While illuminating major problems with CTU practices, Joseph McDermott's officer slating survey responses for CORE show his qualificationsSerious ethical lapses, violations to the constitution and irregular political practices of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) leadership are evident in a letter to CORE (Caucus of Rank and File Educators) members and survey responses . . . | |  |
Surviving "no excuses" teachingToday the "no excuses" KIPP Model remains the paternalist billionaires' charter school choice for segregating and indoctrinating urban children whose parents relinquish their children's childhoods and suffer years of repeated indignities for a chance at . . . | |
Chicago Teachers Union failed to pay staff pension payments in 2018 and 2017In an accidental investigation of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) finances, Substance News has uncovered through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that pension payments to the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) for CTU staff . . . | |  |
Report of the CTU’s House of Delegates meeting held on January 9, 2019 | |
John Dewey's Educational Creed (posted on Substance, Jan. 11, 2018)It's been years since the logo of the Chicago Union Teacher newspaper (now a magazine) included words from John Dewey, and there was never an explanation of why those words were removed. | |  |
Norm-referenced tests still being used to make high-stakes decisionsSetting up many students for failure, the Chicago public schools uses the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) as a high-stakes test. It’s impossible for all test takers to score well. Despite being reasonably well-informed . . . | |  |
Stories and tributes about George Schmidt available on October 2018 Substance homepageThe October 2018 Substance News homepage is devoted to stories and comments about editor George N. Schmidt, who died on Sept. 17, 2018. Stories about George’s personal life appear on the left column of the . . . | |  |
Unionized field reps at Chicago Teachers Union win labor relations decision over CTUThe National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled against the Chicago Teachers Union on December 12, 2018, for violating the rights of union staff working at the CTU offices. Field Representatives who enforce the contract for . . . | |  |
Oakland teachers pull off wildcat strikeSimilar to Chicago, the Oakland school district is crying poverty while they are hiding a $30 million surplus. The local union leadership is overly cautious, probably because they're being directed by the state leadership, which . . . | |  |
CTU House of Delegates endorses Toni Preckwinkle, plus additional information from meetingThe Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates meeting was held on December 5, 2018. A report on the meeting, with information in addition to the endorsement of Toni Preckwinkle for mayor, follows: The pre-meeting open . . . | |  |
Striking charter school teachers in good spiritsIn spite of the 26-degree weather, teachers at Clemente Elementary, one of the 15 Acero charter schools in Chicago, were in good spirits on Day Two of their historic strike. The 500 Acero teachers and . . . | |  |
Charter school teachers strikeOver 500 CTU members at 15 UNO/Acero charter schools are on strike—the first strike of a charter operator in U.S. history.
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Chance the Rapper speaks out against CPS plan to close NTAChance the Rapper, who has given generous grants for arts education to Chicago neighborhood high schools and spoken out against charter schools, is now speaking out against the National Teachers Academy closing. His commentary appears . . . | |  |
Chance the Rapper's funny "Elderly Aldermen" shows why it's so tough to win an aldermanic seatChance the Rapper's new video on the Chicagoist explains why it's so tough for young people who are not incumbents, like Chicago teacher Erika Wozniak, running in the 46th ward, to win elections to Chicago's . . . | |  |
Judge rules against CPS, lays ground for reform in school closuresA Cook County judge ruled in favor of parents and community activists who sought to freeze Chicago Public Schools’ plan to close their south side elementary school, National Teachers Academy (NTA), by granting their motion . . . | |  |
One teacher's "Do Not Hire" list tale of woeAfrican American teachers have been hit hard by the racist policies of the Chicago Public Schools agenda to close mostly black schools and eliminate many black teaching professionals.
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George Schmidt stories and tributes on Substance October 2018 homepageThe October 2018 Substance News homepage is devoted to stories and comments about editor George N. Schmidt, who died on Sept. 17, 2018. Stories about George’s personal life appear on the left column of the . . . | |  |
The Paul Vallas "education miracle" is a hoax, whether in Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans or BridgeportAs Paul Vallas makes his case for becoming mayor of Chicago in the February 2019 election, mainstream media news coverage continues to repeat easily refuted lies of his success as a school reformer. Chicago reporters . . . | |  |
Chicago mayoral forum highlights some differencesSpecial to News-Star
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Substance NewsThis is the article text. . . . | |
