CAUSE to Demand Equal Representation for All Public School Teachers; Says There’s a “Record Purging of Black Educators in Chicago”

The Chicago Alliance of Urban School Educators (CAUSE) will hold a press conference today, Tuesday, January 6^th at 5:00 p.m., at 4315 South Cottage Grove to demand equal representation for all public school teachers and transparency within the Chicago Teacher’s Union

According to CAUSE, there’s a dwindling number of black teachers in CPS, now less than 20 percent. Between the decline that existed before the school closings, subsequent layoffs afterward and teachers placed on do not hire lists, “we’ve lost over 10,000 teaching positions.” CAUSE is calling on the Chicago Teacher’s Union to provide protection for all public school teachers and to embrace and assist teachers who have been displaced or terminated.

In 2010, there were approximately 9,000 African American teachers, comprising nearly 30 percent of the total population of Chicago Public Schools teachers. Today, that number has fallen by as much as 50 percent – to somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000. African American teachers now only make up 15 to 20 percent of the total of CPS teachers.

“The CTU and CPS need to more strongly represent its members, students and the very premise of diversity in Chicago’s public education system,” said Rosita Chatonda, founding president of CAUSE and outreach chair for the CPS South-Shore Community Action Council. “Our current union leadership and our appointed school board have presided over a record purging of black educators in Chicago, and they’ve done a very good job of hiding this information from the public.”

For more information, Contact: Rosita Chatonda, founding president, CAUSE 773-419-7417  or rcchatonda@yahoo.com