close
close

Latest Post

Ben Affleck bonds with ex-wife Jennifer Garner on Thanksgiving while Jennifer Lopez goes through divorce: ‘He’s very happy’ “You could hear the bang, bang, bang,” witnesses recall of their experiences during the Park Plaza Mall shooting

Chicago’s public school system is suffering from “chronic absenteeism” among teachers who skipped more than 10 days during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a new report.

State records show that more than 41% of CPS teachers had more than 10 absence days last year, the Chicago Tribune reported. These absences are in addition to the built-in vacation days allotted to teachers for the school year, which include 10 days for winter break, five for spring break and eight additional days off for the holidays, according to the outlet.

Chicago Democrat Raises Alarm on 55 Schools Not Reporting Math or Reading Proficiencies: ‘Very Serious’

Mayor of Chicago

Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union (left), stands with Mayor Brandon Johnson as he arrives at the Legler Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library on February 7, 2024.

“These 10 days represent a statistical benchmark the profession uses to monitor ‘chronic absenteeism’ among teachers,” the Tribune wrote.

The report comes amid ongoing contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union, which is demanding a 9% annual pay raise for teachers. The average salary for CPS teachers is about $95,000, according to the outlet.

The teachers union is calling for $50 billion in additional funding to cover wage increases and other demands. The money would be used, for example, to provide fully paid abortions for its members, new services and facilities for immigrants, and a variety of LGBTQ-related requirements and training in schools.

Read more on the Fox News app

The enormous demands are made despite its members delivering disappointing results for their students. According to the Nation’s Report Card, which provides nationwide results on student achievement, only 21% of the city’s eighth graders are proficient readers.

CPS Chief Labor Relations Officer Miguel Perretta said the district cannot afford the raises the union is demanding and has no plans to budge, ABC7 reported.

Students Left Behind as Chicago High School Suffers Staffing Problems, Teacher Absences: Report

In September, students at a Chicago high school were left without a teacher for several weeks because their teachers were chronically absent, the Chicago Block Club announced at the time.

Chicago Teachers Union rally

CHICAGO, IL – SEPTEMBER 24: Members of the Chicago Teachers Union gathered for a rally in advance of a teachers strike on September 24, 2019 in Chicago.

“According to CPS data, approximately 46 percent of teaching staff had more than ten absences in 2023. That means nearly half of Clemente teachers have missed the equivalent of at least two weeks of school,” the outlet reported.

In June, Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates told a radio host that conservatives don’t want black children to read, adding that it’s “part of the oath they take to be on the right.”

Click here to read more media and culture news

Gates apparently doubled down on his comments following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, demanding in a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson that Black history classes be included in teachers’ contracts, ABC7 reported.

“We are concerned that in the age of Trump, teaching black history in the city of Chicago may be a problem due to restrictions the federal government may place on the curriculum,” Gates wrote.

The Chicago Tribune called the salary demand “outlandish” in an editorial on Sunday.

“As CTU continues to make outrageous demands on city and state taxpayers, the question becomes: What exactly are Chicagoans getting for the $30,000 per student they are currently paying, the highest investment per student in Illinois? Why is this all like this?” “We hear from the CTU that it is demanding more, but we never hear from the union about what its members owe the taxpayers (and parents) of this city?” the board wrote.

CPS did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Original source of the article: Chicago Public Schools suffer ‘chronic absenteeism’ from teachers as union demands higher wages: report

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *