Vote To End Chicago Teachers Strike Could Happen Today

Chicago delegates are preparing to meet and vote today on a proposed contract settlement which would end the strike that has kept 350,000 students out of school in the nation’s third largest school district.

Into their seventh day of walking the picket line, teachers are holding firm to their key issues of pay, evaluation and lay-off policies, along with their concern of a potential closure of 100 schools.

The current contract broadly uses evaluations based on students’ standardized test scores. Chicago Teachers Union-proposed changes include limiting the use of those tests as well as asking for the student growth be taken into account during the evaluation process.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is calling on the City to move to longer school days, more instructional days through the calendar year and for the public school system to operate on one school calendar.

Should the delegates vote to accept the proposed agreement, students will be back in school tomorrow, while the full membership votes on the agreement. It could take up to two weeks for the process to be finalized.

**UPDATE**
Union delegates voted overwhelmingly to suspend the strike. Classes will resume Wednesday, September 19. Click here for details.