The Chicago Teachers Union is vowing to fight Chicago’s plan to close, consolidate, or fire staff at 14 schools.
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But critics argue the district is destabilizing the last remaining institutions in some of the poorest parts of the city.
Teachers union spokeswoman Rosemaria Genova says only collaboration will bring about change.
GENOVA: When everybody’s bought into it. When everybody has a stake in it. Instead of this top-down model. And there’s no proven data to show it’s really working except in a marginal set of schools.
The union has lost thousands of members as the district has closed schools and added charters. CPS has closed or turned around more than 75 schools since 2001. The district will hold hearings on this new round of proposed closings beginning next week.