FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Suspension of Strike by CTU a Win for Students, Parents
CHICAGO – September 18, 2012 Education reform organizations Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERN-A) and Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) applaud today’s decision by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) to suspend its strike while the final details of a new contract are worked out.
“The suspension of the strike is a huge victory for our students!” said Rebeca Nieves Huffman, Executive Director, Education Reform Now Advocacy Illinois. “Following in the wake of several parent rallies to end the strike, it’s also a win for Chicago parents who struggled to find and pay for emergency childcare while our kids were losing out on 18,325,000 hours of critical classroom time.”
“While we are happy that the strike has been suspended, the reality is that many of our students will be going back to underperforming schools, and the impact of the strike on their educational performance will be felt for a long time,” said Huffman. “Even if lost days are made up at the end of the year students will still suffer from missing out on athletics, which is especially upsetting for students aiming for athletic scholarships to college, and from losing valuable time for college prep and career help.”
“Yes, we’re pleased that the CTU has suspended the strike and that additional hours of crucial learning time for our students will not be missed,” Huffman added. “But, there is still much work left to be done to finalize a contract that puts our students first and that helps to ensure that every student in the city has access to high quality public schools and public charter schools. We look forward to continuing to educate and engage key stakeholders on policies that place students first and foremost.”
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