Advocates: Time to move forward after teachers strike

A group advocating for education improvements says it’s time to push forward for all Illinois students now that the Chicago teachers strike is over.

Advance Illinois held a news conference Tuesday, a week after the Chicago Teachers Union voted to end a seven-day walkout. The co-chair is former White House chief of staff Bill Daley. He says too much attention was paid to disagreements within public education.

The group didn’t outline a specific agenda to moving forward. Instead they talked about “continued cooperation.” Others there included former Chicago City Clerk Miguel Del Valle, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie and the Illinois Parent Teacher Association’s president.

It was Chicago’s first teachers strike in 25 years.

Key issues included new teacher evaluations, which is something other Illinois districts are also considering.