The pandemic-related tensions between Chicago’s school district and teachers union are boiling over. Chicago Public Schools says the Chicago Teachers Union’s January 24 vote to not teach in-person classes until teachers are vaccinated is potentially “an illegal strike.” “Our collective bargaining agreement includes a no-strike clause, and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board has ruled a strike of this nature…
Tag: Tanesha Peeples
Education for Black Kids Cannot Look the Same as It Did in 2020
We lost so many lives this year—lives that could’ve been saved if people just gave a damn for once. And I’m not referring to the close to 300 thousand Americans who have succumbed to the coronavirus. I’m talking about the casualties lost as a result of a trash ass education system. No shock here—a recent study conducted by McKinsey & Company revealed that…
CPS Black Student Achievement Task Force Now in Development
Thanks to the advocacy of Natasha Dunn, Tanesha Peeples and other Black parents and community advocates, the Chicago Public Schools has agreed to launch a Black Student Achievement Task Force.
Chicago Parents Ask CPS to Create Black Student Achievement Taskforce
Today, a coalition of parents and advocates from Chicago’s Black community sent a letter to the leadership of Chicago Public Schools demanding critical attention to the experience and outcomes of Black students during the remote learning period and beyond. “We are requesting that Chicago Public Schools establish a Black Student Achievement Taskforce to work in concert with the district to…
It’s Time to Tell Joe Biden His Education Task Force Needs Black & Brown Parents
To be truly unifying, the Biden-Sanders Education Unity Task Force needs Black and Brown parents. Sign the petition!
Teacher Appreciation, Chicago Style!
This week, my colleague Tanesha Peeples and I want to take a moment to shout-out a handful of the many Chicago teachers we know who are working their hearts out for students every day. Take Jessica Fong, preK teacher at Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center. When schools closed due to COVID-19, half of her preK students and families began taking…
Chicago Parents and Activists Say “Our Kids Can’t Wait”
“Our Kids Can’t Wait” That was the overarching theme of a recent education-focused, community town hall in Chicago, led by activist Tanesha Peeples and Chicago Unheard. The gathering saw parents and advocates brave a snowstorm to talk about real solutions for meeting the needs of each and every student in Chicago. The night was a powerful reminder of the value of community organizing…
Our Kids Can’t Wait Till You Show Up for Them on Tuesday Night
Chicago, our kids can’t wait–and we’re not going to make them wait anymore, either. Our kids can no longer wait on our city’s leadership or Chicago Public Schools to figure out how to close the opportunity gaps that exist between Black, Latino and White students. I recently wrote about brightbeam’s report, “The Secret Shame: How America’s Most Progressive Cities Betray…