Chicago teachers strike over school cuts, funding

Chicago Public Schools teachers hit the picket lines Friday, saying the controversial one-day strike, though possibly an irritation to parents and students, is vital to draw attention to the lack of adequate funding.

About 40 teachers picketed outside Amundsen High School on the North Side. Several said they'd much prefer to be in their classrooms teaching, but that they were taking a bigger-picture view of the state of education in the city.

"I know it's an inconvenience for the day, but you want these kids to come into schools that are funded," said Sean Reidy, the orchestra director at Amundsen. "You don't even want to know about strings for the instruments and how we keep that going. It's an absolute miracle that we have an orchestra here."

Reidy said he would not harbor bad feeling toward any teachers who chose to cross the picket line.

"It's their decision," Reidy said. "They're my colleagues and I respect them ... People get this idea of a thug mentality for a union and it's not that way."

Another Amundsen teacher, Jim Doyiakos, said: "We're trying to show the parents that in order for their kids to get the proper education, the schools have to be properly supported financially."

For details, check chicago.suntimes.com.