New 'Progressive' Caucus — Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE)... "CORE' begins life as a caucus in the Chicago Teachers Union
There is a new caucus in the Chicago Teacher’s Union that aims to bring democracy to the members amidst a sea of turmoil. The Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) is made up of dedicated teachers who want to fight for truth and justice inside the CTU.
“CORE is a group of dedicated teachers, retirees, PSRPs and other champions of public education. The new caucus plans to democratize the Chicago Teacher’s Union and turn it into an organization that fights on behalf of its members and the students we teach,” reads a profile of the group on Facebook.
The current ruling party UPC has erupted into a civil war between the President Marilyn Stewart and the Vice President Ted Dallas. Stewart has accused Dallas of major financial improprieties and is seeking to have him fired, while Dallas has sued the UPC and has accused Stewart of similar allegations. A five-year teacher contract signed last year that may further destroy the union as more and more non-union charter schools replace the public schools plus the union’s multi-million dollar budget deficit may spell the end of Marilyn Stewart and the UPC in the next elections in 2009.
CPS teacher job security has been steadily eroding over the last few years due to Mayor Richard Daley’s Renaissance 2010 privatization plan. This year 400 teachers were fired, adding up to an 18 percent drop in Chicago Teachers Union membership in recent years. Charter schools now control close to 10 percent of the system.
So far CORE has 21 registered members and is seeking to expand its base at a time when many teachers feel the union is not representing their interests in the face of these major problems.
CORE has formed a Communication committee that will build a website, feature a newsletter and showcase a survey that will be distributed at the House of Delegates meeting and can be taken online. There will also be an Outreach committee that is planning a series of regional meetings about class size; a House of Delegates committee to strategize about House of Delegates meetings and promote the interests of educators; and an Advocacy committee that is planning a day of action October 6 against high-stakes testing as well as a party September 6 at 1801 S. Throop (3rd floor). The September 6 party is to screen a film called “Teachers on Turnaround” — about the Turnarounds at Orr, Fulton, Copernicus, Howe, Morton and Harper — and raise money for a rainy day fund for turnaround teachers and a possible legal defense.
CORE held a series of retreats over the summer to help educate new members about the importance of union work and what is needed to form an effective caucus. Meetings are held once a month and are open to any CPS teachers. The caucus also has a listserve that people can join to communicate with fellow CORE members online.
In August the caucus held a community panel discussion with Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Pilsen Alliance, Blocks Together, Clergy Committed to Community, Access Living and Parents United for Responsible Education and discussed ways that teachers can do more to work in concert with community organizations to create an education that works in concert with the needs and desires of parents, students and community members. [See related article in this Substance].
CORE has outlined several issues deemed crucial to fight for the teachers, including paid and pensionable family leave, no scripted learning or corporate driven high stakes testing, contractural language on class size that can be grieved, no more school closings and build a strike fund to stop charter proliferation, and no merit pay, a trick used by the Board to label teachers in low income and minority communities as “failures” that sets the stage for privatizing teacher jobs. CORE can be contacted at teachersunited inaction @gmail.com, and core@ lists. riseup.net.
