Educators for Excellence-Chicago Reacts to CTU Election

May 18 (Chicago) – Educators for Excellence-Chicago (E4E-Chicago), a teacher-led organization, congratulates Jesse Sharkey on his election as Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President. 

“Congratulations to President Sharkey. We look forward to collaborating with him to broaden opportunities for members to engage in their union,” said E4E-Chicago Executive Director Stacy Moore. “It’s exciting to see so many teachers cast votes in this election. A recent survey of Chicago teachers makes clear that while 89 percent see their union as important, only about 30 percent say it reflects their policy perspective a great deal. We hope President Sharkey will prioritize engaging more teachers so that the CTU’s positions better reflect the preferences and perspectives of its diverse membership.” 

Earlier this spring, E4E-Chicago members advocated for more opportunities for rank-and-file members to hear from the candidates and learn about their positions. They also wrote over 75 letters sharing their perspectives and asking the next union president to address concerns laid out in their most recent paper, “Ask an Educator: Priority Issues for Chicago’s Classrooms.” These letters will be delivered to President Sharkey in the coming weeks.

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