Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey says he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is resting at home with mild symptoms. Before Senate President Don Harmon decides whether to call for a vote on a bill to boost CTU's bargaining power before the legislative session expires Jan. 13, I hope he remembers what we've learned from Sarah Chambers' poolside tweets from Puerto Rico. The right-wing campaign, however, has failed to undermine support for teachers who are struggling, along with parents, with inadequate resources for online learning, the dangers of the pandemic and the indifference of school and city officials. Sign up and receive our latest news in your inbox. Chicago Teachers Union affiliations include the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), the Illinois State Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (ISFL-CIO), the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). There are things Lightfoot could do to show whos boss. Christel is our soul, and Maria is our heart. Receive news updates and information on the fight against the unsafe reopening of schools. The announcement came after 2021's tumultuous negotiations with Mayor Lori Lightfoot about school re-openings during the COVID-19 pandemic. General Meetings will be hybrid. During his tenure, clashes with Lightfoot led to three school shutdowns in the past three years, starting with a two-week strike during 2019 contract talks when the union pressed for an ambitious slate of proposals, including smaller class sizes, that went well beyond salary and benefits issues. But here I am, and I am forever grateful. The Abood decision has been overturned and its mourners are beside themselves. And remote instruction really isnt school. He was a producer, writer and narrator for the "Chicagoland" docu-series on CNN, and a consulting producer on the Showtime documentary, "16 Shots. [Students] have something to say! March 17, 2021 / 5:12 PM / CBS Chicago CHICAGO (CBS) -- Time. Davis Gates commended Sharkey for his leadership, especially following Lewis death last year. Movements have to change as people change, with new leaders and new vision stepping to the fore.I will not be leaving the movement, the labor struggle or this union. Lee later taught at the University of Maine at Farmington, founded the Women Studies Program there, and served as senior editor of theBeloit Poetry Journal, one of the countrys oldest and most respected poetry magazines. International Committee of the Fourth International, Sign up for the WSWS Educators Newsletter, attend and help build this public meeting, regardless of their familys health conditions, Chicago schools press ahead with reopening despite wide opposition among teachers and parents, Illinois high school student dies of COVID-19, Opposition mounts in US over deadly rush to restart in-person schooling. The fight to close unsafe schools and defend lives must be combined with a political struggle against both corporate-controlled parties and a socialist alternative to the capitalist profit system. Heres what you should know about school bonds before you go to the ballot box. Sharkey's full statement:I am not sure I would have believed anyone had they told me I would be where I am today back in 2010, when I was elected vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union. On Sunday, Chicago resident Arnold Herrera, a 19-year-old with no prior health problems, died of the disease. Lightfoot is a lawyer. Our original works in journalism and documentary, alongside creative writing and video, Chicago 2023 mayoral election: Former schools chief, teachers union organizer headed to runoff, In a tight mayoral race, Paul Vallas legacy as Chicago schools first CEO comes into focus, Gov. Still, he expressed confidence about the CTU's future without his leadership. My personal start came in 2004, when Chicago Public Schools - under mayoral control and led by CEO Arne Duncan - sought to close dozens of traditional neighborhood schools as part of its Renaissance 2010 plan.My school, Senn High School, was slated to be turned into a military academy. I dont think theres any reason for me to say anything further.. "Thankfully, my family is negative," he tweeted Wednesday . He dictates terms. Ron Huberman was CPS CEO. Delegates will vote whether to have both a delegates training and a House of Delegates meeting in March or just one or the other. And when we lost Karen, he held our hands, and he reassured us that we were still going to get where we needed to get. It comes amid several personal issues for Sharkey, the report said: His mother died in October 2020, his CTU predecessor and . In his statement, Sharkey called efforts to reopen schools a "brutal school reopening campaign" that followed his mother's October 2020 death. As reported byChicago City Wire, in the unions name,the group met with dictator Nicolas Maduros henchmen, including the Ministry of Communes, Ministry of Education, Adult Education Teachers, and students, as well as on-the-ground activists, praising the Maduro regime the entire time. If she does, she will find us to be a steadfast ally. A new report from Gov. Among Union officers, Stacy is to me what I was to Karen: a steady force that I have leaned on during the most turbulent of times. Smooth and cool., Photos: Northwestern loses to Penn State 68-65 in overtime, Nick Niego is back as Brother Rice stuns St. Rita. At least they're more upfront about their socialism in Chicago, where teacher union president Jesse Sharkey was a leading member of the revolutionary International Socialist Organization until the group's dissolution earlier this year. Licking its wounds after missing an opportunity to gouge the citys taxpayers viaMeasure EEin June, the union is back with The New Deal for Public Schools. Inspired by New York socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal, the UTLA plan is nothing more than a wealth-transfer gimmick which aims to close corporate tax loopholes, provide more green space on campuses, fight the corporate charter industrys influence in politics, and increase investments in adult education, early education, multilingual education, and special education. In other words, tax the rich, spend tons more money, establish more programs and eliminate charter schools. Sharkey said he never planned to serve more than a decade in union leadership. Gates listed fine arts education funding, sports funding, and an end to using standardized testing as the single defining metric for students educational progress as some of her primary goals for the union moving forward. By Matt Harvey and Tiffany Walden. Im not a lawyer. Our union mourns the passing of President Sharkeys mother, Lee Sharkey, Main Writers & Publishers Alliances scholarship fund, Evaluation of New District Teachers Without Tenure. All Rights Reserved. "I will not be leaving the movement, the labor struggle or this union. She could go to federal court and seek an injunction against CTU and force them back to work on behalf of the children who need them. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy Lee Sharkey was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1945. and Terms of Service apply. For example, she lashed out at Near North Side Ald. Hopkins was right. Jesse Sharkey (center) and his wife Julie Fain are seen in a family photo on a trip to Disneyland in 2020. I want her to lead, demand those children get back into school. asked Gates where she sees the role of youth in the movement to create a better school system for themselves and the educators that work with them. Heres How to See the Dazzling Duo, Vallas and Johnson Headed to Chicago Mayoral Runoff, Lightfoot Denied Second Term, At Least 2 Tornadoes Briefly Touch Down in Chicago Suburbs, 16-Year-Old Boy Among 3 Killed in Weekend Shootings Across Chicago: Police, Challengers Aim to Block a 2nd Lightfoot Term as Crime, Public Safety Dominate Mayoral and City Council Races. Most hypocritically, she will tell you that its just a coincidence that she abandoned New York City in 2012 for East Hampton, a very wealthy community on Long Islands south shore, thusavoiding paying $30,000 in city income taxes. Theres been almost no in-person learning for about a year. A lot of the things that motivated me to run, I think weve achieved.. I think if our community stays strong and our organizing stays strong, then her legacy will be assured going into the future.. The two are shown at a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Clergy Breakfast in Chicago in 2015. A stress fracture in his shin. Is it the $100 million in ventilation system upgrades that isn't good enough? But they dont work online. CTU's goal is a "negotiated agreement" that it can't get because, after dozens of meetings, CPS officials refuse to negotiate by "hiding behind" state law, Sharkey's letter says. One of those teachers was Karen Lewis, a bright and brilliant voice who would soon become known to our union, and our world, as a beloved and fearless union leader.At the time, I had no dreams of being a labor leader for the next decade. I suppose you could say that theres been remote learning in its place, but on the South and West sides where kids are being left behind, many students are not engaged online, as Jackson has acknowledged. Davis Gates said that if she is elected the unions next leader, she will let membership input inform her agenda and priorities. It was shocking for many - our enemies, especially - to see teachers take the lead. And they need space and nurturing and affirmation, Gates said. On Sunday evening, CPS CEO Janice Jackson admitted in her letter to Chicago aldermen that only 37 percent of parents of pre-K through eighth grade and special education students have stated intention to return for in-person learning. Hopkins has a penchant for letting his mouth run before he actually gets the facts, Lightfoot said. She was a graduate of Brandeis University and the Warren Wilson College MFA . Feb 02 2022 Feb 02 2022. Members First, a coalition of fed-up rank-and-file Chicago Teachers Union members, launched a campaign to oust union boss Jesse Sharkey (center) and vice president Stacy Davis Gates (left). Without her, more-reasonable people might've been duped into believing CTU's planned theatrics Monday when a handful of teachers taught online students in freezing temperatures rather than going inside empty classrooms because doing so made them "afraid for our lives. After his CTU tenure officially ends in June, Sharkey said he plans to return to the classroom and continue to be a part of the union as a rank-and-file member. But he says thats due to the CTUs highly democratic nature. You may also receive occasional messages from sponsors. According to the right-wing gutter press, teachers opposition to a return to in-person learning is not driven by concern for the well-being of educators, children and their parents, but a desire for more time off. She could say that schools were opened, and teachers didnt come to work, so she had no choice but to stop paying them. He also noted last years move by the state legislature to phase in an elected school board in Chicago a shift for which the union lobbied aggressively and which Lightfoot vocally opposed. In 2017, asked about his wealthy father-in-law, Sharkey said: 'We don't choose the . Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. Brian Hopkins, who called her out for her failure to stop the downtown looting that led to flight to the suburbs. The Windy Citys teachers union is on the verge of yet another strike. delayed students return to the classroom, phase in an elected school board in Chicago, Chicago Charter School Operations: Student Recruitment Workshop, Announcing Erikson Institutes Reimagined Masters in Early Childhood Education with Triple Endorsements, Teaching about the Asian American Experience: A Primer. I never planned on a decade-plus of union leadership, because I do not think that is the goal of movement work. Her voice cracked as she talked about Sharkeys decision to step down. Bargaining for the common good is really an attempt by teacher union elites to turn America socialist. capture the multifaceted essence of the Black experience in pursuit of truth and liberation. I am also mad at him because were already in an election cycle and I dont want this to be politicized because Jesse doesnt deserve that, she added. CHICAGO Please stop making threats against Chicago Teachers Union executive board member Sarah Chambers. She said CPS is trying to make things safe, establishing the same precautionary measures used by more than 100 Chicago private schools that have been open, and 2,000 day care centers that have been open since June. Community organizations in places like Brighton Park, Kenwood-Oakland, Pilsen and Logan Square, many of whom were doing this work long before our union, have grown even stronger.This country was built on the labor and sacrifice of women, and our sisters Stacy, Maria and Christel are ready to fight even harder for classrooms and communities with smart, bold and dependable leadership. In October 2014, he became acting President of the CTU after Karen Lewis stepped down as President due to illness. The choice between unions becoming more ecumenical or more radical has been made. On his own list of proudest accomplishments, Sharkey included the groundbreaking 2019 contract that mandated a social worker and nurse in every school by 2024, and a successful effort to unionize more charter school educators. When she ran for mayor, I admired many things about her, and still do. Who calls himself either a steadfast ally or an implacable foe? So I began organizing, and found a group of like-minded and strong-willed teachers doing the same. To make matters worse, public health experts believe the new, more virulent strain of the virus, which spreads particularly fast among young people, is already in Chicago, sparking the latest surge in cases. Photo courtesy of Sharkey [Facebook]. Hes the boss and his people are still getting paid. Some parents and union members have aired concerns that the CTU has become too combative or political, and Sharkeys caucus is facing a challenge in the upcoming union election. During Sharkeys tenure as vice president, the CTU launched a strike in 2012 its first in 25 years. But, he said, pointing to the 2019 contract and successful lobbying to remove limitations to CTUs bargaining power at the state legislature, it was under Jesse Sharkeys leadership as president that the union fulfilled the goals that had been set.. While Sharkey and the other CTU members declined to give any predictions as to who might run for president or who theyd want to see take on the role in particular, Sharkey was emphatic in his praise of Gates as a union leader. CTU President Jesse Sharkey wont seek re-election. Candidates have taken aim at Vallas, arguing he helped create Chicago schools current financial problems and laid the groundwork that led to the eventual closing of Black and Latino schools. Sharkey acknowledged the difficulties of the job, both politically and personally. Someone sent me CTU's action timeline for this month, which includes recommending teachers ditch school and "continue to work remotely," plans for a "special meeting" of the house of delegates and "escalated workplace actions" slated for Jan. 25. He said he made this decision before the strife with City Hall that led to classes being canceled for five days last month and before a group within the union launched a campaign to unseat Sharkey and other officers on May 20. At least theyre more upfront about their socialism in Chicago, where teacher union president Jesse Sharkey was aleading memberof the revolutionary International Socialist Organization until the groups dissolution earlier this year. That was not a time that I needed to be distracting people in the city or the membership., Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey rallies members and supporters on the first day of the teachers strike on Oct. 17, 2019. I will return to where my journey began: the classroom," Sharkey said. Jesse Sharkey won't be seeking re-election for a fifth term as president of the Chicago Teachers Union, he said Wednesday. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. "We should return to work in the schools pending one thing - and that one thing is a return-to-work agreement," CTU President. Jesse Sharkey, Larry Sand, Measure EE, Randi Weingarten, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles. Photos: Northwestern loses to Penn State 68-65 in overtime, Nick Niego is back as Brother Rice stuns St. Rita. In every case, they have waged a war, not against the Democratic Party and corporate school privatizers, but against the class consciousness of the working class, echoing claims of the Democrats that the essential division in America is race, not class. The installation of Chambers, former ISO leader and now-CTU President Jesse Sharkey, and other middle class pseudo-left elements has done nothing to change the anti-working class character of the CTU. Pre-meeting Q&A session will begin at 4:15 p.m. 2023 Chicago Teachers Union. He led us through that, Davis Gates told reporters. [Originally Published at the California Policy Center]. Its a difficult job, Im told, and Ive been doing it a long time. A broken ankle. "Everything about what they are doing is wrong," CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates once said in a statement. He said he has been mulling the decision to not seek reelection for several months, noting that an all-encompassing role has taken a toll, and becoming entrenched in the top position would go against the unions spirit. See the CPS Calendar page for more dates and information. Jesse Sharkey, the president of the Chicago Teachers Union, will step down at the end of his term this summer after two tumultuous decades of involvement in union leadership that saw the organization become a political powerhouse. Follow whats happening in Chicago schools in our newsletter, delivered every weekday. Sign up for our morning newsletter to get all of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday. CTU boss Jesse Sharkey is quietly leveraging the coronavirus crisis to lobby state senators to pass a bill that would improve the union's future bargaining power. The top two candidates to be Chicagos next mayor are headed to a runoff election. Visit the CPS calendar page for other dates and to download a PDF calendar. Under these conditions, there is immense opposition among educators and parents to the deadly reopening policy. Many have placed the blame on Lightfoot. In the run-up to the Janus decision . Commonsense Chicagoans need people like Chambers who didn't realize it was a bad idea to tweet a cheesecake selfie poolside from a COVID-19 hot spot the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says everybody should avoid on the same day she decried the dangers of teaching in socially distant classrooms. Sharkey said he will return to the classroom in the fall, though when asked about a possible mayoral run, he did not rule out that possibility. We were a group of educators whose schools were being closed, meeting at protests, public hearings and the Chicago Board of Education in defense of our classrooms and colleagues. 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