# Chicago Teachers Union threatening a strike **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 4, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425 "2015-12-04T17:10:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/41 "2015-12-09T14:31:05Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > You could say that about any election though. You can’t just get rid of elections based on “I don’t like how they turn out” or “People don’t participate in a way I like.” We’re not talking about getting rid of an election, though. We are talking about _adding_ one. The Chicago school board is apparently appointed right now. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/42 "2015-12-09T16:13:12Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Not really. From my experience, in school police officers spend their time giving, “Drugs are bad” speeches and educating students on DUI and other traffic laws. How recent is your experience? Because as someone with kids in CPS schools for the last 20 years, that doesn’t match my experience. The cops are very visible and present in our schools. Too much so, in my opinion. > [@](#): > > 50 community schools with anti-violence and social emotional interventions? A restorative justice coordinator and social workers? How about math and science teachers? The anti violence program should be detention, suspension, and expulsion. Ok, that answers that. So you’re just completely out of date then. Or somehow you never figured out as a sophomore in high school that it’s fucking stupid to reward kids who don’t want to be in class by telling them they can’t be in class. > [@](#): > > Serious offenses can be handled by law enforcement. Sorry, I thought they were doing nothing but “Drugs are bad” speeches. Make up your mind. > [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > No, he has a point. School board elections very typically have miserable turnout. The only people who really care are those with an axe to grind, and we really don’t need those people determining our children’s education. That’s true. On the other hand, our appointed school board sucks, and is chosen by a mayor with an axe to grind, and we really don’t need those people determining our children’s education. Perhaps what we need to do is change the \*way \*school board elections are run. Perhaps we can, for example, schedule them on report card pick up nights, at the schools. So at least the parents who are minimally interested in their children’s education (as evidenced by, they’re the ones who show up to report card pickup) can get involved in the selection of the school board. Give us a pamphlet about the candidates to read (give each one 200 words to deliver their pitch) while we’re sitting in the hallway waiting to talk to the teachers and let us vote on the way out. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/43 "2015-12-09T19:23:20Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I work in the financial markets. The so-called toxic swaps simply reflect risk vs reward. Obviously, bashing big banks has populist appeal. > > I think describing the Black Friday debacle as anarchy is appropriate. Trespassers blockading innocent businesses because of a knife wielding teen strung out on PCP? Please cite your knife wielding teen strung out on PCP claim, or anyone sane person claiming it was “anarchy”? While I cannot imagine you do anything substantive in finance, you must know that these banks have been successfully sued recently in many cases where the financial instruments they sold were misrepresented to buyers. The CTU arguing it needs to be done in this case is neither unprecedented nor unrelated to their charge. They feel the city was defrauded and has unfortunately decided to make teachers and students pay for their stupidity/lack of due dilligence/naïveté. It’s pretty understandable they would argue for a solution that might mitigate some of that damage, and that such a request has nothing to do with the things you intimated it does. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/44 "2015-12-09T19:33:27Z")
There’s no question that Laquan Mcdonald had a knife and was under the influence of PCP. Maybe the policeman used excessive force, that’ll be up to the courts. It’s still anarchy to block entry/exit from innocent businesses just so some social justice warriors can show their ‘outrage’ I know that after the financial crises, big banks were less popular than a child molester caught sacrificing puppies. Many did settle lawsuits since lawyers can easily smell blood in the water. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/45 "2015-12-09T19:40:07Z")
There is certainly a question. PCP can be detected in a urine screen for at least a week after its effects have worn off, and much longer in some cases. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/46 "2015-12-09T20:10:58Z")
I’m not in Chicago and so I have no dog in this fight, but it strikes me as weird that the Teacher’s Union would stick their nose in a police issue. They probably should just stick to teaching issues ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/47 "2015-12-09T20:14:35Z")
It’s not a question. Everyone agrees that Laquan McDonald’s toxicology screen showed up positive for PCP, and that he had a 3 in pocketknife. Most of us are simply surprised to find out that having PCP in your system is a crime worthy of an immediate death sentence without a trial. 16 times. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/48 "2015-12-09T20:23:24Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > There’s no question that Laquan Mcdonald had a knife and was under the influence of PCP. Great, so please provide a cite that he was strung out on PCP _at the time_ he was shot? More importantly, why did the city give his family 5 million dollars before they even filed a lawsuit if he was so clearly a threat as you seem to be intimating? Do you think every person shot by the cops gets millions of dollars? > [@dalej42](#): > > It’s still anarchy to block entry/exit from innocent businesses just so some social justice warriors can show their ‘outrage’ Again, it’s not anarchy by any reasonable definition. > [@dalej42](#): > > I know that after the financial crises, big banks were less popular than a child molester caught sacrificing puppies. Many did settle lawsuits since lawyers can easily smell blood in the water. Even if I buy this, why shouldn’t the city sue if you think they could win since banks are hated? ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/49 "2015-12-09T20:25:23Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I’m not in Chicago and so I have no dog in this fight, but it strikes me as weird that the Teacher’s Union would stick their nose in a police issue. They probably should just stick to teaching issues It is a teaching issue for many reasons as has been explained multiple times. You don’t have to agree with their logic, but don’t pretend they are comparing apples and hand grenades. ---
**Author:** ![TheSeaOtter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@TheSeaOtter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSeaOtter)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/50 "2015-12-09T20:31:24Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I’m not in Chicago and so I have no dog in this fight, but it strikes me as weird that the Teacher’s Union would stick their nose in a police issue. They probably should just stick to teaching issues If the schools are full of police (which, based on the comments upthread, appears to be the case), then that **is** a teaching issue. ---
**Author:** ![TheSeaOtter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@TheSeaOtter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSeaOtter)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/51 "2015-12-09T21:21:47Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > There was nothing but pure anarchy displayed by the Black Friday mob. That’s not anarchy, buddy. It’s a protest. The kind where, in the grand American tradition of such things, The People exercise their right of free speech by peaceably assembling to petition the Government for redress of grievances. Does any of that language sound vaguely familiar to you? It doesn’t even matter what they were protesting about, or how justified it may or may not have been; ‘Shoppers and business-owners mildly inconvenienced’ is not only not ‘pure anarchy’, it’s not any kind of anarchy at all. The fact that you disagree with the protestors also isn’t particularly relevant, although personally I think it’s a shame that your frequently-expressed concern for ‘innocent businesses’ doesn’t extend to innocent _people_. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/52 "2015-12-10T00:38:13Z")
Blocking entry and exit to a business isn’t protest, it is trespassing. They’re not peaceable assembling to petition for a redress of grievances. They’re being assholes for the sake of being assholes. Each one of those shitters should have been arrested. The innocent businesses are at least contributing to the economy of the city. The 17 year old juvenile delinquent was on his way to being a career criminal. Even juvenile delinquents have rights, however, and the officer should be tried for excessive force. I’m sure his ‘mother’ will be at the trial dressed to the nines and probably driving a brand new car. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/53 "2015-12-10T00:41:39Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Blocking entry and exit to a business isn’t protest, it is trespassing. They’re not peaceable assembling to petition for a redress of grievances. They’re being assholes for the sake of being assholes. Each one of those shitters should have been arrested. > > The innocent businesses are at least contributing to the economy of the city. The 17 year old juvenile delinquent was on his way to being a career criminal. Even juvenile delinquents have rights, however, and the officer should be tried for excessive force. I’m sure his ‘mother’ will be at the trial dressed to the nines and probably driving a brand new car. Aren’t comments like this usually prefaced with, “I’m not a racist, but…”.? Or did you just decide to not bother camouflaging your intent? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/54 "2015-12-10T13:48:35Z")
The anarchists stormed into Macy’s yesterday during their walk off the job protest. Getting back to the purpose of this thread, the CTU needs to completely denounce Black Lives Matter and all the assorted protests. Otherwise, that union needs to be broken. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/55 "2015-12-10T13:59:06Z")
… because? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/56 "2015-12-14T17:37:23Z")
The bastards have authorized a strike. This won’t end well for the CTU. [http://www.ctunet.com/blog/ctu-strike-authorization-96-5-percent-yes](http://www.ctunet.com/blog/ctu-strike-authorization-96-5-percent-yes) Reducing standardized testing? Hell no. Sorry, but you’ll actually need to teach hard facts , not math appreciation or such nonsense . Again the Teachers’ Union is sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong. Homelessness ? Immigration policy? And by the way , unemployment isn’t at crisis level. It’s at 5% , the natural rate of unemployment. Restorative justice programs? Um no, how about spending time teaching and abandoning the social justice warrior nonsense. There’s going to be a lot of pissed off taxpayers in this city should this strike threat be any more than saber rattling. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/57 "2015-12-14T17:44:47Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Teachers unions should focus on eduction issues, not the pet political causes of their Dear Leader. This statement is so fundamentally wrong that it earns the designation of “not even wrong”. Teachers’ unions should focus on _teacher’s_ issues. Not education issues; _teacher’s_ issues. That’s why they exist. If you want to talk about education issues, go to a PTA meeting or a school board meeting or schedule a meeting with a school principal or something. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/58 "2015-12-14T17:57:58Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Reducing standardized testing? Hell no. Sorry, but you’ll actually need to teach hard facts , not math appreciation or such nonsense Nobody teaches “math appreciation.” Teachers don’t even choose their own curricula. Most believe too many tests waste classroom time, and don’t fairly measure what kids really learn. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/59 "2015-12-14T17:59:44Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > The anarchists stormed into Macy’s yesterday during their walk off the job protest. > > Getting back to the purpose of this thread, the CTU needs to completely denounce Black Lives Matter and all the assorted protests. Otherwise, that union needs to be broken. Typical - you don’t agree with them so you want to destroy them. What the union says or does is none of your business unless you are a member. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425/60 "2015-12-14T18:04:19Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > The bastards have authorized a strike. This won’t end well for the CTU. > > [http://www.ctunet.com/blog/ctu-strike-authorization-96-5-percent-yes](http://www.ctunet.com/blog/ctu-strike-authorization-96-5-percent-yes) > > Reducing standardized testing? Hell no. Sorry, but you’ll actually need to teach hard facts , not math appreciation or such nonsense . > > Again the Teachers’ Union is sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong. Homelessness ? Immigration policy? And by the way , unemployment isn’t at crisis level. It’s at 5% , the natural rate of unemployment. > > Restorative justice programs? Um no, how about spending time teaching and abandoning the social justice warrior nonsense. > > There’s going to be a lot of pissed off taxpayers in this city should this strike threat be any more than saber rattling. In essence, you demand that the union support bad ideas that don’t work, and ignore things that directly affect them and their students (like homelessness, and the police). Good luck with that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-teachers-union-threatening-a-strike/739425.md?page=4)