Karen Lewis (Chicago) calls for freeze on new hires, cancellation of Teach for America contract

[Hannah Bell]

The leader of the Chicago Teachers Union wants the city's board of education to freeze all new hires. The demand comes as Chicago Public Schools searches for ways to close an estimated $370 million budget gap.

Teachers union president Karen Lewis asked the district to cancel a contract with the nonprofit education group Teach For America. In it, CPS plans to hire 200 teacher interns for the upcoming school year.

LEWIS: Those 200 people should not have a position as long as we have other highly qualified teachers not working. The 200 from Teach For America need to go back to graduate school or where ever else they're going anyway right now.

Lewis says she's meeting with CPS officials later this week to negotiate ways to close the district's budget deficit. A CPS spokeswoman says it's unclear whether the contract with Teach For America will go forward because the district doesn't have a budget yet.

http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=43466

[stray cat]

1. We all want to protect our own job

[Hannah Bell]

3. that's what a union is for. you don't like it, tough.

you want to talk about protecting someone's job, take a look at the corrupt shenannigans over michelle rhee's job & (broad mole) randi weingarten's job.

major rigging there to keep them in their positions.

fuck that.

[Catshrink]

2. Good. It's better for the kids to have experienced teachers in the classroom

not survivors of a 5 week summer boot camp. The experienced teachers are probably cheaper in the long run because there is no fee to be paid to TFA and they will most likely stay beyond the two years that most TFA ersatz teachers do.

Good for Lewis and may the NEA and AFT leaders grow such a spine!

[Starry Messenger]

4. Hear hear!

:thumbsup:

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Karen Lewis rocks

Her members are lucky to have her.

[LWolf]

6. Glad to hear it. I hope the district is listening. nt