CPS Bankruptcy: Whose Sacrifice?

On August 25th I delivered a statement at the City Club of Chicago. The statement was written to honor teachers for their work and sacrifices, and to admonish bankers and elected officials for their role in our school budget crisis.  Members of both groups were present at the event.  It was a tense scene.  At the end, a press official walked over to me and said, “You made a lot of people in this room feel very uncomfortable; but it’s something they needed to feel.”

One teacher said the statement was like a “love letter” to teachers all over Chicago who were feeling maligned and disrespected.  Another called it a “rebuke” to those who malign and disrespect them. I was asked if a short version could be made available.  The 7-minute clip below is in response to that request.  As City and CPS officials make hypocritical demands for concessions and “sacrifices” from teachers during contract negotiations, the evidence cited here indicates a sacrifice is indeed needed, but from an entirely different group of people.

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Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @troylaraviere
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/troylaraviere

Reference
Ernst and Young Structural Deficit Analysis for CPS (Draft)  See page 12 & 23 for information cited in the speech
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BytSj0QyFz1eOVVCbnJLR0szVXI0NmVKSkpVekNYMDR1MW1j/view?usp=sharing

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.If you have difficulty with the above link, click the one below:

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21 thoughts on “CPS Bankruptcy: Whose Sacrifice?

    1. Thanks for the vote of confidence but one cannot apply to be CEO. The mayor just picks whomever he and his advisors want.

      As for running for Mayor, I’ve been hearing that suggestion quite a bit lately. While I’m not completely averse to the idea, I also don’t have any active plans at this point other than continuing my job as an educator.
      Who knows what the future will bring?

      Like

  1. My Dearest Troy,
    I’ve been reading and listening to your love letter over and over the last few weeks. Your passion is contagious. Your sweet words, hard and true, light the darkness in my heart; the light I had forgotten. Although, your words I hold dear to my heart…I cannot leave my man (CPS). He provides for me…without him…I don’t know how I would be able to feed my kids. Yes, he is abusive…He constantly threatens to quit me. He reminds me annually that I can be easily replaced by someone younger, cheaper and less experienced. He doesn’t respect me…in fact he constantly belittles me with tests that constantly change and evaluations that are subjective and punitive…as if I haven’t proven that I am worthy or good enough despite the years that I have sacrificed for our relationship. He sends people to check up on me in hopes of catching me doing wrong. He seems to forget, I committed to this because of my love for him despite the fact that I’m living paycheck to paycheck constantly belittled and disrespected. I even found receipts in his pocket from Subway and Connie’s Pizza for millions. He can’t vouch for where the money went and my heart is saddened as he claims he has no money for me and the kids but he continues to spend money that he cannot explain. The lipstick on his collar…the Supes rendezvous crushes me and the money and support he gives to his charters…his mistresses…drain me and starves our kids of resources they deserve.
    The truth is Troy, I dream about your words at night. I hope that those words will help me make it through…until all these wrongs are righted. I want to have faith in my man…but I think it’s too late for him. He is constantly breaking my spirit killing me softly with each word…each mandate…each new Barbara, Clay, Jean Paul. And so, I must move on Troy. I hear you. I love you….and I’m with you….but I’m not ready to leave just yet. Check back in a few months. I’m preparing…calculating for the right time…to show him…I will not be belittled, put down, and threatened. I will not be ignored! Just a matter of time….and I hope that change will come…but in the meantime know that your fight and your love…keeps me going in the end. Thank you for the letter.

    Warmest Love,
    A CPS Teacher

    Liked by 1 person

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