By: Mark Glennon*
“We’re gonna have to teach the city of Chicago how to redefine transformation, how to redefine renaissance,” said Chicago Teachers Union President Davis Gates in her opening remarks, and the day naturally started with the CTU’s own organizer and Chicago mayoral candidate, Brandon Johnson, who got a standing ovation.
Some 200 CTU members skipped school Thursday for what’s supposedly an annual delegates’ training conference, but the CTU’s own description makes clear it was about expanding its vast political goals — through schools.
“Power At Every Level” Delegates Conference” is the the CTU’s own headline on their description.
It was a day full of workshops and training “about building power from the school buildings to the district and charter networks to the highest levels of political power in the city,” the CTU says. One session was on the CTU’s three-year strategic plan, which was about “how mobilizing in school buildings is critical to realizing the full potential of this particular moment….” It went on:
Winning the mayor’s office is, of course, a high priority, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Everything we do builds on the organizational foundations we forge in our school buildings and communities across the city, and this is what will make our three-pronged strategy of mayoral representation, bargaining strong charter and district contracts, and winning a pro-educator elected school board a reality.
Another session was about why school leadership needs to “build power” on topics that included “Teaching Through Trauma,” “Green Schools,” and “Assertive Grievance Handling.”
CTU organizer Brandon Johnson faces Paul Vallas in Chicago’s mayoral election on April 4.
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
To you know why union members make poor music teachers? Because they can’t get past me. Doe, Rae, Me me me me ME ME!
It is not bragging if it is true.
The CTU doesn’t have to build power for anything. As much as the union wants to think it owns the schools or the communities that members work in, the union doesn’t own anything of the sort. Starting out with a false premise, predictably, results in bad practices.
I don’t see anything about improving the way they teach CPS children.
No, you wouldn’t. It’s a TEACHER’S union, existing solely for the betterment of teachers and to gather as much power and influence for teachers as they possibly can. If this comes at the expense of the students, that is too bad. If any program they promote helps a student that is entirely by accident. It is a Teachers Union!
It’s the school administration’s job to provide inducements to enhance teachers’ creativity and general skill levels—not that of a teachers union. I doubt that, say, a plumbers union or maybe any other worker unions have any such professional skills improvement agenda either.
Ha ha ha. Bro, they are supposed to educate not indoctrinate.
James – I was under the impression teachers are professionals. They go to universities, even top level ones like University of Illinois. Professionals take ownership of their development and skill enhancement. Are you suggesting that belonging to a teachers union abrogates the need to be accountable for professional development?
Not at all, but any such responsibilities fall on some combination of the school district and the reachers who do so without immediate district involvement. Some unions may enter that arena as well, but its not inherently their mission.
Those damn teachers can’t even spell. They are worthless!
Private sector unions train quite often. Heavy equipment operators are reliant on union training programs. I have been to one such site in New Jersey. Public sector teachers unions are somehow different, and don’t have to pay any attention to professional development?
The governmental unions do not generally hold member’ professional skills improvement as one of their primary reasons for existence. That might not be true or select other unions, but in general my guess is that most other unions think likewise. That’s not to say that both public and private employer don’t have it as one of their priorities, and in cases where states require employees to be licensed the state often has its own ongoing professional skills improvement rules.
Growing up in the 60’s & 70’s I had some pretty good teachers. It wasn’t until HS that I encountered many subpar teachers. I loved and was good at math until Algebra. Everyone knows teachers would give homework on problems that weren’t given examples of in class. The teachers reply was, read your book. But there were no examples. I eventually mastered math at Wright Jr College due to an extra ordinary teacher. I left the city for Grayslake in 98’ so my daughter would get a better education, which she did. She too was taught “new” Algebra in elementary.… Read more »
One of the first shocks of my life occurred when the bishop closed my Catholic school in the early 70s and I was forced to attend the public school. I was in 6th grade and was convinced public education was a fraud.
Sure, if you have 34 staff serving 64 students at Manley High School, I imagine you could spare a few of them to attend this power trip conference.
Were students’ needs on the agenda? Better teaching of readin’, writin’ and ’rithmetic? Yea, didn’t think so. Instead, it’s about thievin’ and grievin’. Pathetic.
The CTU makes me so angry. Wait, no I’m not. I don’t live in Chicago (or Illinois) anymore. That nightmare is over. Never mind.
As I’ve said for years: CTU is a terrorist organization. Most members are parasitic vermin. Exhibit No 1 for busting ALL public sector unions nationwide.
Fire. Them. All.
This article should be on the first page of the Sun Time and the Chicago Tribune. It should be a featured piece on ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, FOX, etc. … all MSM.
BUT, it won’t be.
I’m sure reps nationally will be on it in a flash.
They are selling plate glass insurance to the taxpayers.
and all on the taxpayers dime!! outrageous
This disgusting union should be disbanded.