CORE is organizing a campaign against the “20-Day Rule” that has been implemented for years in the Chicago Public Schools. The rule allows schools to open or close positions as late as the twentieth day of the school year. Many students are left without a teacher for the first weeks of school while some teachers find that they will not have a job for the remainder of the school year at that point.
CORE launched the campaign at the Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates. The leadership of the Union would not allow the item to be a part of regular business, so CORE petitioned the CTU delegates to hold a special meeting to discuss the issue. The meeting was granted. This was a well-attended meeting at Dunbar High School on May 19, 2009. The policy was debated. One CTU staffer commended the meeting as being one of the best delegate meetings of the year. At the meeting, CORE presented the following motion to the leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union:
Motion
Be it resolved that the Chicago Teachers Union mount a campaign for implementation of the following changes to the CPS staffing policy:
1. Allot teachers according to the number of students in each grade, not the number of students per level.
2. Instant staffing: create and fill positions as soon as student enrollment justifies.
3. No reductions in staff once the school year starts.
4. Staff full-day kindergartens, where they exist.
5. Increase the number of social workers, counselors, tutors, nurses, mentors, PSRPs and/or advocates allocated to schools with large numbers of economically disadvantaged students.
Be it further resolved that the Chicago Teachers Union campaign include the following elements:
1. Address the above issues in strategic bargaining and report back to the House
2. Mobilize to address these issues at Board of Education meetings
3. Write letters to newspapers, blogs, etc. about the harm these policies do to education
4. Hold press conferences decrying these policies
5. Solicit narratives about how education is hurt by these CPS policies
6. Survey school staffing practices
At the May 27, 2009 Board of Education Meeting, CORE Treasurer Carol Caref gave testimony to the members of the Board about the issues that arise due to the “20 Day Rule.”
Carol then e-mailed her testimony to Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools, Ron Huberman; Chief Educational Officer, Barbara Eason-Watkins; Officer of High School Teaching and Learning, Michael Lach; and Rachel Resnick, Chief Labor Relations Officer.
The following is the e-mail Carol sent, which reflected the remarks she gave at the Board meeting:
As in years past, this September, students will be encouraged to attend school from day one, to start the year off right. However many of these same students will have a rocky start to their year. They will be subject to program changes, overcrowded classes, and/or substitute teachers. You Ron Huberman, and you, Board of Education members, can make a simple policy change that will guarantee a smooth start for thousands of students.
Current CPS practice is to open and close teaching positions as late as October. Last year, on September 30, 132 positions in 59 schools were closed. CPS is allowed to do this by state law, but it is not compelled to do so. I respectfully submit that students would be much better served if teachers in place on day one stayed in place the entire school year. Yes, eliminating teachers because enrolment turned out to be lower than expected does save money. But is the chaos caused when teachers are laid off after the school year starts worth it? And does it really save money, or does it just shift expenses to summer school or after school programs which might not have been necessary if the school had gotten off to a good start?
Last September 30, 159 positions in 82 schools were opened. Again, I respectfully submit that there is no reason not to open positions immediately. The policy should be that when Impact shows enrollment sufficient to justify another teaching position, that position should be opened and filled as soon as possible.
Finally, at one point, Arne Duncan agreed with these ideas. In a September, 2004, letter to CTU president Marilyn Stewart, he stated that schools would no longer be subject to the 20th day reduction in force, and that positions would be opened at the earliest stages of the school year. Let’s get the 2009-2010 school year off to a good start by keeping staff in place from day one and staffing new positions as soon as needed.
Here is the response from Rachel Resnick:
Dear Ms. Caref,
The Board of Education appreciates and thanks you for offering us your perspective as a classroom teacher on 20th day position closings. Your comments to the Board members will be taken into consideration as the district plans for the opening of schools for the 2009-2010 school year. If changes in current practices are made, CPS will inform the Chicago Teachers Union and discuss them with its representatives as it is required to do by law. I recommend that you share your concerns with the Chicago Teachers Union as well so that its officers has the benefit your perspective in the event of any changes.
Sincerely,
Rachel Garza Resnick
Labor Relations Officer
Chicago Public Schools
Chief Executive Office
125 South Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60603
P| 773.553.3578
F| 773.553.3535
The Union leadership has done nothing in regards to this issue, even though delegates and members have made it clear that this is a critical one. At the last meeting of the House of Delegates, President Stewart did not list the motion has an item for action. Instead, the leadership claimed that the item for action that came out of the special meeting was to increase contributions to the Union’s Political Action Committtee. CORE steering committee member Jesse Sharkey proposed the CORE motion as a friendly amendment. This occurred after the budget vote and many delegates had left the building. Quorum was called and the item could not be voted.
Although there are forces working against us, CORE is continuing this campaign against the unsound policy known as the 20-Day Rule.
