Strikes–by anybody and everybody–used to be the daily bread back where I come from, which is definitely something I don't miss at all. Teachers' strikes in particular were very popular when I was a child and it was so very sad to see that those who couldn't afford private education were stuck losing countless days of school every year. While I'm sure the teachers who are currently on strike in Chicago have valid reasons, the reality is that the only ones who'll suffer the consequences are their students. I mean, these kids just went back to school last week! Couldn't the Chicago Teacher Union have done this at another time, like say, summer?
I know negotiations don't work that way, but we're talking about 400,000 students in the country's third-largest school district who are being affected by this strike.
As expected, the teachers are on strike because of issues related to money, although they say there's a lot more than that going on, including job security, class sizes, and teacher evaluations.
I'm the first one to agree that most teachers simply don't make enough money considering the amazing job most of them do preparing our children for the future. Then again, I'm also the first one to say that something's broken in an educational systemin which unions have so much power that bad teachers are allowed to continue teaching–or on the payroll–due to senseless policies like tenure.
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Something definitely has got to give, but students shouldn't be the ones paying for it until the union and the school district are able to come to an agreement. On the other hand, whatever ends up happening in Chicago should be of utmost interest to the rest of the country, considering we're talking about President Obama's hometown, lead by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, his former chief of staff. Not to mention that current Education Secretary Arne Duncan was in charge of Chicago's schools for many years.
What to you think of the strike? Is there a better way for the union to negotiate? Share your thought with us by leaving us a comment below.
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