Some Chicago Teachers stab their Union in the Back: They side with Politics instead of the Union

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Teachers at three small public schools have voted to sign a waiver to opt out of their teacher's contract. Though not negotiated yet between the School Board and Teachers, the three schools' teachers will work an extra 90 minutes a day.

In turn, through a deal with Mayor Rahm Emanuel's new School Chief Jean-Claude Brizard, the teachers get a bonus which comes out to about $3-$4 an hour for the extra time worked.

How's that for setting unionization back about a century?

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Originally posted by ChicagOpinion
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Teachers at three small public schools have voted to sign a waiver to opt out of their teacher's contract. Though not negotiated yet between the School Board and Teachers, the three schools' teachers will work an extra 90 minutes a day.

In turn, through a deal with Mayor Rahm Emanuel's new School Chief Jean-Claude Brizard, the teachers get a bonus which comes out to about $3-$4 an hour for the extra time worked.

How's that for setting unionization back about a century?

You can read more here: www.examiner.com...

I carry a Union Card. With it comes politics. My Union communications to me and all its members are political communications. I vote and I act according to my politics, just as the Union seeks to have me vote and act in accordance with its politics.

Sometimes the politics are the same, and sometimes they are in conflict.

That is hardly "back-stabbing."

They get a 2% raise. Woe is them. The community wants it, the kids need it, the city is 750 million in the hole. Im glad to see someone man-up and do what's right by the kids. Their day is only 5 and half hours long. 15% below national average. I think the raise and the 150k each school is getting is more than generous.

Finally, freedom for teachers from their stupid unions to make their own decisions.

These three schools are for gifted students in fine arts or science and have excellent student scores. They have been teaching 7 instructional periods per day and about 75 minutes less per day (school starts at 9:15am instead of the typical 8:00 am) than the standard Chicago school, so adding 90 minutes per day makes them comparable to the other schools. This extra time is added to each of the periods to get increased teaching time per class with some extra time midday for multiple lunch periods.

Good job for these teachers!

These three schools are for gifted students in fine arts or science and have excellent student scores. They have been teaching 7 instructional periods per day and about 75 minutes less per day (school starts at 9:15am instead of the typical 8:00 am) than the standard Chicago school, so adding 90 minutes per day makes them comparable to the other schools. This extra time is added to each of the periods to get increased teaching time per class with some extra time midday for multiple lunch periods.

From what you are saying, the teachers at the three schools are simply catching up to the other schools' schedules and getting bonuses for doing so.

That doesn't sound right. The other schools are being asked to add 90 minutes per school day to their school day as well - which will put them 90 minutes ahead of these schools again.

Something doesn't add up with your comment because the teachers shouldn't get bonuses for working as many hours as the others - but only if they are working more hours than the others. The way I read it, the 'union breakers' got the bonuses for agreeing to work 'more' time than the others.

The extra time, according to the sources, says that the added time is also to put recess in the schedule - not only lunch. That doesn't allow a whole lot of time to extend the academic portion of the day.

Furthermore, if any of these teachers end up teaching at a 'standard' Chicago Public School someday, they aren't going to be very welcome or popular with the teachers at those schools. They broke the unity that is needed for big city school teachers to get anything these days for all they do.

edit on 3-9-2011 by ChicagOpinion because: (no reason given)