Now that the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has approved a new four-year contract, CPS/CEO Arne Duncan Thursday endorsed a proposed plan where the corporate community would reimburse teachers who upgraded their skills.
It was an idea promoted by CPS Officer James Deanes during an interview on WVON's Cliff Kelley show.
Deanes called on Chicago's corporate community to help finance a teacher reimbursement plan to serve as an incentive for instructors to either continue their education or fine-tune their skills.
Duncan made his remarks during a press conference held at Gallery 37, 72 E. Randolph, where, joined by Chicago Parks District Gen. Supt. David Doig, Nancy Wachs, executive director of After School Matters, Jerry Siegel, president/CEO of the Midway Moving & Storage, Renae Ogletree, director of the Youth Division for the Department of Human Services, Gil Walker from CHA, he endorsed the city of Chicago's "Asks Teens to `Holla Back'" program that provides after school programs, Duncan said while the CPS "has a pool of money" to help teachers improve their education, it isn't across the board.
Duncan said "there's common interest" in working with the corporate community "and we should be working together with the teachers to increase that sum ($4 million) of money.
"There is no reason why we can't increase that," Duncan said. "Whether that is done by the corporate side or is part of the common legislative agenda where you go to Springfield and ask for some state help in these area" it should be done.
"There is huge interests in having the most educated work forcepossible," he said. "We have an aging workforce, and these younger generation of teachers coming in who're energetic and may want to get their Master's or Ph.D., and we need to pull out all of those stops to work together to better support them."
Duncan said he wants to work with the CTU to "improve the working conditions of our teachers" and said lobbying the corporate community, which has a vested interest in helping to develop a better skilled jobs bank, is the way to go.
But, he, Mayor Daley, Alds. Manuel Flores (1st), Toni Preckwinkle (4th), Freddrenna M. Lyle (6th), Todd H. Stroger (8th), and Ed H. Smith (28th) praised the teachers for approving their contract which averted a strike.
The CTU voted 15,104 (54 percent) in favor of the contract and 12,599 against it. Daley said their actions clearly sent a message that "our children and their education comes first. It was also a vote of thanks to our taxpayers who the schools."
Duncan told the Chicago Defender, "We want to make sure our teachers feel appreciated because all too often our teacgers feel unappreciated and siarespected. I challenge the media to focus on some of the teachers who are doing a good job," said Duncan praising the Chicago Defender's Bud Billiken Section which highlights teachers and students.
CTU President Deborah Lynch said: "While we are proud of the gains we have made in this contract, the largest salary increases in ten-years, a commitment to lower class sizes in kindergarten and first grade, and additional compensation for paraprofessionals and veteran teachers...we will continue to demand and fight for the respect, payment and benefits that teachers deserve."
Article copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.
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