CTU releases report detailing strategy for 5-year plan

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CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson’s newly appointed school board will meet on Thursday for the first time since the board’s former members resigned en masse, but ahead of that meeting, the Chicago Tacher’s Union (CTU) revealed its five-year plan.

During a virtual press conference, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates voiced frustrations on the state of contract negotiations, wanting CPS, CTU and the mayor’s office to all move forward down the same path.

“We’re looking for a partnership to put forth ideas that work in the classroom,” Davis Gates said.

On Wednesday, the CTU released its “Every Student, Every School, Every Community” report. It is what they call a “blueprint” for implementing the district’s ‘Together We Rise’ five-year plan, which was released last month.

It sets out to increase the number of students attending neighborhood schools, with a focus on disinvested communities, raising test scores in reading and math, reducing chronic absenteeism and decreasing class sizes.

“Not having the ability to have some control and some say over what would be the best fit for the student is just a lack of respect for educators,” CPS teacher Faith Mitchell said.

The CTU feels there is now a historic alignment between that five-year plan, CTU contract proposals and the mayor’s transition plan on education.

“Every single child deserves a well-funded, enriched experience within our K through 12 system. I know that comes as a shock to people, that this is somehow a radical idea.

Dave Steiber, a CPS teacher, reflected on his experience over the last two decades on the South Side.

“They started closing elementary schools that fed into our high school and then they started defunding our school. And so we saw, you know, positions cut, principals cut, broken computer labs,” Steiber said.

CTU has been working without a contract since June and bargaining for six months.

The future of CPS CEP Pedro Martinez and how the newly appointed board of education will move forward now hangs in the balance.

“There will be a five-year strategic plan implemented. Why isn’t it also the opportunity to settle a contract that represents the fullness of the vision of the district,” Davis Gates said.

It is unclear if the newly appointed board of education members will take any action on the status of Martinez on Thursday. The meeting is set to take place at 10:30 a.m.

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Dana Rebik

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