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Teachers and union representatives press board for prep time, staffing and fair evaluations as contract talks continue
Summary
Union and educator representatives at the March 20 meeting pressed the board and district leadership on unresolved contract issues including additional prep time for teachers, supervision during prep periods, observation periods and staffing of special-education case managers.
Union leaders and teachers used the public comments portion of the March 20 Chicago Board of Education meeting to press district leaders for clearer commitments on contract proposals and school staffing.
Main points raised - Prep time and supervision: Keya Banks, chief of staff for the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, and multiple classroom teachers argued that new contract language should guarantee additional preparatory time for teachers. They warned that without funding or staffing plans to supervise students during prep periods, principals would face untenable supervisory duties that could undermine instructional time. - Observation and evaluation timelines: Commenters said a three-year window for school leaders to observe and assess teacher effectiveness was too long and could hinder leaders’ ability to manage and improve instructional quality. - Special education staffing: Case managers and special-education teachers testified that current part-time case-manager assignments and high caseloads (one speaker noted 92 students on her caseload across two schools) were untenable and that schools required full-time case managers and bilingual special-education staff.
Why it matters: these items are central to ongoing labor negotiations and to classroom conditions. The board heard that the requested changes are intended to protect instructional time, clarify supervisory responsibilities, and ensure legal compliance with special-education obligations.
What district leaders said: CEO Pedro Martinez acknowledged negotiations were “as close as we’ve ever been” and said chief labor negotiators would brief the board; he asked for patience while talks continued. Several board members said they support a resolution and expected staff to provide more details about implementation and funding in coming weeks.
Next steps: union leaders and educators asked board members to intervene with bargaining teams to ensure concrete provisions on prep time, supervision and special-education staffing are included in any final agreement.
