Chicago teachers in the streets...photo

[Emit]

‎"50,000 Chicago teachers in the streets! Solidarity rallies every day at 125 S. Clark starting at 6 AM and at 3:30 PM! Be there!"
From Chicago Jobs with Justice
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-Jobs-with-Justice/147215153055

[frazzled]

1. There are only 25,000 CPS teachers

Not saying the crowd might not have been 50,000. Just trying to be accurate.

[Emit]

3. I edited the title although that is the title from the link posted in the OP n/t

[tama]

5. It's a people's grass roots movement

strongly connected with the whole community and other grass roots movements such as Occupy movement. The union elected new leadership recently, not traditional union bosses but teachers(!), and they have been organizing people power links of solidarity and mutual aid for a long time.

Remember Oaxaca.

[cr8tvlde]

2. This brings back difficult memories.

I don't know all the issues, no one ever does, but I guarantee you, as one with teacher strike experience, no teacher walks out of the classroom to hold a sign unless conditions for not only the teachers, but the kids, are very, very bad.

I stand with the Chicago teachers and demand that the School District and the Legislature FIND the money to do what is right for the kids.

[tama]

4. From what I've learned so far

this is really a political strike against Obama administrations neoliberal corporate model education policy of privatization etc. that started in Chicago as brainfart of chamber of commerce type 1% millionaires. It's a community wide people's movement allied with Occupy movement etc., not just traditional labor politics.

[cr8tvlde]

6. Well, 40 years bring a lot of changes. Thank you for your information.

I am sorry for today's parents with school children. Subject to the Chicago C of C??? Ugh.

Find it interesting that Obama speaks about education and its importance and surely knows the situation you describe, probably too much to hope that he'll wade into the morass.