(The Center Square) – The Chicago Teachers Union announced Monday evening that it has reached a “Historic Tentative Agreement” with the city’s public school system.
Union officials said in social media posts that the contract would be “a major leap forward in transforming Chicago Public Schools.”
Negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement between CPS and CTU began in spring of 2024.
In an emailed statement, the union said conservatives will be “big mad” because of the terms.
“The right-wing is already shouting that teachers are receiving too much because they don’t believe in seeing women’s work honored or children of color invested in through public schools,” the email from CYU leadership said.
“They’re going to be big mad because this agreement builds on 2012, 2016, and 2019 in profound ways. Kids get recess, kindergarten classes with 23 students get a Teacher Assistant and there will be smaller class sizes at nearly every level,” it continued. “There will be 70 Sustainable Community Schools – expanded from 20, and an agreement to work with all available agencies to prioritize finding housing for our unhoused students. Almost 100 librarians will be hired and our PSRPs will see new equity measures in this agreement. The equivalent of nearly 20 additional prep time minutes per day will be added for elementary teachers over the course of the school year. There are major overhauls to evaluation that speak directly to the disparity mostly felt by Black female educators, and an end to ‘alphabet hell’ in our salary schedules.”
The previous deal expired June 30, 2024. CTU’s House of Delegates is expected to consider the tentative agreement Wednesday.
