CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago teachers are gearing up for an election soon.
Stacy Davis Gates’ first term as President of the Chicago Teachers Union is set to conclude in May. A faction of organized teachers is advocating for a change in leadership.
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REAL stands for “Respect, Educate, Advocate, Lead.” The group is also known as the opposition.
“I’m here to announce my candidacy for President of the Chicago Teachers Union,” said Erika Meza.
Meza, a high school computer science teacher, is challenging Davis Gates. The CTU president’s term is up in May.
Meza is part of a group of four teachers running together. She highlights that their leadership team, REAL, boasts a total of 70 years of collective experience in the classroom. Their motivation for running stems from the belief that the current CTU leadership is disconnected from both its members and the community.
Lynese Britton, a contender for the position of CTU recording secretary, expressed concerns about the diminishing standing of the union among various stakeholders, parents, and elected officials, leading to a decline in member morale.
CTU’s current leadership team is part of CORE, or Caucus of Rank and File Educators.
Beginning with the leadership of the late Karen Lewis, CORE has steered the ship for the past 15 years. Its progressive agenda has made CTU a national union powerhouse, striking three times to win contracts, but these teachers say they have had enough.
“Our leadership has been prioritizing politics over the rank-and-file needs and our daily struggles,” Meza said.
CTU has given thousands of dollars to political candidates. A big chunk went the successful election of former CTU member and organizer Mayor Brandon Johnson. The REAL slate of candidates claims the union has not released annual audits in years, which is required by the CTU constitution.
“As financial secretary, I’m committed to no secrets, no secrets about officers’ salaries, no secrets about political campaign contributions, no secrets about the foundation’s finances,” said Maura Williams, a candidate for CTU financial secretary.
CTU said it has released audits, but not in the past two years. No one from the union’s leadership team was available for interviews on Monday. A written statement reads, in part, “Our union is proud to continue the tradition of democratic debate, collective action and representation from and for our members.”
The CTU election is May 16. A majority is needed to win.
In 2022, the REAL Caucus and another group ran against Davis Gates and her team but split the vote. The REAL slated candidates say as of now, their group is the only opposition.
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