The Chicago teacher’s strike has entered its third day, and ironically enough, the strike has little to do with the issue of pay (which may be an illegal action according to Illinois state law).
The primary issues from Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s side are teacher evaluations that include measures of student achievement and giving principals the authority to hire teachers they want.
The Chicago Teachers Union is stating the issues are more complex: increasing class size, deteriorating school buildings and job security (re-hiring laid off teachers).
But what about the 350,000 kids in the Chicago Public School district? What “win” will they get out of this strike?
The debate of reforming America’s education system continues and Nicholas Kristof provides some important insights on it…even stating that it has “everything to do with providing early-childhood education to at-risk kids.” You can read his article that appeared in The New York Times here: Students Over Unions. Then tell us what you think on improving teacher quality as part of education reform by leaving a comment. If you’re a teacher, do you agree with the position of the Chicago Teachers Union? If you’re a parent, how strongly do you feel about having effective, qualified teachers in your child’s classroom?
