Category Archives: CPS

CORE at CPS Budget Hearings

CPS Budget Hearings Teachers, students, parents and community members demonstrated their anger at open budget hearings Tuesday, Aug 18th at Lane Tech HS and Wednesday, Aug 19th at Westinghouse HS. Another hearing will take place tonight, Thursday, Aug 20th, at Corliss HS (821 W 103rd St). Article at Another article at

Summer of Organizing

Dear Members: In these final days of the school year, make a list of phone numbers and e-mail addresses of teachers at your school. Talk to your students’ parents and get their contact information as well. We need your help in organizing this summer. Download the spreadsheet at the bottom of this post and e-mail [...]

Report from Emergency Board Meeting 6.15.2010

CPS called  an emergency Board meeting on Tuesday, June 15 to pass a resolution that will drastically change our working conditions and the learning opportunities for our students.  The resolution was passed unanimously at the meeting, in spite of every single speaker during the “public participation” portion urging the board members to vote “no.” This [...]

New CTU Leadership, teachers, parents at Emergency Picket 6/14/2010

…and the winner is,

From Substance News: Karen Lewis has been elected president of the Chicago Teachers Union, and CORE has won the leadership of the 30,000-member CTU by a landslide. Lewis, a Martin Luther King Jr. High School Chemistry teacher, headed the slate of candidates from the caucus called CORE (the Caucus of Rank and File Educators) and [...]

CORE Presidential Candidate Karen Lewis on WGN News

6/8/2010 WGN-9 News

CORE Presidential Candidate Karen Lewis on Garrard McClendon Live 6/8/2010

*at the time of the broadcast, the CTU provided no details or documentation for their lawsuit. This may be due to the fact that the charges have no legal precedent and the actual transgression had not yet occurred.

“We need to reclaim what it means to be Local One.”-Karen Lewis

Karen Lewis on Moving Forward June 3, 2010.

CTU Unity

Karen Lewis’ speech to the House of Delegates (6/2/2010): Good afternoon.  I would like to thank PACT, CSDU and SEA for running honest campaigns, based on the issues; and for their support. I am honored … and exhilarated.  Those of you who are unaligned and voted for CORE, thank you. Last week’s rally was incredible.  [...]

Video: Save Our Schools Rally May 25, 2010

Video of of the 5/25/2010 Save Our Schools rally and march featuring CORE Candidates Karen Lewis (President) and Jesse Sharkey (Vice President)