Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Teachers For Social Justice: Teacher Activist Groups Network Stands with CTU

Teachers For Social Justice: Teacher Activist Groups Network Stands with CTU:


Teacher Activist Groups Network Stands with CTU

A Message From Teacher Activist Groups (TAG)
A National Network (including TSJ) 

Dear Educators and Allies,
Chicago has been the focus of corporate school “reform,” but Chicago is now the epicenter of the push back against it.  The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), along with parent and community allies is leading the fight, with the possibility of going on strike.  In support, Teacher Activist Groups (TAG) invites you to join our campaign, Solidarity with Chicago Teachers, a web page where you can find up-to-date information on what’s happening as well as an opportunity to pledge your solidarity by posting a testimonial, teaching a related lesson, organizing a discussion and solidarity from your union, school, or education program, and/or contributing to the CTU solidarity fund.
Last year, the Illinois legislature, with support of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, passed an anti-union bill mandating 

Campaign for an Elected Representative School Board in Chicago


TSJ is part of a city-wide coalition –Communities Organized for Democracy in Education (CODE) to win an elected representative school board in Chicago. This is a necessary first step to bring democracy back to public education and to hold those run the schools accountable to the communities they serve.

The CODE Mission - Democracy in Education

Our mission is to bring a wide range of voices together who care deeply about improving
the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) by making them run more democratically. Our first
goal is to change the way the CPS Board of Education is selected. Rather than the mayor
appointing members at his sole discretion, CODE members believe that the school board
should be elected and representative of the diverse communities of our city. An elected
representative school board would lead to CPS policies that are more in line with what
parents, students, teachers and other community members know is best for our public
schools.

Throughout July and the beginning of August, members of CODE organizations, from Altgeld Gardens, to Rogers Park, to Little Village, to Logan Square, to Bronzeville went door to door gathering peititions for an advisory referendum on the November ballot for an elected representative school board. On August 6 we turned in over 10,000 petitions, in 204 precincts, in 26 wards! This is a powerful beginning for a grassroots diverse citywide coalition fighting for equitable quality education for all our children.

For more information
https://sites.google.com/site/codechicago/