Chicago Teacher Strike Avoided, But Union Control Remains An Issue
Statement from CER Founder and CEO on contract deal reached at Chicago’s largest charter school network.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 2016
WASHINGTON, DC — The following statement was issued today by Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, regarding a contract deal reached this morning at 3am that averted a strike from the United Educators of Uno Charter School Network (UCSN). The charter school network is Chicago’s largest, with 16 schools and more than 500 teachers and staff:
“There is one — and only one — issue at play here and that is ensuring that the 8,000 students at the UNO Charter School Network are given the best educations possible. A strike would have done nothing but steal valuable days of education from students at the UNO network.
“While we are glad the UCSN came to the table to negotiate in good faith in order to ensure that their students do not lose any days of school, the underlying issue here is the desire for unions to control charter schools, their operational and personnel decisions, precisely two key aspects of traditional public education that charter schools were created to innovate away from.
“The UNO Charter School network is an exemplary charter school network posting higher graduation rates, student attendance rates, and ACT scores than their non-selective CPS peer schools. The unions actions are setting this successful school on a course of mediocrity toward failure. While we respect the legal option for teachers to bargain, doing so more often than not puts adult jobs ahead of student needs.
“CER is proud to stand with the leadership of the Uno Network, who implored the union not to strike, and will continue to fight along side them and all schools across the nation to ensure schools have the ability to provide an excellent education for their students.”
About the Center for Education Reform
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that the conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
