CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Members of the Chicago Teachers Union held a rally Wednesday afternoon calling for increased staffing at charter schools in the city.
Among those rallying outside the Idar Charter School near 51st and Homan was Zachary Warren, a math teacher there who said more staffing is needed to help students, especially those who are struggling with language and learning challenges.
“The number one push for what we’re asking for is we want our children to be successful and, in order for them to be successful, these are the supports that we need,” said Warren. “We need additional teaching staff, we need additional EL teachers, DL teachers. We need more enrichment classes, like music, Spanish, art, to develop holistic children who are able to think critically.”
The union is seeking new contracts with 13 operators who run 35 charter schools in the city.
“I have students who struggle with class because they don’t have enough intervention supports, and I have seventh graders who are at a third grade math level…I don’t have any support for the students to help all of those gaps,” Warren said.
The school where the rally was held is operated by Acero Schools, which released a statement saying it looks forward to negotiating staffing levels with the union.
Acero also claimed the union failed to make any staffing proposals during eight previous bargaining sessions.
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