Another Perspective

Yes, the Chicago Teachers are on strike and the kids, sadly, aren't in the classroom. 

There are plenty of innuendos flying around about both sides of the equation.  Critics of the union simply say there is no reason to strike, teachers already make too much, they should take what is offered and the mere fact that the union exists is what is wrong with public education.

The union participants say they want to see class sizes reduced, they want some say in how teacher evaluations are designed and implemented, and they are concerned about what happens to teachers who are laid off in the face of school closings.  Of course there are issues with benefits and pensions.

Allow me to weigh as I have gone into the schools on multiple occasions and know conditions in a number or neighborhoods. 

I can tell you this...too many classrooms are crowded and there are plenty of rooms where the only air to breathe is the hot air left from the previous day.   The fact that teacher evaluations are tied to student test performance is not a small issue and anyone who has seriously studied it realizes that only a portion of test performance is related to teacher instruction.

Even more important are the issues a good number of children bring to school which are very real.  We shouldn't kid ourselves, handling these the concerns that show up when a child enters the room are serious.  I know a family where three family members have been killed and there are six siblings attending school.  Rest assured, the teachers are faced with real challenges in working with these six children.  There are plenty of these types of concerns throughout the city.

I can attest to the fact that the challenges by the Chicago Teachers aren't dreamed up...they're real and need to be addressed in order to move forward.

Dick