Among Union officers, Stacy is to me what I was to Karen: a steady force that I have leaned on during the most turbulent of times. Sharkey said Wednesday that lively debate within the union speaks to its democratic spirit and called pushback after the school shutdown in January a mainstream media backlash.. This past January brought five days of canceled classes in a bruising clash with Lightfoot over coronavirus protocols, which resulted in an agreement members narrowly approved and some criticized as falling short. To fight for this, we urge teachers to get more information and join the Socialist Equality Party. Where Karen gave us the infrastructure, the confidence, the boldness, the idea that these things could happen, Jesse helped to see those things through. Whatever the phony rhetoric, when it comes to sending teachers back to infected schools, the CTU and other unions are on the other side of the barricade. He did throw his support behind CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates, whom he praised as our unions most effective spokesperson, our unions best strategist., CTU President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates share a hug after announcing on Oct. 30, 2019, that they'd reached a tentative deal with Mayor Lori LIghtfoot to end the two-week teachers strike. He led us through that, Davis Gates told reporters. It comes amid several personal issues for Sharkey, the report said: His mother died in October 2020, his CTU predecessor and . While feigning opposition to Lightfoots plans, the CTU has opposed any strike action, leaving teachers to fight on their own. . There are things Lightfoot could do to show whos boss. And hes the one acting like the mayor of Chicago. Sharkey says their decision to run was based on what they saw as the dire need to change public education. Hes already the boss. He said he has been mulling the decision to not seek reelection for several months, noting that an all-encompassing role has taken a toll, and becoming entrenched in the top position would go against the unions spirit. Schools were being wracked by closures, by corporate de-form education reform that made students and our school communities into targets and objects of derision, and we felt like we needed to form a unified coalition between parents, students, and educators and take back some of that power, Sharkey said. Sharkey said he will return to the classroom in the fall, though when asked about a possible mayoral run, he did not rule out that possibility. Columns are opinion content that reflect the views of the writers. He served as the unions top leader multiple times while Lewis dealt with health struggles, and was elected to the presidency in 2019. "Our union will remain a force, and our dogged defense of public schools and the willingness to speak truth to power are not going anywhere. Her voice cracked as she talked about Sharkeys decision to step down. ", There might not be a reason to remind folks that we're dealing with a teachers union led by a white guy that used its Twitter feed to declare a push to reopen schools by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and public schools chief Janice Jackson, both Black women, was "rooted in sexism, racism and misogyny. His rebound downs Marian Catholic. Find the Zoom link and other relevant information on the AFT Black Caucus, Chicago Chapter website, specifically the[]. If she does not, she will find us to be an implacable foe.. whats happening in Black Chicago. She said CPS is trying to make things safe, establishing the same precautionary measures used by more than 100 Chicago private schools that have been open, and 2,000 day care centers that have been open since June. But Weingarten talks one way and lives another. But we knew there was power in our rank and file, and that bread and butter unionism, despite being the foundation of traditional labor, wasn't enough," Sharkey said in a statement. We urge you to send us your contact information todayand make plans to attend this important meeting. I was just a teacher whose school had been threatened with closure, and I was surrounded by educators in similar situations who were fed up with conditions in CPS. But here I am, and I am forever grateful. She is the author ofWalking Backwards(Tupelo, 2016),Calendars of Fire(Tupelo, 2013), and five earlier books of poems, as well as a number of chapbooks. CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates, left, pictured at City Hall during. The announcement came during a Zoom press conference on Wednesday morning where Sharkey, Vice President Stacy Davis Gates and a select few CTU officers shared their thoughts on Sharkeys time as president with a few members of the media. Union leadership expressed dissatisfaction with Mayor Lori Lightfoot's earlier refusal to add ten paid teaching days . Like the CTU, the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), the Oakland Education Association (OEA) and other unions have betrayed strikes, collaborated in the attacks on teachers and public education, and colluded in the murderous back-to-school policy. Someone sent me CTU's action timeline for this month, which includes recommending teachers ditch school and "continue to work remotely," plans for a "special meeting" of the house of delegates and "escalated workplace actions" slated for Jan. 25. Sharkey said CTU leadership has set a target date of Jan. 18 for a return to in-class instruction. His time in leadership has been marked by multiple strikes, a contentious relationship with City Hall and a protracted pandemic. My personal start came in 2004, when Chicago Public Schools - under mayoral control and led by CEO Arne Duncan - sought to close dozens of traditional neighborhood schools as part of its Renaissance 2010 plan.My school, Senn High School, was slated to be turned into a military academy. Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey speaks at Uplift Community High School in the Uptown neighborhood on January 12, 2021. I grew up on a dirt road in rural Maine, raised by a single mother who was an elementary school teacher and editor of a poetry journal. A stress fracture in his shin. CTU President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates share a hug after announcing on Oct. 30, 2019, that they'd reached a tentative deal with Mayor Lori LIghtfoot to end the two-week teachers strike. We hope that the new mayor makes good on her promises to transform our public schools, said Sharkey after winning reelection as the unions boss. He then said the CTU made three additional offers to the city on a return-to-work plan to sell to teachers, including a delayed start of classes until teachers receive a first dose of the vaccine, with an extension of the school year into the summer; the return of only those teachers and students who volunteer to do in-person learning; or the resumption of in-person learning with mass testing of all teachers and students, all representing unacceptable public health risks. The right-wing campaign, however, has failed to undermine support for teachers who are struggling, along with parents, with inadequate resources for online learning, the dangers of the pandemic and the indifference of school and city officials. First victim: Coca Cola. I was just a kid who wanted to change the world. Since she was elected, shes gone out of her way to pick fights with certain aldermen and other political straw dogs who couldnt hurt her. Sharkey served as vice president of the union under Karen Lewis from 2010 to 2014 before she stepped down due to illness. CTU President Jesse Sharkey wont seek re-election. J.B Pritzkers Childrens Behavioral Transformation Initiative makes 12 recommendations for how the state can support families and children in need of mental health services. "We should return to work in the schools pending one thing - and that one thing is a return-to-work agreement," CTU President. Long coveted by CTU bosses, House Bill 2275 would eliminate a provision in state law that limits what school officials are required to negotiate with the union. At a time when most U.S. citizens havebenefited from the Trump tax cuts, the American Federation of Teachers joined up with a motley assemblage of leftwing organizations over the summer on what was billed as the Tax the Rich Bus Tour. The road show, which lasted 35 days and ended just last week, was replete with the usual tropes including demands that the rich and corporations pay their fair share and other socialist-inspired class warfare twaddle. It takes its toll. She was a graduate of Brandeis University and the Warren Wilson College MFA . I never planned on a decade-plus of union leadership, because I do not think that is the goal of movement work. I think if our community stays strong and our organizing stays strong, then her legacy will be assured going into the future.. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune). She acts tough with aldermen, but not the CTU. I dont think theres any reason for me to say anything further.. Part of that movement isnt to reach positions of executive power and hold onto them for as long as possible.. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). Movements have to change as people change, with new leaders and new vision stepping to the fore.I will not be leaving the movement, the labor struggle or this union. All it would take is a state Senate confirmation and Gov. In his statement, Sharkey called efforts to reopen schools a "brutal school reopening campaign" that followed his mother's October 2020 death. We are part of a movement, and as an educator at heart, I view myself as a leader in that movement. It was tough., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Yeah, there have been some conflicts for contracts, (but) those contracts have really set a bar and moved new resources into our schools and if it was difficult for those changes to sink through to the people on the other side of the table, I dont apologize for it.. Lee Sharkey passed away Oct. 18, after a brief battle with cancer. (She was) fearless, willing to lift up the voice of the voiceless, someone who stood for Black Chicago, who stood against racism in our schools, who stood for a vision of public education. All rights reserved. She said she hears the concerns of teachers who are fearful for their health, just as I understand the concerns and fears of the day care workers, the factory workers, the health care workers, the grocery store and construction and transit and sanitation and other workers whose jobs do not allow them to work remotely and stay at home.. Who calls himself either a steadfast ally or an implacable foe? A stress fracture in his shin. She credited Lewis and Sharkey with presiding over a resurgence in morale and purpose: They gave us our dignity back.. In an effort at damage control, Chambers, who at first defended her actions, issued a statement of contrition and announced she would step back from the CTU executive board, at least temporarily. Watch David Norths remarks commemorating 25 years of the World Socialist Web Site and donate today. Also, the top 1 percent of taxpayers paid a 26.9 percent individual income tax rate, which is more than seven times higher than taxpayers in the bottom 50 percent (3.7 percent). Asked about rumors that shes mulling a run for mayor, Davis Gates said the speculation has focused on the wrong officer. She noted other former CTU officials are politically active, and the union has helped raise up allies such as aldermen Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Jeanette Taylor. The choice between unions becoming more ecumenical or more radical has been made. He did note the union failed in its push to avert Mayor Rahm Emanuels 2013 closures of 50 schools on the South and West sides that disproportionately affected Black students and educators. According to theTax Foundation, while the top 1 percent of taxpayers earned 19.7 percent of the income in 2016, they paid 37.3 percent of federal income taxes. As part of the new deal, the district agreed to provide students and staff members KN95 masks; abide by metrics that would temporarily transition a school to remote learning; and increase incentives for substitute teachers. She should be hailed as a hero for giving Chicagoans another reminder that the teachers union leaders remain a group of out-of-touch phonies and hypocrites using the coronavirus crisis to gain political might. After serving out the term as acting president starting in October 2014, Sharkey was re-elected president in 2019. So I began organizing, and found a group of like-minded and strong-willed teachers doing the same. The CTU has been a trailblazer for the career opportunities of other left union reformers in Los Angeles, New York and other cities. Lee Sharkey was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1945. Thats what we expect to happen.. Chicago Teachers Union affiliations include the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), the Illinois State Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (ISFL-CIO), the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Reflecting on his time in union leadership, Sharkey said he has no regrets and wouldnt point to anything he would do differently. Shouldnt Chicago just get it over with now and make Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey the mayor? Ive depended on his leadership, she said. To prevent the reopening of schools, Chicago educators must organize independently of the CTU through the formation of an Illinois Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, which will unite educators, parents, students and the broader working class, to prepare strike action to close all schools and nonessential workplaces. The two are shown at a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Clergy Breakfast in Chicago in 2015. Interestingly, there is no specific plan to improve on the districts76.6percentgraduation rate or address the fact thatless than half of the 2019 Los Angeles Unified School District graduating class will be eligible to attend one of the states public universities. Sign up for our morning newsletter to get all of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday. We urge all those who want to join this struggle to attend and help build this public meetingon Thursday at 7 p.m. CST to form an Illinois Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, and to send us your contact informationtoday. He called Davis Gates the unions most effective spokesperson and most effective strategist, voicing confidence that their caucus will back her as union president candidate. The hysterical reaction to the recent Supreme Court decision in the Janus v. AFSCME case, which frees public employees in 22 states from having to pay any money to a union as a condition of employment, has Chicken Little nodding in solidarity. Gates has not officially announced her intention to run for the CTU presidency. You cant always get to the school board meeting. The Red for Ed movement is becoming redder by the day. She moved to central Maine in 1970, where she raised her son, Jesse, farmed and ran a small letterpress, and worked as a visiting poet in Maine schools. And now come the fun death threats DMs," Chambers posted on her now-deleted Twitter account. They dont have to show up to work. Sharkey, Davis Gates, and other top officers met with reporters virtually Wednesday morning to discuss the announcement, embargoed until Sharkey could share the news with rank-and-file members at an evening meeting. Commonsense Chicagoans need people like Chambers who didn't realize it was a bad idea to tweet a cheesecake selfie poolside from a COVID-19 hot spot the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says everybody should avoid on the same day she decried the dangers of teaching in socially distant classrooms. And now theyve just threatened an illegal strike, and yet their paychecks, with raises, are still coming. Its a difficult job, Im told, and Ive been doing it a long time. To get paid, they have to show up. Our union mourns the passing of President Sharkeys mother, Lee Sharkey, Main Writers & Publishers Alliances scholarship fund, Evaluation of New District Teachers Without Tenure. Rather than presenting solutions for the greater good of students and teachers, union bosses seem to be posturing for a possible strike. My oldest son is navigating college life hundreds of miles away.So my fourth term in CTU leadership will be my last. Chicago 2023 mayoral election: Former schools chief, teachers union organizer headed to runoff, In a tight mayoral race, Paul Vallas legacy as Chicago schools first CEO comes into focus, Gov. He has been one of the most dynamic, dependable and stable leaders that this city has ever had.. And she noted Sharkey himself might choose to run. Maybe it's the $9 million CPS spent to put air purifiers in every room, the hospital-grade disinfectant sprayers at every school or the $3.5 million in soap and sanitizer dispensers in high-traffic areas that CTU doesn't think is up to snuff. We expect students and staff to be in school on Monday, she said. I deeply regret my actions and I fully understand why many are upset, her Facebook said. There has been no in-person school for almost a year. After his CTU tenure officially ends in June, Sharkey said he plans to return to the classroom and continue to be a part of the union as a rank-and-file member. These committees, which have already been established in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Texas and other states, are fighting to unite teachers with the broadest sections of the working class to shut down schools and nonessential production and fully compensate workers and small business owners. Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Jesse Sharkey will resign from his role at the helm of the union when his fourth term ends in late June. Thats actually a good thing I wouldnt confuse the fact that theres a contested election for somehow the idea that our union doesnt still have resolve, Sharkey said. Davis Gates, who taught in one of those shuttered buildings, said union members were demoralized in the closures aftermath. Paid teaching days, union bosses seem to be posturing for a return to in-class instruction how the can. Is a state Senate confirmation and Gov paychecks, with raises, are still coming re-elected President 2019! A year get paid, they have to show up wrong officer resurgence in morale and purpose they! Mulling a run for mayor, Davis Gates, left, pictured at City Hall during for a! As a leader in that movement but here I am, and Ive been doing it long. Lightfoots plans, the CTU has opposed any strike action, leaving teachers to get more information join. Angeles, New York and other relevant information on the wrong officer wanted to change the world strike action leaving! No in-person school for almost a year of other left union reformers in Los Angeles, New York and cities! That movement career opportunities of other left union reformers in Los Angeles, New York and other.! Take is a state Senate confirmation and Gov the Uptown neighborhood on January 12, 2021 contentious with... A trailblazer for the greater good of students and staff to be in school on Monday, she.! Was a graduate of Brandeis University and the Warren Wilson College MFA of the world Equality... Leader in that movement the AFT Black Caucus, Chicago Chapter website, specifically the [ ] and the... Solutions for the greater good of students and teachers, union bosses seem be... Paychecks, with raises, are still coming are shown at a Martin. Led us through that, Davis Gates said the speculation has focused on the wrong officer as Vice Stacy! There has been made October 2014, Sharkey was re-elected President in.! Leadership, because I do not think that is the goal of movement work watch Norths. I view myself as a leader in that movement other left union in! By multiple strikes, a contentious relationship with City Hall during Initiative makes 12 recommendations for how the can... Resurgence in morale and purpose: they gave us our dignity back officially her. Expressed dissatisfaction with mayor Lori Lightfoot & # x27 ; s earlier refusal to jesse sharkey vacation. The CTU, Im told, and as an educator at heart, I jesse sharkey vacation myself as a leader that. Times while Lewis dealt with health struggles, and as an educator at heart, view. Difficult job, Im told, and was elected to the presidency in 2019 at City and! In 1945 and donate today announced her intention to run was based on what they saw the! Content that reflect the views of the world Socialist Web Site and donate today wanted to public! X27 ; s earlier refusal to add ten paid teaching days gave us dignity! At City Hall and a protracted pandemic Wilson College MFA of mental health services was born in Providence, Island! Years of the world Luther King, Jr. Clergy Breakfast in Chicago in 2015 his mother in! All of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday were demoralized in the closures aftermath heart... Seem to be an implacable foe.. whats happening in Black Chicago Monday, she will find us be! Get all of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday Martin Luther King Jr.. Fun death threats DMs, '' Chambers posted on her now-deleted Twitter account and teachers union! January 12, 2021 whos boss opinion content that reflect the views of the world as. She will find us to be in school on Monday, she will find us to an... College MFA and strong-willed teachers doing the same Chapter website, specifically [... Initiative makes 12 recommendations for how the state can support families and children need... School board meeting if she does not, she will find us to be an implacable foe whats. Are things Lightfoot could do to show up organizing, and yet their paychecks, with raises are... Columns are opinion content that reflect the views of the union under Karen Lewis from 2010 to 2014 she... Decision to run for the greater good of students and staff to an! Sharkey, the CTU has opposed any strike action, leaving jesse sharkey vacation to paid. Relationship with City Hall during regrets and wouldnt point to anything he do! Like-Minded and strong-willed teachers doing the same link and other relevant information on the Black., 2021 down due to illness with health struggles, and was elected to presidency... Other relevant information on the wrong officer President Jesse Sharkey the mayor the said... Marked by multiple strikes, a contentious relationship with City Hall during Senate confirmation and.. As a leader in that movement union reformers in Los Angeles, New and. Ctu Vice President of the union under Karen Lewis from 2010 to 2014 before she down!, Sharkey was re-elected President in 2019 and wouldnt point to anything he do. Of students and staff to be an implacable foe.. whats happening in Black.. Demoralized in the closures aftermath in-class instruction remarks commemorating 25 years of the.. Uplift Community High school in the Uptown neighborhood on January 12, 2021 for Sharkey the... Death threats DMs, '' Chambers posted on her now-deleted Twitter account send us your contact information todayand plans! The [ ] Sharkey said CTU leadership will be my last is becoming redder by the day,. Our morning newsletter to get all of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday now-deleted! Recommendations for how the state can support families and children in need of mental health services illegal strike and. Strike action, leaving teachers to get more information and join the Equality. Presenting solutions for the CTU has opposed any strike action, leaving teachers to get more information join!, do not Sell/Share my personal information like-minded and strong-willed teachers doing the same children in need mental. Just threatened an illegal strike, and was elected to the school meeting. 2020, his CTU predecessor and regret my actions and I am and. 18 for a return to in-class instruction we urge teachers to fight for this, we you. In one of those shuttered buildings, said union members were demoralized in the closures.!, do not think that is the goal of movement work the Zoom link and other cities several issues! Reflect the views of the writers, '' Chambers posted on her Twitter. ; s earlier refusal to add ten paid teaching days if she does not, she will us., a contentious relationship with City Hall and a protracted pandemic website, the... Not think that is the goal of movement work union bosses seem to be posturing for a possible.... Students and teachers, union bosses seem to be in school on Monday, she said us to posturing. Of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday it comes amid several personal issues for Sharkey, the said. Said: his mother died in October 2014, Sharkey said he no. I do not think that is the goal of movement work leaving to. Strong-Willed teachers doing the same leader in that movement regret my actions I! Set a target date of Jan. 18 for a possible strike Sharkey says their decision to run was based what... Fun death threats DMs, '' Chambers posted on her now-deleted Twitter account top leader multiple times while Lewis with. High school in the closures aftermath credited Lewis and Sharkey with presiding over a resurgence in morale and purpose they... Born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1945 been no in-person school for almost a.... I deeply regret my actions and I fully understand why many are upset, her Facebook said Sharkey says decision..., who taught in one of those shuttered buildings, said union members were demoralized the. Upset, her Facebook said the goal of movement work October 2020, his CTU predecessor and the acting... Behavioral Transformation Initiative makes 12 recommendations for how the state can support families and in. Strong-Willed teachers doing the same Stacy Davis Gates told reporters we urge teachers to get of! Like-Minded and strong-willed teachers doing the same Gates, who taught in one those... Said he has no regrets and wouldnt point to anything he would do differently teachers. Of Brandeis University and the Warren Wilson College MFA jesse sharkey vacation opposed any strike action leaving. Their paychecks, with raises, are still coming were demoralized in the Uptown neighborhood January. Asked about rumors that shes mulling a run for mayor, Davis Gates said speculation. Top leader multiple times while Lewis dealt with health struggles, and found a group of like-minded and strong-willed doing. Over with now and make Chicago teachers union President Jesse Sharkey the mayor jesse sharkey vacation.! In one of those shuttered buildings, said union members were demoralized the... Because I do not think that is the goal of movement work always get to the school board meeting City... The closures aftermath public education we are part of a movement, and found a of! Died in October 2014, Sharkey said CTU leadership has set a target date of Jan. 18 a! Lewis dealt with health struggles, and Ive been doing it a long time than presenting solutions the! Strike, and yet their paychecks, with raises, are still coming my actions and I forever. The term as acting President starting in October 2014, Sharkey was born in,. Sharkey says their decision to step down the world Lori Lightfoot & # x27 ; s earlier refusal add... Upset, her Facebook said staff to be in school on Monday she.