Teachers Strike Update: Teachers Flood Loop; Rahm Stops Raising Funds For Super PAC; Mitt Backs Emanuel
By Chuck Sudo in News on Sep 10, 2012 10:15PM
- Anyone doubting that Karen Lewis doesn't have the support of the teachers union need only look at the photo above. Thousands of teachers flooded South Clark Street this afternoon to call for a new labor deal.
- Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who called the Chicago Teachers Union's decision to strike a "strike of choice" Sunday night, decided to appeal to both CTU and Chicago Public Schools negotiators to get right back to the table for the sake of the children. Because they're the future or something, apparently.
The only problem with that is Emanuel has shown an unwillingness to bend on teacher evaluations and allowing principals to choose their own staffs, two sticking points in weekend negotiations that led to the strike.
“If we’re gonna hold our local principals in the school accountable for getting the results we need, they need to pick the best qualified,” the mayor said.“That’s how we got to 95 [schools on the state honor roll]: Great teachers creating a team with a principal. And the direction and the dictation should not come out of downtown. ... That’s just not right. ... I don’t believe I should pick ‘em. I don’t believe the CPS leadership should pick ’em. And I don’t believe the CTU leadership should pick ‘em.”
The evaluation process, Emanuel said, has involved teachers in every step of the process, and it has not changed for 40 years.
“This is a strike of choice, and it’s the wrong choice for our children, it’s totally unnecessary, and we need to finish the job,” Emanuel said.
- Emanuel is suspending raising money for super PACs while he helps to find a resolution to the teachers strike. Which is probably the prudent thing to do; we know we wouldn't want to add fuel to the fire by attending a $5,000 per plate fundraiser organized by our agent brother while teachers are striking to have instruction books available on the first day of school.
- The teachers strike has spilled over into the Presidential campaign. President Obama, knowing how the strike is looking for Emanuel, has not stated a position on the strike.
Obama is in a tight position here. It was only last week that Emanuel gave attendees at the Democratic National Convention a hard sell for the President's re-election. He doesn't want to undermine Emanuel, can't risk alienating organized labor, but doesn't want to give Republican nominee Mitt Romney some red meat he can sink his teeth into.
Romney, hoping to exploit a possible Obama-Emanuel disagreement, released a statement siding with Emanuel.
“I am disappointed by the decision of the Chicago Teachers Union to turn its back on not only a city negotiating in good faith but also the hundreds of thousands of children relying on the city’s public schools to provide them a safe place to receive a strong education. Teachers unions have too often made plain that their interests conflict with those of our children, and today we are seeing one of the clearest examples yet. President Obama has chosen his side in this fight, sending his Vice President last year to assure the nation’s largest teachers union that ‘you should have no doubt about my affection for you and the President’s commitment to you.’ I choose to side with the parents and students depending on public schools to give them the skills to succeed, and my plan for education reform will do exactly that.”
So Romney sides with Emanuel in the strike and tells Meet the Press he would keep some aspects of Obamacare. He's playing for every vote he can get, isn't he?