Teachers Union To File Federal Lawsuits To Stop School Closings
By Chuck Sudo in News on May 15, 2013 6:40PM
You knew it was going to come to this: The Chicago Teachers Union announced Wednesday morning they planned to file civil rights lawsuits in federal court to stop Chicago Public Schools’ plan to close 54 schools.
The proposal has received significant negative reception from teachers, parents of CPS students and other opponents. Last week hearing officers tasked by the school district to review the closures released reports where they opposed closing 10 schools and expressed serious doubts about plans to shutter others.
CPS released a statement in response to the union’s announcement claiming CTU wants to maintain a system that isn’t working.
"Too many children today are trapped in underutilized, under-resourced schools cheating them of the investments they need to succeed in the classroom," the statement read. "Instead of offering up solutions, CTU continues to protect a status quo that doesn't put our children first. Consolidating underutilized schools is necessary to give children the resources they need to access a quality, 21st century education."
The teachers union will hold a press briefing on the lawsuits at 2 p.m. The Chicago School Board is set to vote on the closures at its next meeting May 22.