May 11, 2012

Dear Local 4343 Members,

On May 9, 2012, the Executive Committee of our Local discussed HB 4277 which, if passed, would potentially increase funding for charter schools.  While we all agreed that increased funding is something that could be beneficial to our schools, we also understand we are in a distinctly different position than most charter schools in the city of Chicago because we are unionized and we have a voice in our schools.  Most charter schools in Chicago, approximately 92% of them do not have unions, and thus do not have the opportunity to engage in discussions about and influence how new dollars could be allocated to best impact student learning and ensure high quality teachers.

After much discussion, the following position statement was developed by the Executive Committee of Local 4343:

The Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, Local 4343, will not endorse House Bill 4277 because the bill, as it stands, does not guarantee that this additional funding will directly benefit students and teachers.  Without proper accountability and transparent fiscal reporting among charter school operators we cannot support this bill

We are forwarding this position statement to the Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

In Solidarity,

Rebecca Foote

Chicago ACTS Local 4343 Secretary

In 2008, when teachers from the three CICS-Civitas Schools began meeting with organizers from Chicago ACTS, we were seeking to resolve specific problems at our schools: excessive teaching load, at-will employment, an arbitrary pay scale and teachers quitting in disgust. As we went through the long process of forming our union, and battling Chicago International Charter Schools and the management company, Civitas, over our ability to do so, it started to occur to us that union representation is about more than solving specific workplace problems.  We realized that when it comes down to it, there is no compelling reason that all authority over working conditions should lie in the hands of a small group of people in a school community.

There may be some value to “teacher advisory boards” and the like, but employers at non-union schools ultimately hold the power.  Teachers can ask nicely for whatever they need, but the employer can say “no” to anything.  When the teachers are represented by a union, half the power over deciding wages, hours, and working conditions lies in the hands of the teachers, and half lies in the hands of the employer.  The two sides then meet to create a mutually agreeable, legally binding document governing those issues.

 So what does a mutually agreeable, legally binding document – a union contract – look like for teachers?

Join us on May 19th for Rethinking Punishment, our latest professional development workshop for charter school teachers.  Taught by current classroom teachers, this workshop will offer participants a chance to learn from one another in a supportive and informal atmosphere.

Read more about this workshop here and find out about upcoming workshops here.

Current and former ASPIRA teachers showed their support for changes to the school leadership at the school's board meeting Monday.  After witnessing years of low student performance, high teacher turnover and lack of administration accountability, the teachers - who formed a union with Chicago ACTS two years ago - asked the board to take steps towards creating a learning environment that serves students and families and maintains high teacher retention.  The board later voted 5-4 to replace the school's CEO, Jose Rodriguez. Read the Sun-Times coverage here.

In her statement to the board, Samantha Kipp, president of the school's union, said:

"We do not believe ASPIRA provides teachers with a framework so we can educate our students with excellence. Nor do we feel that ASPIRA is currently providing its students with what they need to learn and grow in the best way possible. We need your leadership to help ASPIRA remedy these deficiencies. We are imploring the board of ASPIRA to take these issues seriously and decide to do whatever you believe you need to do to make ASPIRA a place where positive changes can take place.  We need a new vision at ASPIRA.  We want to be a part of making ASPIRA what it set out to be in the beginning:  a place with schools that are a model of academic excellence."