Chicago Teachers Union: Focus On Students and Teachers, Not Venezuela

To read the entire op-ed by E4E-Chicago member Latasha Mallory, visit the Education Post.

In a few short weeks, my classroom will be squirming with anxious excitement from a group of new first graders. But they aren’t the only anxious ones—after more than 20 years in Chicago schools, I fear for my students and colleagues as we begin the year without a contract and in anticipation of a possible strike. And yet, with this duress looming over our schools, I was shocked to hear that a delegation from my union, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), met with Venezuela’s government in July. 

Last month, the United Nations published a report saying that the Venezuelan government is responsible for thousands of extra-judicial killings and covering them up. The government is starving its country and has denied foreign aid from the red cross for years. They have imprisoned journalists and political opponents. I recognize the CTU House of Delegates passed a resolution opposing the U.S. government’s intervention in Venezuela, but appearing to put CTU’s support behind a corrupt government is something entirely different.

To read the complete op-ed, visit the Education Post.