ALDERMAN SAWYER’SCOMMUNITY LETTER ON THE TEACHER’S STRIKE
Dear Neighbors:
There is currently
a lot of confusion about the state of Chicago Public Schools and what is going
on for our students. Recent reports state that both sides are close on the
questions of compensation, but we must take this time to work towards and actual
solution that helps our children. I want to make clear that I support the
teachers union, but I believe that both CTU and CPS should acknowledge that
there are serious issues we need to address if we are going to do what is best
for our children. Budgetary realities are real and accountability is necessary,
but we cannot ignore the challenges that face some of our neighborhoods. I just
cannot understand any education plan that acts like violence, poverty and other
societal ills have no effect on the ability of a student to learn.
It seems to me that
before you are going to evaluate teachers based on the performance of students,
we must at least create a plan that would allow for a fair starting place. A
school without internet service, air-conditioning or where students deal with
multiple acts of deadly violence and lost classmates would never perform at the
same level as a student for whom those issues did not exist. A teacher that has
to feed children, wash children and dress children as well as counsel children
all before they begin to teach will never match the academic results of a
teacher that did not face those challenges. I believe that some acknowledgement
of this as a reality is a necessary starting point to this
discussion.
I have poured over
the results of the different school models, and at best all that I can say is
that the results are mixed. As the Mayor said himself as he released his school
honor roll, there are Selective Enrollment, Charter, Turnaround and yes
traditional neighborhood schools that have become successful. High standards
are a good thing and many dedicated and hard working professionals and students
have met the challenge. Yet some successful schools have become so despite the
odds, and I do not believe it is a plan to simply require principals and
teachers to create annual miracles. We need a system that can be diverse and
offer many different options, but at its core does not create an underclass that
we are abandoning in difficult circumstances.
(cont. pg 2)
In my time in this
office I have seen many hardworking and dedicated teachers and I have met many
hardworking members of CPS administration. Both sides would do better if we
toned down the rhetoric. However, I must acknowledge that the teachers union
has a history of being burned, as with the rescinded pay increase, and I do not
understand how the city did not engage the teachers as soon as there was a 90%
strike authorization vote. As this becomes more of a debate about whether
teachers are greedy or whether the Mayor wants to privatize schools, the
children are the ones who lose. It is unacceptable to say we are going to
ignore the emotional well-being of our most at risk children because of the
budget. I refuse to accept that the city and CPS budget are filled with so many
issues of more importance than our children.
Rest assured that I
will do all I can to help parents through this process and to put our children
first.
Sincerely,
Rod
Brian E. Sleet
Chief of Staff
Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer 6th Ward Chicago
4631/2 East 83rd Street
Chicago Illinois 60619
773-891-5679 (fax)
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