Courtesy of Chicago Teachers Union

In a major contract win, the Chicago Teachers Union has finalized the process for 30 Chicago public schools to receive a restorative justice coordinator, counselor or librarian starting in the 2020-2021 school year. Thirty positions will be added each year for the remaining four years of the CTU contract with the Board of Education for a total of 120 new positions, and are a necessity for Chicago Public Schools communities. When considering what Chicago’s public school students and their families are experiencing right now—a global pandemic, remote learning, police violence and civil unrest—30 new positions don’t seem like nearly enough. But they were earned through collective bargaining and an historic 11-day strike, which wouldn’t have been possible without the strength and sacrifice of the CTU rank-and-file.

“We are happy that students in 30 schools will benefit from these additional staff members, and that by the end of our contract, 120 schools will have received an extra staff member,” CTU President Jesse Sharkey said. “But we should not have to engage in prolonged actions and strikes for what our students need, because the district should be adequately funded so that there are sufficient staff and programs to meet the needs of all our students, all of the time.”

“We are so excited that the CTU and CPS joint committee was able to work together to identify 30 high-need schools that will receive either an additional counselor, restorative justice coordinator or librarian,” said CTU Counselors Committee Chair Lissette Flores. “This is definitely an historic moment, and our students will benefit greatly.”

CPS will notify principals that its Talent Department will begin looking for candidates to fill each school’s chosen position. The Union will soon be inviting delegates at all 30 schools to a virtual meeting to learn more about this win and develop plans for organizing in their buildings.