Chicago Teachers Union lays out blueprint for Chicago Public Schools' future

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Teachers Union laid out its blueprint for Chicago Public Schools' future, which they say aligns with the district's five-year strategic plan.

Both the CTU and CPS have put out five year plans. CTU President Stacy Davis Gates, the vision nd details of both documents are very similar.

"Our contract proposals mirror both of those documents, it's really befuddling as to why we are still negotiating a contract, it's like Pedro is telling himself no," she said.

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Davis Gates denied the purpose of releasing CTU's plan, called "Every Student, Every School, Every Community," is to put pressure on CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to settle a new contract. Teachers have been without one since June.

"Our members are getting antsy, I'm getting phone calls and emails about the amount of time we have been out," Davis Gates said.

She would not say how long CTU plans to give it before a strike is considered. For months, the union president has blamed Martinez for standing in the way of an agreement.

"He is making a caricature of himself, everything in our contract proposal is a flat Venn diagram that's in the five-year strategic plan he led through the Board of Education," Davis Gates said.

She claims there are no sticking points between CTU and CPS, but Mayor Brandon Johnson asked Martinez to resign over his refusal to take out a short-term, high-interest loan to pay for the contract. According to CPS officials, if the district granted all of its 700-plus proposals, it would cost several billion dollars, and that doesn't include the 4% to 5% raise CPS has offered. With no agreed way to pay for it yet, CTU said it will result in cuts and furloughs.

"Then work with us to create a strategy to win more revenue," she said.

Tuesday, Mayor Johnson named his seventh board member. His newly appointed board will meet for the first time for a public meeting. Davis Gates is hopeful a new board will be the path to a new contract.