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Special Education

Even as CPS opens more new schools, children with special needs have a tougher time finding options. Placements in private therapeutic schools are scarce, and some charters are reluctant to enroll them.

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Chicago Teachers Union

In the News: Voters side with CTU on school reform May 16, 2012 By: Cassandra West Chicago voters overwhelmingly back Mayor Rahm Emanuel's push to extend the school day, but far more of them side with the teachers union than the mayor on overall efforts to improve education, a new Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows. Read More \| (8) Comments	CTU: Poll shows members unhappy with contract proposal May 11, 2012 By: Sarah Karp In the ongoing battle between the Chicago Teachers Union and CPS over a new contract, CTU announced Friday that the first large-scale poll of its members found that more than 90 percent think the current proposal will "lower the quality of education in the city." But CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll fired back, accusing the CTU of putting out misleading information about the details of the proposal in an attempt to fire up the base. “If I were a CTU member, I would be disappointed,” she said. Read More \| (44) Comments
As contract talks heat up, teachers union seeks stronger ties with parents May 03, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris In recent weeks, teachers at dozens of schools have made efforts to reach out to parents about issues ranging from the longer school day and school funding to class sizes to teacher pay. Read More \| (18) Comments	In the News: CTU's Lewis responds to 'distortion' April 19, 2012 By: Cassandra West On the Tribune's editorial page, CTU President Karen GJ Lewis lays out the union's case as it navigates "a very difficult series of negotiations for the next teachers contract." Read More \| (0) Comments
In the News: LSC elections start Wednesday April 17, 2012 By: Cassandra West Local School Council elections in Chicago Public Schools start this Wednesday, with 6,500 candidates running for the school-based seats. Meanwhile, CPS has created an app called, "Who is Running for my Local School Council?" so parents can see a list of candidates running for positions. Read More \| (0) Comments	CPS, CTU prepare for fact-finding in contract negotiation April 16, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union, which had previously been in mediation since early February, have appointed members of a three-person fact-finding panel – one of the final steps of a lengthy, legally required pre-strike process set out in Illinois law. Read More \| (26) Comments
In the News: CPS policy on LSC process criticized April 11, 2012 By: Cassandra West One of the original authors of the LSC concept says Chicago Public Schools obstructed their own efforts to promote LSC elections by taking more than a week to make the names of Local School Council candidates available to the press or public. Read More \| (0) Comments	In the News: CTU strike support 'overwhelming' April 06, 2012 By: Cassandra West Chicago public school teachers in 150 schools have voted overwhelmingly in mock ballots to support a strike should ongoing contract negotiations fail, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis revealed Thursday. Read More \| (7) Comments
Teachers support possible strike, union says April 05, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris The Chicago Teachers Union claimed Thursday that more than 75 percent of teachers at each of 150 schools showed support for a strike in informal polling. But the union would not give details on which schools the polls were conducted, or whether any teachers at turnaround schools had voiced their support. “We will have a lot of intimidation and harassment” if the schools are revealed, said CTU President Karen Lewis. CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll said in response that “Any talk of strike is the wrong message to send to our schools, students and taxpayers.” Read More \| (15) Comments

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