Chicago International Charter School Teachers Go On Strike

CHICAGO — Teachers at four charter schools in Chicago have gone on strike. The strike affects more than 2,000 students at the campuses, which are operated by Chicago International Charter Schools.

Students at Wrightwood Elementary School, ChicagoQuest High School, Ellison High School and Northtown Academy High School are affected by the strike. The four schools will remain open during normal hours during the strike; however only online learning, recreational and arts activities will be offered. All after school programs and activities have been put on hold.

CICS' ten other schools won't be affected, the organization said.

The teachers have been trying to reach a contract with Civitas Education Partners, which manages the four schools.

In a press conference at Wrightwood on the North Side last month, CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates said there is funding available to improve conditions for students at the schools.

"We're tired of management stalling, tired of their lies, and tired of our students being shortchanged," she said. "We are sick of management's legal fiction that their management outfits have no funds, when their own financial statements show the opposite. If we don't have meaningful movement by February 5 towards a fair contract that supports our students and the educators who serve them, we will strike."

The teachers, who are a part of the Chicago Teachers Union, are requesting smaller class sizes, higher compensation and more adequate staffing.

Civitas Education said most of the contract has been settled, and a pay raise has been offered. The group said it's willing to "negotiate around the clock" to come to an agreement.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images