Chicago teachers ratify agreement, but money problems still linger

Karen Lewis

In a 72-28 vote, 25,000 members of the Chicago Teachers Union voted on Tuesday to ratify the tentative agreement reached between them and Chicago Public Schools. While this was not a nailbiter, in the strictest sense of the word, there was some concern among those that were dissatisfied at the changes for special education students, might be able to rally a rejoinder and reject the agreement, valued at $8.9 billion, some say, over four years.

Cooler heads prevailed and in the end, there were benefits that saved the teachers, say some, from virtual extinction, professionally speaking; and the contention of the pension pick-up was solved with a two-tier system where long-term employees will continue to get the 7 percent paid by CPS, and newer teachers not.at all

This loss by  Mayor Rahm Emanuel and school CEO Forrest Claypool, a creation of both a “stay put” for current teachers and a “pick-up” for new hires, seemed simple enough. But, there could be problems later on. As was noted, at the time,” Perhaps more importantly, the two-tier system would set the precedent of a different structure for compensation for new employees, potentially giving the city a tool to drive a wedge into the union’s ranks in future negotiations.”

The district also agreed to obtain outside funding to pay for as many as 55 "community schools" — at an annual cost of at least $500,000 per school — while creating a task force to select those buildings and determine how they could include community health care, after-school activities and support for homeless or chronically truant students.

Losses were felt with a reduction in ratio of social workers to students, far less than the National Association Of Social Workers recommends. "That was one of the last things to be dropped," said Vice President Jesse Sharkey, who concedes, "Those things cost a lot of money."

“Preliminary results show 72.33 percent of CTU members voted to accept the agreement,” said CTU President Karen Lewis in a statement. “This has taken nearly two years to reach a fair contract settlement. Now educators can focus their full energies on their classrooms as we continue to fight for equity throughout the district. I want to commend the rank-and-file for their leadership, commitment and hard work over the course of several months. This contract goes a long way in protecting our profession and our classrooms.”

Statements from Claypool, have been exuberant, where he actually bragged that the new deal is saving the city money. But, not so fast, says Greg Hinz of Crain's Chicago business, where he noted: "The fact is that by 2019, CPS, by its own figures, will be spending another $110 million a year on teacher compensation and benefits. This in a system that can't afford what it has now. CPS's sales job came in a briefing today [Thursday] during which it borrowed a page from Emanuel's book of exaggeration and bragged that the new deal "will save CPS $400 million compared to the previous contract."

Now, he notes, that “compared to the one entered into in 2012, [it] is not as rich. There will be no cost-of-living pay hikes for two years (one of them already past), but they'll get 2 percent in fiscal 2018 and 2.5 percent in fiscal 2019. Beyond that, pay hikes for longevity and obtaining an advanced degree, known as a "step and lane" hike, will be reinstated immediately after a one-year hiatus. CPS argues that's better than the old contract. Had its terms merely been extended—including COLAs and step-and-lane hikes every year, CPS would be paying an additional $400 million more over four years.”

A matter of semantics or fuzzy math, say critics.

The School Board is next to vote its approval and also the now revised school budget; public hearings are also scheduled in advance of the decision. CPS officials are still mum on the pricetag, and the $8.9 billion is a guesstimate from inside observers.

This is spin at its best, and careful observers are also wondering about what happens next with the still $1 billion shortfall, and the constant borrowing to improve and maintain the physical plant. The current votes and the expected ones from the State, while celebratory, are premature, with a look long down the road of fiscal responsibility.