Chicago Teachers Union

This month, Marilyn Stewart of the Chicago Teachers Union asks in her President's Message:

So why then, when it comes to revisions within the education community, are teachers never consulted as the decisions are being made? Why do school administrators turn to the business community for direction on education reform but never ask the teachers and the support personnel who work in the classrooms? Why are decisions made that will throw the lives of both students and teachers up in the air, without the slightest input from the folks who are closest to the situation each and every day?

I think that this question is a very good question on its face.  Teachers should certainly be consulted as to educational reform measures taken by a district because teachers are a necessary part of the educational process for Chicago's kids and teachers know as well as anyone what works.

But what Ms. Stewart says isn't exactly what she means. Her real question is not "Why are teachers not consulted?" but is, instead, "Why is the Chicago Teachers Union not consulted when reform is considered?"  That is an easy question to answer. 

It is well accepted that a significant portion of Chicago's non-charter, non-contract public schools are failing.  Anyone who views the state of Chicago's schools with a fair eye realizes that the existing system requires serious reform, from the amount of time spent in the classroom to the manner in which funds are distributed. Rather than coming up with alternatives to ideas proposed by the administration, however, the reaction of the CTU to any suggestion of reform is to defend the status quo to the death or demand more money be funnelled into the current broken system.  This is no way to make progress in improving the lot of Chicago's schoolchildren.  It begs the question, why should the education community consult with the Chicago Teachers Union when the CTU refuses to engage in constructive debate? 

For an example of the CTU's failure to act constructively, simply look at its Home Page:  On the home page, the very first headline is:

(1) "Volunteer to Defeat Ren 2010"  which when you click on the link allows teachers to donate their time gathering signatures or lobbying parents and legislators to defeat the Chicago Public School reform measure

It seems to me that a more constructive use of member's volunteer time would be volunteering to tutor struggling children after school or, at the very least, asking the members to volunteer their time to create a reform alternative to Rennaissance 2010.  The CTU, however, un-constructively asks its members to volunteer their time to defeat 2010, all the while proposing no reform measure of its own.  Until the CTU decides to act constructively, it should continue to expect reformers in the education community to completely ignore its whiny demands.

-tre

Comments

[RAM]

Another answer to Ms. Stewart's question: Why aren't teachers consulted regarding school reforms?

BECAUSE THE UNION WON'T ALLOW IT. I am sure the District or the various task forces charged with addressing the problems with public schools would love to have frank and honest input from teachers -- except I'm also quite sure the Union would never allow any such input to be "frank and honest." Rather, I'm sure the Union would insist on having Union reps accompany the teachers to "advise" (read: filter whatever they say through the CTU party line).