>> CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL
STUDENTS WILL HAVE A SHORTER
THANKSGIVING AND WINTER BREAKS
AND A TWO-DAY LONGER SCHOOL YEAR
TO MAKEUP FIVE OF THE 11 DAYS
LOST TO THE TEACHERS STRIKE.
THE CHICAGO TEACHERS' UNION
NEEDS TO RATIFY THE CONTRACT
THAT VOTE HAPPENS NEXT WEEK.
IF UNION MEMBERS RATIFY THE
AGREEMENT IT THEN GOES BEFORE
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR A
VOTE.
HOW HARD WAS THE FIGHT?
HERE WITH INSIGHT INTO
NEGOTIATIONS AND WHAT IS IN THE
CONTRACT IS CHICAGO PUBLIC
SCHOOLS CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER
LATAYNA MCDADE ALSO AT THE TABLE
THROUGHOUT BARGAINING
NEGOTIATIONS.
WELCOME TO "CHICAGO TONIGHT".
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME.
>> THE DISTRICT TODAY ANNOUNCED
THAT THE NEW CALENDAR YEAR FOR
THE SCHOOL YEAR HOW DID YOU ALL
CHOOSE THE DATES THAT YOU ARE
CHOOSING TO MAKEUP FIVE OF THE
11 DAYS?
>> FIRST I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THE BURDEN THAT THIS ENTIRE
PROCESS HAS HAD ON OUR FAMILIES,
ON OUR STUDENTS AND I THANKS OUR
FAMILIES FOR THEIR PATIENCE.
WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE
EXTREMELY CHALLENGING TO MAKEUP
THE DAYS.
BUT WE KNEW IT WAS THE RIGHT
COMPROMISE TO GET TO A DEAL AND
GET OUR STUDENTS BACK INTO THE
CLASSROOM.
WITH THAT BEING SAID THERE'S TWO
THINGS THAT WE HAD TO CONSIDER
IN TERMS OF MAKING UP THE DAYS:
ONE WE HAD TO LOOK AT THE
CALENDAR TO FIND DAYS
NONATTENDANCE DAYS FOR STUDENTS
AND NON-PAYDAYS FOR STAFF.
SO THAT SEVERELY LIMITED THE
AMOUNT OF DAYS THAT WE HAD TO BE
ABLE TO MAKEUP THE FIVE-DAYS.
IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT WE
WANTED TO FRONT LOAD MORE OF THE
DAYS EARLIER IN THE SCHOOL YEAR
AS OPPOSED TO TACKING ON DAYS AT
THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WHICH
BECOME MEANINGLESS AND WE WANTED
TO MAXIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF
INSTRUCTIONAL TIME MADE UP
THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WE KNEW THERE WOULD BE NO IDEAL
SITUATION BUT FELT THIS WAS A
GOOD COMPROMISE WHERE WE LANDED
IN TERMS OF THE DAYS WE ARE
MAKING UP.
>> WHAT IF WE GET LATER ON AND
REALIZE THERE ARE SNOW DAYS THAT
HAVE TO BE MADE UP?
>> WE HAVE DAYS AT THE BACK END
OF THE CALENDAR FOR SNOW DAYS
WHICH WAS ANOTHER REASON IT WAS
IMPORTANT TO INSURE THAT WE HAD
DAYS EARLIER ON IN THE CALENDAR
MADE UP FOR THE FIVE-DAYS OF THE
STRIKE.
>> LAST WEEK TOWARDS THE END OF
NEGOTIATIONS WE HEARD CTU
PRESSING THE MAYOR FOR
LEGISLATION IN SPRINGFIELD
ASKING TO MAKEUP ALL OF THE 11
DAYS.
UNION LEADERS CHOSE NOT TO DO A
JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE
MAYOR ANNOUNCING AN END TO THE
STRIKE AND IT IS ALLEGED THAT
VICE-PRESIDENT STACY DAVIS GATES
WAS LEFT OUT OF THE LAST
NEGOTIATION OR THE MEETING.
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE
NEGOTIATIONS AT THE END?
CONTENTIOUS?
BITTER?
>> THIS WAS A CHALLENGING TIME
FOR OUR DISTRICT.
AND NEGOTIATIONS ARE DIFFICULT
THEY ARE NEVER EASY.
THERE HAS TO BE COMPROMISE.
AT THE END IT ALL BOILED DOWN TO
HAVING COMPROMISE AROUND SOME OF
THE KEY ISSUES.
AND SO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT
WENT ON ARE TYPICAL WHEN IT
COMES TO NEGOTIATIONS.
AND WE ARE GLAD WE GOT TO A
PLACE WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO
REACH A DEAL AND GET OUR
STUDENTS BACK IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> TEACHERS GOT 16% RAISE OUT OF
THIS.
THE MAYOR KICKED IN $5 MILLION
MORE FOR VETERAN TEACHERS ALONG
WITH OTHER EXPENSES TO MEET THE
CTU'S REQUESTS.
AND THE CONTRACT IS GOING TO
COST ABOUT $1.5 BILLION OVER
FIVE YEARS.
HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT THE
CPS BUDGET?
>> WELL, IT'S NO SECRET THAT IN
PAST YEARS WE HAVE HAD FINANCIAL
YOU STRUGGLES.
AS A DISTRICT AND WITH OUR
FAMILIES WE FOUGHT FOR
EDUCATIONAL FUNDING REFORM.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT REFORM, THE
GOOD NEWS IS WE ARE ON MUCH
STRONGER FINANCIAL FOOTING AS A
DISTRICT.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT AND THE FACT
THAT THERE ARE GRADUAL INCREASES
THROUGHOUT THE CONTRACT, YOU
WILL SEE THAT THE REVENUE THAT
WE'RE TAKING IN LOCALLY AND AT
THE STATE LEVEL WE WILL BE ABLE
TO MAKE THE COMMITMENTS.
TODAY WE PRESENTED A BALANCED
AMENDED BUDGET FOR THIS CURRENT
FISCAL YEAR.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT AND ACROSS
THE FIVE YEARS IN OUR ENTIRE
OPERATING BUDGET WE WILL BE ABLE
TO MEET THE FINANCIAL
COMMITMENTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE
CONTRACT AND DO THAT IN A
RESPONSIBLE WAY.
>> CPS WON'T --
WE CAN'T PREDICT ANOTHER FISCAL
CRISIS FOR CPS IN THE COMING
YEARS?
>> WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS
YEAR-OVER-YEAR AND THE
OUTYEARSES OF THIS CONTRACT
FORECASTED REVENUE THAT WILL BE
COMING IN AT THE LOCAL AND STATE
LEVEL.
WE WILL BE ABLE TO MEET THE
FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS.
>> OF COURSE ONE OF CTU'S
DEMANDS WAS CLASS SIZE RELIEF
OVERSIZED, CROWDED CLASSROOM
RELIEF.
AND IS THERE NEW TEACHER-STUDENT
RATIO WITHIN THIS ALLOT.
>> WHAT WE DID WHAT I'M MOST
PROUD OF IN TERMS OF THE CLASS
SIZE WE LOOKED AT THE CURRENT
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
AND THE TARGETS FOR CLASS SIZE.
AND WHAT WE PRIORITIZED WAS
EQUITY WITHIN HOW WE LOOK AT
CLASS SIZE OVERALL.
AND I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THIS
IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT IS THE
LION'S SHARE OF OUR DISTRICTS.
WE ARE TAKING ABOUT A SMALLER
SUBSET OF SCHOOLSNESS CLASSROOMS
THAT ARE OVERSIZED.
WITHIN THAT THE EQUITY PIECE IS
LOOKING AT SCHOOLS THAT HAVE THE
HIGHEST NEEDS, STUDENTS THAT
NEED THE MOST SUPPORTS SO IT'S
MORE THAN JUST OVERSIZED
CLASSROOMS.
IT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION
WHERE IN SOME SCHOOLS YOU MAY
NEED TO REDUCE CLASS SIZE
FURTHER TO MEET THE HIGH NEEDS
OF STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR
COMMUNITIES.
NOT ONLY ARE WE LOOKING TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE PROVIDE RELIEF FOR
CLASS SIZES THAT ARE OVER THE
CLASS LIMITS WITHIN THE
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
BUT WE ARE ALSO TAKING CARE TO
INSURE THAT THERE'S EQUITY HOW
WE PRIORITIZE THE HIGHEST NEED
SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS THAT ARE
THE MOST VULNERABLE IN THE
DISTRICT.
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF DEBATE
OVER PREP TIME AND CTU WANTED 30
MINUTES OF PREP TIME IN THE
MORNING AND THE DISTRICT WON ON
THAT ONE.
AND THE TEACHERS ENDED UP NOT
GETTING THAT.
IS THAT A HUGE WIN FOR YOU?
AS AN EDUCATOR IS THAT PREP TIME
IMPORTANT?
>> IT IS.
HERE IS WHERE WE LANDED WITH
THIS.
WHAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO WAS
COMPROMISE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME
FOR STUDENTS.
SO TAKING TIME AWAY FROM
STUDENTS TO ADD AT THE FRONT OF
THE DAY.
THE ONLY TIME THAT WAS AVAILABLE
WAS THE NON-INSTRUCTIONAL TIME,
TIME FOR STUDENTS FOR LUNCH AND
RECESS OR TO COMPROMISE THE
INSTRUCTIONAL TIME THAT IS
AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY OR
SHORT --
SHORTEN THE SCHOOL YEAR.
BOTH WE DID NOT WANT TO GIVE ON
BECAUSE WE HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS
ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND WE DID NOT
WANT TO TAKE AWAY THE TIME FOR
STUDENTS.
WE WERE GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE
TO NOT COMPROMISE THE SCHOOL DAY
OR THE SCHOOL YEAR AND TO
PRESERVE THAT HIGH QUALITY
INSTRUCTIONAL TIME NEEDED FOR
STUDENTS TO CONTINUE THE
PROGRESS.
>> HOMELESS STUDENTS ARE GETTING
MORE RESOURCES.
AND SOME SPECIAL EDUCATION
ADVOCATES ARE UPSET THAT SOCIAL
WORKERS AND NURSES WILL NOT BE
GUARANTEED IN THE SCHOOL UNTIL
LATER ON IN THE CONTRACT.
WERE THE SLOW ROLL OUT?
>> WE ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE
CURRENT CONTEXT WE ARE IN,
RIGHT?
SO WE PHASED IN THOSE POSITIONS
OVER THE LENGTH OF THE CONTRACT
BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE
TO RECRUIT AND TO STAFF.
WE KNOW THE SHORTAGES THAT
EXIST.
IT IS NOT JUST GERMAINE TO
CHICAGO BUT NATIONAL SHORTAGES
THAT WE HAVE IN THE EDUCATIONAL
SECTOR.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE
WOULD BE ABLE TO STAFF THOSE
POSITIONS AND SO WE DID THAT IN
A WAY WHERE WE LOOKED AT
PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH
LOCAL UNIVERSITIES AND BUILDING
OUT RECRUITMENT STRATEGY SO NOT
ONLY WILL WE BE ABLE TO FUND THE
POSITIONS AND STAFF THEM SO THAT
WE HAVE PROFESSIONALS IN THE
SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS.
THAT WAS THE RESPONSIBLE WAY TO
DO THAT SO WE DON'T OVERPROMISE
AND UNDER DELIVER.
>> NOW, BEFORE I LET YOU GO, CTU
PRESIDENT JESSE SHARKEY SAID
THAT PASSAGE RATIFICATION OF
THIS TENTATIVE AGREEMENT IS NOT
A SLAM DUNK.
WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE NOT
EVERYONE IN THE
25,000-MEMBERSHIP UNION IS
SATISFIED.
WHAT HAPPENS IF CTU DOES NOT
RATIFY?
>> HONESTLY WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT
THEY WILL RATIFY.
WE THINK WE HAVE THE STRONGEST
PROPOSAL POSSIBLE ON THE TABLE.
AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL