Proposed merger of CTU with charter union: a new direction

Updated June 10, 2017

Regular readers of this blog, and my now defunct column for the Examiner, have noted how often I have written about the politicization of public education in America, both its supporters and its detractors, as well as those who have been tasked with cabinet level positions, yet seem oblivious as to the huge stake in social capital that is at risk, for doing so little, or failing to recognize the very real needs of the nation’s future.

Chicago has the nation’s third largest school system, but one that is predominantly black and brown, and faces the neglect, in some quarters, of the very real needs that these young people require.

The Trump administration has given a huge push for charter schools, yet local test scores are significantly higher for those that attend neighborhood schools. The drain on the taxpayer’s dollar do not seem to reflect the somewhat narrow success that some charters deliver, paid with taxpayer dollars, and managed by for profit companies. The inherent dichotomy is apparent, to all who look, and the situation, does not seem to have improved, at least currently.

Last week the Chicago Teachers Union announced a public proposal to merge with the union of local charter school teachers, CHiActs, the Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, in order to preserve, and enhance teacher unity directed toward student achievement.

Recently two schools, ASPIRA and Passages narrowly avoided the prospect of the first charter school strike, in the country.  Much of the conflict was directed towards salary, benefits, classroom resources, and professional equity.

In a letter obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, they stated: “We believe that unification is a key step to allow educators to speak with one voice in Chicago, halt privatization and bring additional resources to our collective work at the CTU,” the letter says. “That said, merging two dynamic locals into a single union is a delicate process and will inevitably bring challenges and tensions. We must be intentional about addressing both sets of members’ questions, concerns and commitments to having a clear voice, representation and identity within the new, larger organization.”

Karen Lewis

“We’ve got the same problems with the school budget, same problems with financial oversight and having a say in how budgets are spent,” Chris Baehrend, president of ChiACTS Local 4343, said. “The majority of our schools have seen enrollment decline, budget cuts and layoffs. . . . We’re really facing the same problems and then if you really think about it, it doesn’t matter who cuts our check. We’re servicing the same kids.”

Update: In less than four days, on a Friday afternoon, it was announced that members of both unions overwhelmingly agreed to the merger. The vote was 671 v. 130. A joint statement read, "CTU members will vote on unification with ChiACTS this fall. Ballots from union charter schools were counted tonight after the close of the Friday school day. Final vote counts of the 1,000-strong union were 671 in favor and 130 against unifying -- or about 84% of voting members supporting unification."

“All Chicago educators, charter and district, face the same challenges -- shrinking budgets, layoffs, union-busting, lack of voice, and a wholesale assault on the quality of the education of our students,” said Chris Baehrend, President of ChiACTS Local 4343 -- the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers And Staff -- which represents 32 charter schools in Chicago. “This vote for unification is a vote for educators with both ChiACTS and the CTU to speak with a stronger collaborative voice for real educational justice for all of our students. It is our identity as public educators -- not our employers -- that defines us, and our overwhelming vote for unity affirms that charter educators are educators first, and servants of the public with a shared commitment to the futures of our students across the city.”

The next step is that CTU will engage in its constitutional change process in the fall, and a formal merger will occur pending a supportive vote from CTU members. “The CTU supports union rights for all educators in Chicago, including charter school teachers,” said CTU vice president Jesse Sharkey. “Local 4343’s vote for unity takes a stand for using our collective power to support quality public education for the students we all serve.”

Charters when they first were promoted, seemed like a great idea, especially for those that were less enchanted with their local school systems; and when I was living in Washington, the mere mention of charter schools brought near beatific smiles of pleasure, and self-satisfaction, if your child was enrolled in one of them.

“The immense freedom that came with setting up charter schools is increasingly under fire, spawning union drives, potential strikes and pushback over pay and working conditions that are reshaping the way charter schools were expected to operate, usually in a nonunion environment,” and has removed much of the afterglow from parents and some lawmakers, noted the Chicago Tribune in an insightful analysis.

A pro-labor town, "Chicago has become the epicenter of charter union organizing in the country," said Andrew Broy, president of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools.

With that in mind, the erstwhile, and always outspoken, CTU President Karen Lewis has said, “"It's not about destroying charter schools," she said. "Charter schools are here; they're not going anywhere. So the key is, how do you make them a bitter pill to their management companies? It's the management companies we have the issues with, not the charter teachers, not the students, not the parents. The key is, organize people to fight for fairer conditions of work, and then that's good for everybody."

The Trib noted that “Chicago charter union said it represents about 1,000 teachers at 32 charter schools in Chicago, which is about 25 percent of charter schools citywide. That's double the national percentage,” proving once again, that Chicago can go to the mat for issues that it believes in. We may be known as the city of broad shoulders, but also for some old-fashioned chutzpah, or moxie, depending on your origins.

In March, State Rep. Will Guzzardi, and five other Illinois lawmakers, announced plans for a new law forbidding the opening of new charters in areas that were already financially distressed, under the premise, that if those areas are financially strained, then they should not open new schools. He also noted,”With CPS in dire financial trouble, we must take swift action to prevent privately managed charter operators from siphoning needed funds away from the public, neighborhood schools.”

This seems right, to me, yet there has been some blowback, most notably in a Tribune editorial that bemoaned the diminishing choice for parents, and that underused school buildings of CPS could be used for charters, but this also seems like a Trojan Horse to increase more charters.

Adding to the cacophony of voices from the legislature is the passage of a new funding formula for Chicago public schools who have the largest spending gap, per pupil, in the nation. Long a subject of debate, and much bemoaned fact, the new legislation offers a solution, for them, that allows those schools in distressed areas to get more money, while ensuring that there would be no change from last year’s funding, to assuage fears from wealthier school districts, fearing they might get less.

Predictability the response, from Republicans, especially, outside of the city, is that this is a bailout, yet, while that might be, what else can be done? In these challenging times, how can those less affluent, be ensured of a decent education? Not to mention the 855 school districts, which include CPS and downstate.

The old system, based on property taxes, clearly was not working, and combined with a low contribution, from the state, which in 2015 was one-quarter, it was clear that this could not continue long.

Chicago schools received an amount significantly lower than New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Nebraska, according to the last census, even with the Feds making up the balance.

Looking at the numbers, Lake County spends $32,000 per pupil, in 2016 and CPS, getting $15,000 per pupil; and the lowest was $4,340 for a District 92 school.

A large part of the problem was that lawmakers from the wealthier districts would not vote to take money from their constituents, to help, those that receive less. And in a conundrum, one of the bipartisan educational panel members, State Rep. Bob Pritchard, of Hinckley, did not vote on the bill, when it came to a votel. Stating that “creating a crisis”, would be necessary, he says that  everything else has been tried.

Prticahrd’s remarks, suggest a desire for a compromise, of sorts, during this interview with NPR affiliate, WBEZ, where it was noted, that he felt, “the plan just needs work, and there's no way he'd vote against it.”

If all of this seems like a decades long cyclical, then that seems to be part of what Illinois politics have become, an eternally long loop. When will it end?