The Union greatly mourns her passing. Davis Gates, who taught in one of those shuttered buildings, said union members were demoralized in the closures aftermath. Sharkey also reflected on the loss of former CTU president Karen Lewis, who died a year ago this month. Jesse Sharkey was mentored by and served as vice president under the late former CTU President Karen Lewis. He said he made this decision before the strife with City Hall that led to classes being canceled for five days last month and before a group within the union launched a campaign to unseat Sharkey and other officers on May 20. There has been no in-person school for almost a year. There are things Lightfoot could do to show whos boss. All it would take is a state Senate confirmation and Gov. Lightfoot is a lawyer. Sharkey announced Wednesday that he will step down when his term expires June 30. By Larry Sand. He served as the unions top leader multiple times while Lewis dealt with health struggles, and was elected to the presidency in 2019. I never planned on a decade-plus of union leadership, because I do not think that is the goal of movement work. On October 9, when Chicago Teachers Union vice president Jesse Sharkey stepped to a podium to announce that the fiery Karen Lewis was suffering . Brian Hopkins, who called her out for her failure to stop the downtown looting that led to flight to the suburbs. My youngest son, now an underclassman in high school, was a toddler when I first took office. Robert Bruno, an expert in labor relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a close observer of the Chicago Teachers Union, said Karen Lewis conceived the unions more expansive, aggressive stance at the bargaining table and beyond. Privacy Policy. Jesse Lee Sofferthe talent behind Chicago P.D.'s former Det. He will return to the classroom as an educator. "Movements have to change as people change, with new leaders and new vision stepping to the fore.". Chambers deserves better. International Committee of the Fourth International, Sign up for the WSWS Educators Newsletter, attend and help build this public meeting, regardless of their familys health conditions, Chicago schools press ahead with reopening despite wide opposition among teachers and parents, Illinois high school student dies of COVID-19, Opposition mounts in US over deadly rush to restart in-person schooling. Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Jesse Sharkey will resign from his role at the helm of the union when his fourth term ends in late June. My wife, Julie, has stood beside me and experienced all the stress and heartache that I have felt in nearly two decades of this work. Part of my stepping down is out of confidence in her leadership ability, and that the CTU will continue to be in good hands.. See the CPS Calendar page for more dates and information. Teachers confront a political battle against the Democratic Party, which no less than the Republican Party speaks for Wall Street. And while he thinks the challenges of COVID-19 have prompted CTU leaders to take tough stances, he says the need to stand firm predates the pandemic. We expect students and staff to be in school on Monday, she said. To get paid, they have to show up. We urge you to attend an online meetingon Thursday at 7 p.m. CST to form an Illinois Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee. Yet teachers are getting paid. He is very, very, very far-left and he is the lead labor representative of an organization with a $7.7B budget, funded mostly by property . This is despite a citywide infection rate of over 10 percent. For example, AFT president Randi Weingarten, a long-time class warrior, strongly supported the Tax the Rich Bus Tour. Many have placed the blame on Lightfoot. The Abood decision has been overturned and its mourners are beside themselves. I understand that was insensitive and wrong of me to go on this trip for winter break and for me to share photos of it at a time when thousands of my union sisters and brothersand the families we serveare refraining from travel or making only essential plans outside of the home. She instilled in her son the importance of compassion, a strong sense of justice and a commitment to the greater good. By Matt Harvey and Tiffany Walden. CTU President Jesse Sharkey Had Hand In Writing CPS Letter Announcing High School Return Date -- So Why Did CTU Go On To Slam It? I dont think theres any reason for me to say anything further.. Sharkey said he will return to the classroom in the fall, though when asked about a possible mayoral run, he did not rule out that possibility. I want her to stop taking slaps from Sharkey as if shes helpless. Before Senate President Don Harmon decides whether to call for a vote on a bill to boost CTU's bargaining power before the legislative session expires Jan. 13, I hope he remembers what we've learned from Sarah Chambers' poolside tweets from Puerto Rico. Union leadership expressed dissatisfaction with Mayor Lori Lightfoot's earlier refusal to add ten paid teaching days . He officially succeeded Lewis in 2018 and his Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) won reelection in 2019. This past January brought five days of canceled classes in a bruising clash with Lightfoot over coronavirus protocols, which resulted in an agreement members narrowly approved and some criticized as falling short. They can ignore the data. It was tough., Down to Business: Helping children learn to communicate empowers whole family, speech-language pathologist says, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. If she does not, she will find us to be an implacable foe.. Infection rates are closer to 20 percent in working class neighborhoods where low-wage workers are forced to work, rely on mass transit and live in large, multigenerational households. We had a Board of Education that had really developed a unilateral way of dealing with teachers and parents a series of mayors, Daley, Rahm, Lightfoot, who werent interested in bargaining or negotiating with us at all. It comes amid several personal issues for Sharkey, the report said: His mother died in October 2020, his CTU predecessor and . Visit the CPS calendar page for other dates and to download a PDF calendar. These committees, which have already been established in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Texas and other states, are fighting to unite teachers with the broadest sections of the working class to shut down schools and nonessential production and fully compensate workers and small business owners. Current hero: John Brown With nearly all precincts reporting, former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas and teachers union organizer Brandon Johnson are headed to a runoff to be Chicagos next mayor on April 4. Since then, the unions engaged in multiple actions, including as recently as this winter during a debate over COVID-19 safety protocols. (She was) fearless, willing to lift up the voice of the voiceless, someone who stood for Black Chicago, who stood against racism in our schools, who stood for a vision of public education. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy CTU's goal is a "negotiated agreement" that it can't get because, after dozens of meetings, CPS officials refuse to negotiate by "hiding behind" state law, Sharkey's letter says. Sharkey served as vice president of the union under Karen Lewis from 2010 to 2014 before she stepped down due to illness. whats happening in Black Chicago. It has been a partnership that has challenged me to be better, to be thoughtful, to take my time. two tumultuous decades of involvement in union leadership, a recent standoff over COVID safety protocols, a two-week strike during 2019 contract talks. A new report from Gov. Based on what shes heard from the unions rank and file recently, she said she wants to give an overwhelmingly female membership a forum to advocate for themselves as women and mothers contending with their own child care challenges. Photo: Chris Strong. Sharkey stressed the standoff had nothing to do with his decision to step down. He took over the top job in 2018 from Lewis, who died last year after a battle with brain cancer. Receive news updates and information on the fight against the unsafe reopening of schools. All Rights Reserved. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune). On Sunday, Chicago resident Arnold Herrera, a 19-year-old with no prior health problems, died of the disease. He did throw his support behind CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates, whom he praised as our unions most effective spokesperson, our unions best strategist., CTU President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates share a hug after announcing on Oct. 30, 2019, that they'd reached a tentative deal with Mayor Lori LIghtfoot to end the two-week teachers strike. The reopening, he said, would not work if the district simply continues to dictate to us, and admitted the city was not willing to commit to a public health metric for reopening, like a threshold COVID-19 positivity rate. Lightfoot gave them a rich contract after a strike in 2019. ", a COVID-19 hot spot the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says everybody should avoid, CTU Loses Credibility Blaming Push For Reopening School On Racism, Mom's Cookie Recipe Brings Cheer To Sad Coronavirus Christmas, Reflections On 155 Episodes Of Pritzker Daily Pandemic Spin Show, Anjanette Young Is My Chicagoan Of Year Amid Turmoil Of 2020, Too Many Secrets Allow Chicago's Misdeeds To Keep Festering. In all fairness, the rich do have ways to mitigate part of their tax burden that may not be available to the rest of us. @CTULocal1 prez, dad of two, married to @juliefain. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left;width:100%;font-weight:normal;}, Beyond Chicago from the Air with Geoffrey Baer, The Great Chicago Fire: A Chicago Stories Special, Stacy Davis Gates Wins Election to Become Next CTU President, Jesse Sharkey, President of Chicago Teachers Union, Not Running For Reelection, Gov. Without her, more-reasonable people might've been duped into believing CTU's planned theatrics Monday when a handful of teachers taught online students in freezing temperatures rather than going inside empty classrooms because doing so made them "afraid for our lives. Davis Gates commended Sharkey for his leadership, especially following Lewis death last year. [Originally Published at the California Policy Center]. J.B. Pritzker releases report on services for youth mental health, Six education issues to follow during the Illinois legislative session, Chicago Public Schools will add, upgrade security cameras in bold investment over the next three years. The incident revealed the essence of the CTU, which falsely claims to represent more than 30,000 educators in the nations third-largest school district. Lee later taught at the University of Maine at Farmington, founded the Women Studies Program there, and served as senior editor of theBeloit Poetry Journal, one of the countrys oldest and most respected poetry magazines. The next time you hear about the Red for Ed movement, please keep in mind that all too often this is not just a group of teachers trying to advance their profession. Shouldnt Chicago just get it over with now and make Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey the mayor? I think its time for me to do something different, Sharkey explained. My personal start came in 2004, when Chicago Public Schools - under mayoral control and led by CEO Arne Duncan - sought to close dozens of traditional neighborhood schools as part of its Renaissance 2010 plan.My school, Senn High School, was slated to be turned into a military academy. There's what CTU leaders say publicly, and what they're really up to. CHICAGO Jesse Sharkey, the president of the Chicago Teachers Union, will step down at the end of his term this summer after two tumultuous decades of involvement in union leadership that saw the organization become a political powerhouse. Sharkey said he never planned to serve more than a decade in union leadership. delayed students return to the classroom, phase in an elected school board in Chicago, Chicago Charter School Operations: Student Recruitment Workshop, Announcing Erikson Institutes Reimagined Masters in Early Childhood Education with Triple Endorsements, Teaching about the Asian American Experience: A Primer. The CTU has been a trailblazer for the career opportunities of other left union reformers in Los Angeles, New York and other cities. After his CTU tenure officially ends in June, Sharkey said he plans to return to the classroom and continue to be a part of the union as a rank-and-file member. And they get paid anyway. Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey rallies members and supporters on the first day of the teachers strike on Oct. 17, 2019. To prevent the reopening of schools, Chicago educators must organize independently of the CTU through the formation of an Illinois Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, which will unite educators, parents, students and the broader working class, to prepare strike action to close all schools and nonessential workplaces. In Chicago, district officials have ordered all pre-K through eighth grade teachers without approved medical exceptions back into buildings this month, regardless of their familys health conditions, and threatened those who do not return with dismissal. Read More CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 31: Chicago Teachers Union president Jesse Sharkey addresses the media at City Hall after the announcement of a deal to end an 11 day teachers strike on October 31, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. On December 31, Chicago news station WGN published social media posts by Chicago Teachers Union Area Vice President Sarah Chambers enjoying a vacation in Puerto Rico just days before thousands of. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to providing the information families and educators need, but this kind of work isnt possible without your help. In a lengthy statement, Sharkey thanked . (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune), Jesse Sharkey was mentored by and served as vice president under the late former CTU President Karen Lewis. We'll probably never know because the CTU officials continually make vague proclamations about what's wrong with the Chicago public school plan without evidence to back it up. Sign up for our morning newsletter to get all of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday. In an effort at damage control, Chambers, who at first defended her actions, issued a statement of contrition and announced she would step back from the CTU executive board, at least temporarily. TAGS:#RedforED, Alex Caputo-Pearl, Arlene Inouye, bargaining for the common good, California Federation of Teachers, International Socialist Organization, Jesse Sharkey, Larry Sand, socialism, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles, TAGS:Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, American Federation of Teachers, International Socialist Organization, Janus ruling, Jesse Sharkey, Larry Sand, Measure EE, Randi Weingarten, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles, TAGS:American Federation of Teachers, Bernie Sanders, California Teachers Association, Chicago Teachers Union, Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton, Janus v. AFSCME, Jesse Sharkey, Larry Sand, National Education Association, socialism, teachers union, TAGS:AFSCME, Alex Caputo-Pearl, American Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Chicago Teachers Union, Janus v. AFSCME, Jesse Sharkey, Larry Sand, LAUSD, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, seiu, stare decisis, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles, TAGS:American Federation of Teachers, Bruce Rauner, California Teachers Association, Chicago public schools, Chicago Teachers Union, International Socialist Organization, Jesse Sharkey, Karen Lewis, Larry Sand, pension pick-up, Rahm Emanuel, Teach For America, teacher pay, teachers union, Troy Senik, TAGS:American Federation of Teachers, Eric Owens, Janet Napolitano, Jesse Sharkey, Larry Sand, National Education Association, Teach For America, teachers union, university of california. So I began organizing, and found a group of like-minded and strong-willed teachers doing the same. I was just a teacher whose school had been threatened with closure, and I was surrounded by educators in similar situations who were fed up with conditions in CPS. I remain confident in my decision to move on because our union is strong, with not only capable leadership and staff, but more than 25,000 members and a deep bench of activists stretching from Austin to the lake, and from Howard Street to the 10th Ward.We have faced budget cuts, pension insecurity, a pandemic and a revolving door of CPS CEOs, but throughout it all, we gained invaluable experience and changed the narrative around public education in Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). We have students recognizing the power of their voice, and their action, to fight for the schools and the city they deserve. Watch David Norths remarks commemorating 25 years of the World Socialist Web Site and donate today. Jesse Sharkey, the president of the Chicago Teachers Union, will step down at the end of his term this summer after two tumultuous decades of involvement in union leadershipthat saw the. A broken ankle. At times, his blunt approach could rankle City Hall, such as when he called Mayor Lori Lightfoot relentlessly stupid and relentlessly stubborn during a recent standoff over COVID safety protocols after winter break. Zoom links will be provided in the week leading to the meeting. We urge you to send us your contact information todayand make plans to attend this important meeting. Both have deep experience in public education, but differ on many key challenges facing the school district. CTU President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates share a hug after announcing on Oct. 30, 2019, that they'd reached a tentative deal with Mayor Lori LIghtfoot to end the two-week teachers strike. Since she was elected, shes gone out of her way to pick fights with certain aldermen and other political straw dogs who couldnt hurt her. In reality, she is a card-carrying member of the dreaded 1 percent class. On his own list of proudest accomplishments, Sharkey included the groundbreaking 2019 contract that mandated a social worker and nurse in every school by 2024, and a successful effort to unionize more charter school educators. When talking recently about trying to convince the union to go back to work, Lightfoot seemed bone-tired, frazzled, weakened. A broken ankle. In every case, they have waged a war, not against the Democratic Party and corporate school privatizers, but against the class consciousness of the working class, echoing claims of the Democrats that the essential division in America is race, not class. We hope that the new mayor makes good on her promises to transform our public schools, said Sharkey after winning reelection as the unions boss. The announcement came during a Zoom press conference on Wednesday morning where Sharkey, Vice President Stacy Davis Gates and a select few CTU officers shared their thoughts on Sharkeys time as president with a few members of the media. Using the account name Sarah4Justice, Chambers, who was there along with CTU grievance coordinator Sara Echevarria, created posts oblivious to these conditions, not to mention the struggle of Puerto Rican teachers against the impact of hurricanes, earthquakes and savage austerity. And she noted Sharkey himself might choose to run. The first day of the CTU has been a trailblazer for the career opportunities of other left union in! Online meetingon Thursday at 7 p.m. CST to form an Illinois Educators safety. Slaps from Sharkey as if shes helpless closures aftermath classroom as an educator teachers on. 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