Today’s Chicago Tribune reports
that once the teachers' strike ends the Chicago Public Schools will
consider closing between 80 and 120 neighborhood schools on the South
and West Sides. Except for Board of Education member Mahalia Hines, the Tribune cites anonymous sources and both the office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS say they have no such plans.
But,
according to Stacy Davis Gates, legislative and political director for
the Chicago Teachers Union, “This rumor has been coursing for a while
and we believe it, which is why we are pushing for a strong recall
policy.” Both CPS and CTU say that a recall policy for recently laid off
teachers is a sticking point in negotiations. CTU fears that school
closings plus implementation of a teacher evaluation plan could mean CPS could let go of thousands of tenured teachers. Read more »
