As I stood overlooking the empty chambers of our state legislature on a holiday weekend in Springfield, I thought of all those male and female legislators going home that weekend to celebrate with their families. I thought of them kissing their children Tuesday morning and sending them off to school. Schools that are beautiful, clean, well-maintained and staffed by teachers who feel embraced by their communities.
Also on that Tuesday morning, I, along with 31,000 other teachers and paraprofessionals of the City of Chicago, will rise early and depart for our schools. We will be thinking about the vicious and mean-spirited legislation that was passed recently in Springfield.
But, as always we won’t dwell on negativity. We will put on a bright smile for the children we prepare for.
Oh yes, the children. You see, we, unlike our legislators, can’t forget about the children because we are there for them and with them every day. After our legislators passed laws that take away money from our pension fund, our right to bargain for class size, our seniority rights, do you think newly educated teachers will flock to work in the Chicago Public Schools?
Who will staff our classrooms? Will Senate President James “Pate” Philip come and teach multicultural history and acceptance to 4th graders? Will Judy Erwin (D-Chicago), who abandoned her city by voting for the Republicans’ Chicago school package, come and teach my 36 1st graders to read next year? No, they won’t. It will be the teachers and paraprofessionals of the Chicago Teachers Union.
We refuse to hold our heads down in shame. We are Chicago Public School teachers, and we are proud of the work we do with children, and no legislature will be able to take that away from us. We see it in the faces of our children every day. We hear it when a students says, “I love you, teacher.”
Will we keep on keeping on? Will we fight these attacks on our union? You bet we will, because who will be there for the children if we don’t?
