Today my son and I walked the picket line with his teachers and staff, as well as those at our other neighborhood schools. Everywhere we went, neighbors were honking their horns in support. Parents dropped off coffee and donuts, and neighborhood restaurants donated food to make sure students didn’t go without.
As a former teacher myself, I know how hard the job is–especially when our schools don’t have the resources they need. Teachers and staff are striking because they believe that we need one librarian, one social worker, and one nurse in every school. They are striking because strong schools with mental-behavioral health services and after-school programming are central to building safe, healthy communities. They are also striking for smaller class sizes and support for special education students, and the 17,000 students in CPS who are homeless.
Teachers and especially low-wage staff are making a sacrifice to fight for our schools. I know that this can also be a difficult time for parents and students, and my office will be doing its best to keep neighbors informed of updates and connect them with the resources they need during this period.
