CPS tenured teachers

First story is from CPR about what to do after a federal judge ordered that layoffs of tenured teachers must be rescinded after the Chicago Teacher's Union (CTU) sued.

Alicia Winckler is the chief human capital officer for the district.

WINCKLER: We'd have to find the money. We don't have any additional money to utilize for something like this, so we'd have to find that money within our budget.

Another district official says rehiring all tenured teachers could cost CPS about $30 million. In order to free up that money, the official says pink slips would have to be sent out to about 500 non-tenured teachers.

CPS plans to appeal this ruling however:

Earlier this year, the Chicago Board of Education gave Huberman the power to lay off tenured teachers to help close a multi-million dollar budget gap. When he exercised that authority, the Chicago Teachers Union sued the district, saying the layoffs were carried out with disregard to seniority or tenure.

A federal judge on Monday ruled that the district must work with the teachers union within the next 30 days to hammer out a plan to recall tenured teachers.

Huberman says state law does not require the district to rehire teachers based on seniority.

HUBERMAN: What’s right for kids and what’s right for performance—when we do recall—is the very best teachers who are most highly rated are the first ones who should be able to come back.

CTU Pres. Karen Lewis says that CPS can't merely pick and choose which parts of the law to follow.

Also Mayor Daley who plans to retire after the Mayoral election next year is still coming up with plans for the teachers in the school system that is under his control:

Mayor Richard Daley today touted a $34 million federal grant to increase pay for the best teachers at 25 "high-need" Chicago public schools as a good way to provide teachers and principals the support and feedback they need to succeed.

Under the five-year Teacher Incentive Fund grant, about 1,100 teachers will be able to receive merit bumps in pay of up to 15 percent for exceeding classroom standards.

"These are elementary schools with a high percentage of low income students, which have historically struggled with high teacher turnover," Daley said during a news conference at Ravenswood Elementary School on the North Side.
"We'll use the money to develop a system that will include meaningful evaluation criteria, supportive professional development for teachers, which will reward teacher performance for meeting or exceeding classroom goals," he said.

And speaking of Mayor Daley, Ron Huberman - his current appointment to lead the city schools - will not continue to serve under a new mayor. Head towards The Sixth Ward to find out more about that.