Austin High School Joins the CTU One-Day Strike April 1 Westside Teachers and students unite to fight for CPS funding
Over a dozen teachers and students from Austin High School united Friday, April 1, as part of a citywide Chicago Teachers Union one-day strike to demand more city and state funding for Chicago Public Schools. Teachers have been working under a contract that expired last summer between CPS and the CTU. Schools like Austin High School have seen a reduction in staff and loss in funding to charter schools. The Austin High school campus is made up of three different high schools: VOISE Academy, Austin Polytechnical Academy and Austin Business and Entrepreneurship Academy. Some CPS teachers questioned Friday how much the state cares about supporting public school students. Teachers at Austin High School said they are not only marching for better funding, but also for their kids so they know that they matter.
Austin High School teachers gathered at 7:30am in front of their school. Although it was a bit chilly, spirits were high, and the coffee and donuts provided a bit of an energy boost. Soon after everyone arrived, the teachers marched to the corner of Central and Fulton Avenue to begin their protest.
“Today we are here to expose sustainable funding efforts from the city and the state.” Aly Stout, Austin High School teacher and Chicago Teachers Union Delegate
“We are going to fight for them, even if no one else is.” Megan Carlisle, History teacher at Austin High School
As the teachers stood waving their signs and chanting, cars passing by honked in support. Teachers across the street at Edward K. "Duke" Ellington Elementary School joined Austin High School teachers in chants and shouting. The demonstrators continued despite the rain and decreasing temperatures.
"Teachers united will never be divided!" chant from Austin High School and Edward K. "Duke" Ellington Elementary School teachers
"I just want to support us...to give the teachers what they deserve, because they [do] such hard work for the students and it's time for us to help them." Deonte Shanklin, Austin High School student (senior)
Despite the rain and cold temperatures, Austin High School teachers remained on the street all morning, the last of the demonstrators trickling off at around 11:00am. Some joined the larger demonstration downtown later at the Thompson Center at 4 p.m. that afternoon.
"Our children matter…they have value; it doesn’t matter what neighborhood they live in, they should still have access to high quality education.” Megan Carlisle, History teacher at Austin High School
"I hope that the people who make the decisions understand that we cannot afford to lose any teachers, we can't afford to lose any schools and we need more to help our kids succeed. Instead of taking things away, we need to be balanced." Peggy Zitzer, Austin High School Diverse Learners teacher
“A lot of negative messages are coming out of central office about what teachers are doing, and teachers are really here just to stand up for the kids.” Hector Gonzales, Austin High School teacher