Chicago Teachers Union members are on strike at two CPS charter schools operated by Instituto del Progreso Latino, the union announced early Tuesday morning.
A nonprofit based in the Lower West Side community area, Instituto has refused to meet educators’ demands regarding special education staffing levels, educators’ rights and sanctuary protections for immigrant students and employees, according to CTU.
“No one wants to strike, but Instituto has not made progress on key demands teachers have raised to protect our students,” Jen Conant, the chair of CTU’s Charter Division, said in a union press release. “This could have easily been avoided if the Instituto was willing to fund the baseline services that our students deserve and are legally entitled to.”
At Instituto Health and Science Career Academy and Instituto Justice Leadership Academy, the two schools where teachers launched picket lines early Tuesday morning, CTU represents a total of 48 employees, cumulatively serving 600 students, according to the union’s press release.
Both schools face chronic teacher shortages, with all special education teachers quitting at the start of the school year, CTU said.
“Lacking provisions for fair wages that would address the school’s bilingual and special education teacher shortage is a key part of current negotiations,” the union said in a press release, noting that Instituto serves a Latino population as CPS continues to receive an influx of newcomer students.
Amid charter contract renewals in January, CPS extended Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy’s contract by only one year, compared to three-year and four-year renewals offered other charter schools with expiring contracts. In a CPS audit, Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy did not meet district standards in meeting the needs of special education students and English learners, district Director of Authorization and School Options Molly Mikolajczyk said during a Board of Education presentation in January.
Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy is also in financial remediation, Mikolajczyk added. “We have concerns regarding the communication of academic and operational performance to the Instituto Board, which would impact financial decisions, including the allocation of funding…for staffing and student services,” she said.
CTU claims that Instituto has mismanaged funds CPS has provided the charter operator, retaining a quarter of the money the district provides in the form of rent and management fees.
Instituto del Progreso Latino did not immediately provide comment. At a CPS public hearing on charter contract renewals, Maribel Arellano, Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy principal said, “Since its inception, our school has been a beacon of hope, a source of empowerment and a catalyst for positive change.” Urging the Board of Ed to provide the school a five-year charter contract, she added, “We are not merely sustaining an educational institution, we are upholding a commitment to social justice and equal opportunity.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
