The week-long strike between Chicago's Teachers Union and school board officials was expected to end last Sunday, but instead took a turn for the worse over the weekend as negotiations failed to satisfy either party. As of press time, the strike rages on, continuing to frustrate teachers, students and elected officials, particularly Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. We urge both sides to think critically about the implications of holding a strike of this magnitude and duration.
Chicago public school teachers are protesting several changes, the most substantial of which is the school board's proposal to evaluate and potentially dismiss theoretically underperforming teachers based on students' standardized test performance. The teachers are also demanding recall rights in the probable case of school closures, as well as fair compensation. We must, however, consider the possibility that it is the teachers who are failing. Four in 10 children do not graduate out of Chicago's school system, but teachers are annually paid on average nearly $50,000, which ranks near the top of many public school systems in the U.S. There is a reason why Emanuel wants to overhaul the school system - Chicago's kids simply aren't succeeding with the established educational system.
Of course, the general public and the teachers themselves realize how rewarding and burdensome being a teacher can be. More specifically, the arduous responsibility of teaching in a low-income, under-achieving school is bound to test teachers' grit, patience and altruistic characters. Many Chicago public schools are faced with less-than-ideal circumstances and absolutely require experienced teachers who put students' achievements and successes before their own. While many of the teachers on strike would and should characterize themselves as being noble, we are disappointed that these teachers seem to be undermining their character for personal gain.
Indeed, it is sad to witness the selflessness of teachers be dampened by personal, though realistic demands for improvement. We simply do not believe these teachers can "have their cake and eat it, too." It is a huge contradiction when teachers attempt to preserve their honorable, self-sacrificing status while picketing at the same time. Not only are hundreds of thousands of kids out of school, but many have also lost respect for their teachers and feel betrayed that their greatest role models have put themselves over their students. This is something all teachers need to take into account when voicing their discontent in such a public manner.
At Brown, relationships between students and faculty are highly encouraged. Though much of the faculty engages in more professional activities than just teaching, they were hired in the first place to teach and inspire students. Furthermore, we urge the public school teachers in Providence, though the city's education system is in dire straits, to recognize their awesome power in affecting students' minds. This is why teachers should teach, and by striking, we question whether this inspiring notion is compromised.
Emanuel isn't trying to end benefits and opportunities for teachers. He is trying to end something that clearly isn't working, and that is commendable on its own. While we are impressed with Chicago's teachers for joining together in the pursuit of a common interest, we warn them and other teachers about what they might lose.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
Correction: An earlier version of this editorial incorrectly stated that Chicago teachers are paid on average an annual salary of $50,000. In fact, the average annual salary is around $71,000. The Herald regrets the error.
