CTU Strike & the Media

During this time of the Chicago Teachers Union strike I have found myself confused at times about the situation at hand and both parties “arguments”. Most importantly what I have come to realize is the heavy impact media has had on my own opinion and I’m sure the opinion of others in the community like parents. In my opinion, the media seems to be giving off the impression that teachers are striking only for the money and have lost their passion for working for the students. President, Karen Lewis, is honestly someone who I don’t care for. Whenever the media portrays her she has a very rude and harsh personality. Being quoted as saying working out a contract with CPS Board of Ed is “silly” part of her job. If I was a CPS teacher and part of the CTU I honestly don’t feel I would want her representing me. Along with this I was frustrated that the CTU delegates didn’t come to an agreement to vote “yes” to end the strike. The news said that the delegates felt the wording was incorrect and they will need to revise it a different day. Having said that, my immediate reaction was “how come they don’t want to meet immediately to get this solved and students back into their classrooms?” I believe these CPS teachers are very passionate about working hard for their students and considering the children first. But I do have to wonder, why is it taking CPS and CTU to settle on a contract? All the money that is going into this new contract is a heavy burden on the city to come up with, I agree that OF COURSE teachers should be treated with more respect and better pay but the city frankly doesn’t have that money so what does CTU expect? Looking at this from a student teacher perspective and being from this area I know the struggles this city, along with our nation, has had to deal with in terms of fixing the economy. Teachers shouldn’t be short changed but then where do we get the money to support them? Is having someone like Karen Lewis who can be harsh at times a blessing in disguise because she will fight for what the teachers want?

What is important here is the fact that there is a very political aspect of teaching that I feel fortunate to be experiencing right now. Yes, it’s frustrating our time in the classroom is cut short by a week or so, however, this is something I will carry with me forever in my teaching career and allow myself to appreciate my fellow teaching colleagues and the students I will encounter. Our education system involves the whole community and that is made very present today with the amount of media being placed on this situation and the reactions of many from the community. Media plays an important role, almost as much as politics. Before I judge too quickly about what I see in the media, getting all the facts in a political situation like this is key. From this situation I understand that both parties are going to be portrayed in a certain way and its up to the viewer, me, to research and decide for myself my views, not rely on the media. I’ve learned I should question EVERYTHING that the media displays and discover for myself what is really happening in the CTU strike, it is especially important to our class and myself as we are all student teachers. It is truly a case of seeing the politics in the classroom and our education system. We are privileged to be experiencing first hand what teachers deal with on a day to day basis not only inside the classroom but also outside.