By Sumi Cho and Erica R. Meiners
As the city gears up for possible strikes by the Chicago Teachers Union (and other unions) if negotiations with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Public Schools break down, we want to highlight three areas of research that explain the stakes for Chicago. Find the full Chicago Tribune OpEd here.
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Today, the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike, as did the Chicago Public Schools support staff of SEIU (Local 73), shutting schools in the nation's third largest school district. Dozens of scholars in the Chicago area, through CReATE (Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education) just released a statement in support of the CTU, arguing that the demands of the union are compellingly backed by research; they detailed some of that research in an op-ed in the Chicago Tribute last week.
According to the statement, "The academic literature confirms what students, parents and teachers already know: students learn better when supported by smaller class sizes, in schools that are staffed with enough librarians, psychologists, nurses and social workers to create environments that enable all students to flourish. Teachers can focus on teaching and learning when schools have necessary support services for students and their families. Research also illustrates that restorative justice practices in schools are key interventions to stem the school to prison pipeline. With almost 80 percent of the students in CPS living at or below the federal poverty level, the need for consistent and quality support services is essential." |
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