AFT delegates protest Race To The Top while majority don 'Obama Biden 2012' tee shirts during speech by Vice President Joe Biden
Trying to send a message to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden when he addressed the American Federation of Teachers on Sunday, July 29, 2012, delegates from the Chicago Teachers Union joined by other delegates held . . .
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Chicago Stand for Children challenged at 'Community Conversation'
Fewer than 30 people attended Stand for Children’s so-called “Community conversation regarding the contract negotiations of Chicago Public School teachers” on Monday night, June 25, 2012, at the Fosco Park Fieldhouse in Chicago's Pilsen community.
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Parent groups support Chicago Teachers Union at Board of Education's monthly meeting
A number of parents and at least three legitimate grass roots parent organizations spoke out (or signed up) to speak out at the June 27, 2012 meeting of the Chicago Board of Education in support . . .
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Dyett High School protests its 'phase out' with a celebration of student art
Dyett High School became widely known earlier this year as one the 17 schools that the Board of Education closed, 'phased out', or subjected to what it called "turnaround". Despite massive community protests and detailed . . .
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Mayor's Town Hall... Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel tells his side of the story in an online ‘conversation,’ while elsewhere others fight school closings
Calling it a “Conversation about Education,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel held a live “Facebook Town Hall meeting” on the city’s West Side on the evening of Monday, January 23, 2012. At the same time, the . . .
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Karen Lewis addresses displaced teacher meeting
Displaced Chicago Public Schools teachers came to the headquarters of the Chicago Teachers Union at Chicago's Merchandise Mart on Tuesday, September 20, 2011, for updates on how the union is fighting on several fronts to . . .
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LETTER: Substance reporter (and Chicago teacher) takes on Washington Post editorial
I wrote on the subject of a longer school day in a letter-to-the-editor at the Washington Post.
Below is the Post's editorial, and my response (which is apparently not going to be published). Feel free . . .
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CTU offers advice for fired teachers and paraprofessionals
Helping fired Chicago Public School faculty and staff members fight for their jobs and rebuild their lives, the Chicago Teachers Union hosted a meeting for them at union headquarters on Thursday, August 18, 2011. Approximately . . .
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CORE convention focuses on organizing for the fights ahead
Is CORE — the Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators — still the radical, fighting wing of the Chicago Teachers Union? At the third annual CORE convention, held on August 19 and August 20, 2011 in Chicago, . . .
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LA CASITA! The endangered field house at Whittier Elementary is cleaned up, but its future remains murky
Trying to create a bright future for “La Casita,” parents are doing more than simply continuing their occupation of the one-story field house on the grounds of Whittier Elementary School, located in the 1900 block . . .
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Union activists develop many strategies at CORE’s National Conference to Fight for Public Education
About 150 activists from across the United States — mostly union teachers — gathered at the “National Conference to Fight for Public Education” in Chicago on Wednesday, July 6, 2011. Sponsored by the Chicago Teacher . . .
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New round of job losses hits CPS teachers
New round of job losses hits CPS teachers
David R. Stone - July 14, 2011
(CHICAGO. July 13, 2011). Many Chicago Public School teachers have lost their jobs this week. The Chicago Board . . .
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LA CASITA! La Casita saved, for now as protesters, union members stop demolition crew
LaCasita — the fieldhouse that might become a library on the grounds of Whittier Elementary School in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood — was again defended from possible demolition on the morning of Friday, June 24, 2011. . . .
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Why support a union?
As politicians across the nation cut back on public spending for education and seek to limit collective bargaining rights, the Chicago Teachers Union has fought back. Yet there is a vocal minority among Chicago teachers . . .
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LA CASITA: As Whittier standoff continues, some facts need to be restated
(CHICAGO, June 29, 2011). LA CASITA! Many elements are still missing as Whittier parents renew their call for help to save a library that isn’t built yet. “La Casita” is a real place. News media . . .
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