What pushed Chicago’s teachers past their breaking point and onto picket lines last week? The strike, which at this writing appears close to resolution, is about the heart and soul of education. While some pundits may disagree, the Chicago public understands that, clearly supporting the teachers in this struggle. What’s happening in Chicago is rooted in years of devastating budget cuts, growing student needs in the face of dwindling supports, increased emphasis on testing over teaching, decisions to close schools and charter them rather than fix them, and disrespect for teachers, who have been required to implement policies made without their input and then blamed when they fail.
All this contributes to huge frustrations for educators and the most widespread demoralization–in Chicago or elsewhere–that I have seen in my lifetime. That’s why this struggle resonates well beyond the teachers, paraprofessionals and clinicians I spoke with this week on the picket lines.
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