Opinion

Pay teachers for longer school day

Posted September 11, 2012 4:21 am

In regards to the labor strife between the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Public Schools, one must remember that the schools exist primarily to educate and socialize the children. However, one must also realize that the schools are places of employment for teachers, lunchroom staff and maintenance personnel as well as administrators.

Therefore, the teaching and other staff must have fair and reasonable environments for working. This includes decent working conditions and fair wages. It is only fair and reasonable that if the Chicago teachers are being asked to work 20 percent more in terms of length of school year and hours in the day that they should be paid 20 percent more in wages. Certainly, the students would benefit from a longer school day and year, but reality dictates that if the Chicago Public Schools cannot afford such a longer school day and year, some adjustment must be made.

The arbitrator between the CPS and the CTU stated in his final report that the schools should not have implemented a longer school day and year if they did not have the money to pay for it. The teachers are only asking for fair compensation.

Stewart E Brekke

retired CPS teacher

Downers Grove

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