Chicago Teachers Union holds walk-ins amid contract standoff with CPS
CHICAGO - The Chicago Teachers Union held walk-ins at dozens of Chicago Public Schools Tuesday morning over concerns about President Donald Trump's policies.
The demonstration comes amid contract negotiations with the district.
The union continues to call for more staffing, more investment in neighborhood classrooms and more protection for immigrant students.
CPS and CTU leaders clash
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates has previously accused CPS of stalling progress, claiming CPS is not prioritizing an agreement.
She also criticized CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, calling him "the supreme being" for blocking school board involvement in contract talks.
Martinez countered, saying the two sides have made progress, meeting 23 times in December alone. He also said CTU refuses to formalize verbal agreements and remains inflexible on salary demands, which have been reduced from 9% to between 5% and 6%. Martinez is offering 4-5%.
Chicago teachers are among the highest paid in the nation, earning $96,000 per year. CTU has also demanded the hiring of 14,000 additional staff, which Martinez says would cost the district $5 billion.
Davis Gates contends Martinez has refused to attend negotiations.
Martinez, however, stressed his commitment to reaching an agreement that rewards teachers without overburdening taxpayers already facing massive CPS debt.
National Day of Action
Tuesday's walk-in also coincides with a national day of action.
Teachers nationwide are pushing back against the president's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Education, Linda McMahon, a former World Wrestling Entertainment executive who served on the Connecticut State Board of Education.
Who is Linda McMahon?
The backstory:
McMahon is married to Vince McMahon, whose father was a prominent professional wrestling promoter. Linda and Vince followed his father into the business, founding their own company that's now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE.
Linda McMahon stepped down from her position as WWE's chief executive to enter politics. She ran twice for a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut but lost in 2010 to Richard Blumenthal and in 2012 to Chris Murphy.
According to the AP, Linda McMahon focused on offering financial assistance to candidates. She provided $6 million to help Trump's candidacy after he secured the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
McMahon also served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009. She told legislators at the time that she had an interest in education and once planned to become a teacher, a goal that fell aside after her marriage.
McMahon also spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. The AP noted that she is viewed as an unknown in the education industry, though she has expressed support for charter schools and school choice.
During his first term in the White House, Donald Trump chose McMahon as leader of the Small Business Administration. According to the AP, the agency provides loans and disaster relief to companies and entrepreneurs, and it monitors government officials' compliance with contract laws.
Unlike other members of Trump's first administration, McMahon was not shadowed by scandal or controversy. She frequently touted his trade and tax policies.
When Trump ran for president in 2024, McMahon was the co-chair of his transition team along with Howard Lutnick, the chief executive of financial services company Cantor Fitzgerald.
As part of that role, McMahon worked to plan Trump's new administration.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by previous FOX 32 coverage and the Associated Press.