Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis talked about a possible teachers strike the other day and it sure did cause a stir.
A lot of people think I work for CPS (I don’t. I teach in a Chicago suburban district.), so I got questioned about this a lot the last few days.
“If someone took away my promised raise, I sure would be thinking about a strike,” is my stock response. That’s precisely what Rahmbo did. It was on my list of outrages when I appeared on Chicago Newsroom last week, but host Ken Davis cut me off before I got to it. I have to remember to get my talking points out faster next time.
Today, the Trib ran a story about a longer school day. Lewis is quoted talking about the wise idea of using the existing day smarter.
She wants CPS to cut down time spent on standardized tests, which she says consume up to 20 percent of instruction time during the school year. Instead, she thinks CPS should increase time for art, writing, music, science and physical education, civics, foreign languages and provide teachers time to plan study units and deal with individual behavior and learning needs. “Our students deserve a smarter school day—one that includes rigorous curriculum options that were stripped from our schools as cost-cutting measures years ago. Our communities also deserve modern, technologically sound neighborhood schools that stimulate learning and offer its employees a safe and decent work environment.”
Damn! That makes sense.
Who could argue with common sense?
The CPS press flack. Someone named Becky Carroll stupidly quoted the person with the least respect in Chicago.
Arne Duncan.
CPS responded by quoting research papers in support of extended school days. They quoted Secretary of Education Arne Duncan speaking on behalf of more instruction time in the classroom.
Not a wise decision on Becky’s part.
And the other questionable decision was made by the editor at the Tribune who ended the story with this line:
The 2011-12 budget proposal has no money allocated for longer school days.
Talk about burying the lede.
Fred Klonsky 
“The 2011-12 budget proposal has no money allocated for longer school days.”
Typical. Ready. Fire. Aim!
The Trib has a habit of burying the lede on education stories. It seems to occur when the lede isn’t the message that Emmanuel wants pushed forward. Take today’s story.
A teacher from Oglesby school visits a little girl at home, and this has helped her in school. It’s a very long story — and keep in mind that editors know most readers never follow the jump of a story.
At the very end the reporter mentions that the little girl had seen her grandfather murdered and had stopped talking for a time — that is her problem in school. Now … the Trib and CPS have exposed this poor child’s tragic home life to the nation. Why did this story go forward?
Perhaps the Mayor bristled when his idea got panned by experienced educators?
Perhaps teachers are right to worry about their safety during home visits?
Perhaps teachers shouldn’t be asked to do the job of truant officer, counselor and social worker?
Here’s another example of the Trib’s coverage matching the rhetoric of the corporate reformers like Emmanuel and Duncan: “Our schools are failing, our teachers can’t innovate, the unions are to blame.”
Today Diane Rado wrote about ACT scores in Illinois, which have gone up again, continuing to make steady increases since 2002. Keep in mind that Illinois is one of only 8 states that offer the test to ALL high school students, and one of only 4 states that offer it ONLY to juniors. And Illinois is at the TOP of all those states.
Most states, however, offer the ACT to only about 25% of their high school students, those who are headed for college. And their scores are higher, of course!
So what is the Trib’s headline?
“ACT scores in Illinois still below US average.”
(The Trib likes to take a silk purse and make a sow’s ear out of it.)
If you want a fair explanation of the ACT scores across the nation, you have to go elsewhere, say to EdWeek.
ww.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/08/17/01act.h31.html?tkn=LVMFpfR5iqud3qNQwWh9NXJdCYIOpmsRR6wb&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1
Their CBA is hash, Fred. The Chicago teachers contract was unilaterally abrogated by the State when they reneged on the 4% pay raise. Me, I’d just stay home until I thought it was safe to return to work, and they can call it a strike, or whatever the fuck they want. They will anyway, so put it in the want-ads. If corporations are people, then what the hell are labor unions, anyhow? Disposable.