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Karen Lewis, former president of the Chicago Teachers Union, dies at 67
On February 7, Karen Lewis, the former president of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), died at the age of 67. Lewis, who retained the title of CTU president emerita, had been diagnosed in October 2014 with glioblastoma, a type of aggressive brain cancer. She officially stepped down from her union role in 2018, turning the office over to CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey, who had been named acting president after Lewis’ diagnosis.
Lewis’ death prompted an outpouring of sympathy and warm recollections from the corporate media, fellow union officials and others. Stacy Davis Gates, the current CTU vice president, referred to her as “the most transformative leader that the city has seen in this century.” Jacobin, the semi-official publication of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), has posted no less than four articles on Lewis as of this writing, while failing to post a single article on last week’s
After teachers overwhelmingly approved a union resolution to continue teaching remotely, CPS CEO Janice Jackson announced the return of K-8 educators would be delayed to Wednesday.
Chicago Public Schools brands collective action to stop in-person learning “illegal”
To close schools and fully fund remote learning, Chicago educators have formed the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee. This committee is independent of the CTU and Democratic Party and aims to unite educators, parents, students and the broader working class to prepare strike action to close all schools and nonessential workplaces. We call on all Chicago educators, parents and students to join our committee at
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On Thursday morning, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Chief Talent Officer Matt Lyons issued a highly provocative letter threatening Chicago educators that any “collective failure” to return for in-person instruction “constitutes an illegal strike.”
Chicago educators form independent rank-and-file committee to fight school reopenings
Close schools and nonessential production until the pandemic is contained! Full income protection to all!
this Saturday, January 23, at 12 p.m. Central Time.
For months, the Democratic Party, which controls all the levers of political power in Chicago and Illinois, has been on a collision course with teachers, parents and the broader working class across the city and the state. Despite the uncontrolled spread of the novel coronavirus and countless national and international studies pointing to the dangers of opening schools, Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot are resuming in-person instruction.