The Chicago Teachers Union’s refusal to close near-empty schools and push for more “sustainable community schools” is hurting student achievement. CTU is about adding members and escaping accountability, not about what’s best for Chicago students.
The Chicago Teachers Union recently marked the 10th anniversary of the celebrated “hunger strike” victory that prevented the closure of the nearly empty Dyett High School.
Lost on the CTU is the harsh reality that despite Dyett boasting an 87% graduation rate and winning a 2A state boys basketball championship, only 2% of its graduates are proficient in reading. None are proficient in math. An alarming 75% of Dyett students were chronically absent – missing more than 10% of the school year.
For far too many Dyett students, education remains a broken promise.
The fight to save Dyett was focused solely on keeping the school open, not on improving its quality. This reflects the CTU’s broader approach to public education: prioritize keeping schools open, expand union membership, increase member benefits and dues, reduce workload and protect jobs.
Student achievement? Not CTU’s priority.
Standardized testing is demonized. As a result, neither schools nor teachers are held accountable for performance.