In a surprising development, REA negotiators working around the clock brokered a fair agreement with Rockford School District officials. As the strike entered its second day with thousands on the streets, Superintendent Robert Willis returned with new bargaining flexibility after the community learned that some board members had not been advised of details of previous teacher offers.
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This is part of a VNS series that follows the teachers of Rockford through the last year of contract disputes, corporate reform and questionable administration tactics.
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While negotiators from both teams considered details of an eleventh hour of the eleventh month deal, teachers and concerned citizens gathered outside the district law office at Hinshaw & Culbertson. School Board members complained of not receiving timely notification regarding offers made by teachers during stalled negotiations
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This video shot on day one of THE ROCKFORD TEACHERS STRIKE shows the solidarity and support of the community for the teachers. Corporate reform has gripped this town for three years of brutal reprisals, firings, and school board shenanigans. One teacher’s courage is emblematic of the push back in bedrock USA! Thousands protested, and the board was forced to give a fair contract to teachers who have been 11 months without. Teachers speak as one to say, “We’re not gonna take it!”
This is a tremendous win against the corporate reform agenda which aims at destruction of teachers unions.
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The public are excluded from the process of administration of public funds for education. Without notice, public comment was reduced to 1 minute. Hundreds of people were kept outside. The Board acts in closed session to forward its privatization agenda without regard for students, teachers, parents or the future of Rockford. District for sale!
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The war on the middle class continues to be waged on both sides of the aisle. This is less of a comprehensive blog about the topic and more of a call to action. After America more or less lost our manufacturing base and moved to a service economy that exports bad debt as our main source of GDP, Wall Street types decided to start making profits off of government services. In Illinois, this means that the fight to protect our education system from Wall Street profiteers is on. An Oregon-based organization is pushing legislation that will deter the best and brigthest from teaching and ultimately enter Illinois’ schools into the race to the bottom.
State Representative Keith Farnham, an Elgin Democrat, is holding a town hall forum at the Gail Borden Public Library (270 N. Grove St., Elgin, IL) on Wednesday, Dec. 29th at 7:00 p.m.
Representative Farnham is on the education committee and it is important that he hear from teachers, parents and community activists before returning to Springfield in January. It is believed that this legislation is being put together in a hurry and that it is part of a backroom deal (Republicans will get a large part of their anti-middle class agenda in exchange for a tax increase). It is expected to pass before January 11th, 2011 (when the new assembly takes office).
This bill does not have an official number yet, but here is a screen capture of part of the copy that I obtained. Click the pic to read the most significant part. Click the link to read the entire bill.
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