In the last few weeks Chicago papers have had editorials blasting Chicago Public Schools’ poor performance and declining enrollment, a result of the Chicago Teachers Union. Such writings praise individual teachers, but criticize the CTU. The teachers are the CTU! Let’s respect the teachers enough not to see them as a flock of sheep.
I am no fan of the current union leadership ... too acrimonious for me. However, over the years, the CTU has made gains to benefit teachers, schools and ultimately students. The CTU has been blamed for keeping schools closed during the pandemic. It’s never wrong to make a decision based on maintaining health and safety. If you’ve worked in a school, you know that working with 30 6-year-olds who may sneeze in your face is not the same as working in an office with 30 adults.
