According to reports, Civitas Schools—the group that runs Chicago International Charter Schools—instituted budget cuts and asked teachers to take on an additional class a day. Some teachers at three schools quietly pushed for a union. They gathered enough votes and now their union is pending approval at the state labor board. Teachers say they want more of a voice in the school’s decision-making process. But could unions affect the qualities that draw many teachers and students to charter schools in the first place—the freedom to be flexible and experiment with new educational methods. John Myers is a reporter at Catalyst Chicago, a magazine on school reform and has an update on the unionization of charter schools.

Music Button: Mr. Scruff, “Travelogue”, from the CD Keep It Unreal, (Ninja Tune records)