I had been a CPS teacher for 15 years at the same school. In 2007 I took a leave of absence because after 20 years of being cancer free from breast cancer, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in the other breast. After 18 months I came back to work at CPS and was told I had 1 years to find a teaching position. I went back to school and recieved my LBS1 and Middle school endoserment in that summer. For those 15 years that I taught, I received "Superior" on my yearly reviews by my principals. I am now a reassigned teacher trying to find a position. What concerns me is I have 15 years senority and better teaching credentials than many of the newly hired teachers have. Yet, principals continue to higher first year teachers without the correct qualifications over myself. With only 1 and 1/2 months left to find a position before I am terminated and will lose all my benefits, for taking a leave of absence for breast cancer. When did CPS start penalyzing teachers for getting sick?
I have been inspired by my predecessor, Lawer Dixon, to run for School Delegate. Congratulations CSDU for representing true solidarity. You have my full and unabashed support.
Great Work - changing the spelling of "committee" was FAST work. Yeah !!
What a lovely new website. Check out the spelling of the word "commitee" on the right side of the web page in a red box- Steering Commitee. Get a retired English teacher to proofread your site. This is why the Chgo. Teachers get a bad rap.
I've taught almost 35 years in the Chicago Public School system. I retired in 2008. As of yet, my pension has not been finalized and my pension checks are approximately $300. less then it should be. Isn't there anything our union can do to get CPS to provide accurate payroll data to CTPF.
Sincerely,
Linda Crowe
Union member for 35 years.
Principals tell me in interviews that they want to hire me, but tht after 17 years with CPS, they can only offer PAT positions because they say they do not have any money!
Some principals tell me that they have been told not to hire reassigned teachers; I have been reassigned five times. Yes, I have closed five schools. After paying union dues for 17 years, my union does not return my phone calls or emails. I hope that either the union members strike for the rights of all the teachers reassigned-to-death and unemployment or the union members replace the union leadership so the union will fight for tenured teachers to return to our positions with our tenure restored.
After giving sixteen years to CPS as an outstanding,award winning art and music teacher, I am now a Day to Day Sub with no benefits and virtually no work due to the enormous influx of new displaced teachers being put into cadre positions by the Board. It should be criminal that despite paying full Union dues last year while I grossed $19,000 vs nearly $59,000, I am now completely trashed, thrown out and I could go on and on about what the New and Improved principals do, telling me I have a job, then using me as a sub (and a janitor) to get their schools ready for Parent Night: AKA Marconi Academy last week or going nuts at my interview, telling me how wonderful I am, what supplies do I need, here's the art room (Skinner West) then never taking my calls, emails, in person visits, but also not hiring anyone else. Mark Ochoa tells me the CTU is trying to get some restitution for all of us, but when I ask if that is publicized, he says no, so why is he telling me that...Oh right, another promise just to get me to shut up, lie down, and die quietly. Unemployment told me I'm just on vacation and I have reasonable assurance I will return to work! I mean, really!
