The current Board/Union contract contains a provision that allows displaced tenured teachers an opportunity to find another teaching position while working as a substitute within 10 school months after their displacement, receiving their full salary and benefits. This group of teachers is placed in the “Reassigned Teachers Pool” and they are called “Reassigned Teachers”. The 2003-2007 contract negotiated by Deborah Lynch, introduced Interim Positions for displaced teachers to Appendix H. The 2007-2012 Marilyn Stewart contract provided a guaranteed interim placement if the Board had a vacant 210-funded position available, and if the displaced teacher had the proper state certification to occupy that position. Appendix H, section 7 (pgs. 224-227) states in part:

Effective the 2008-2009 School Year, the Dept. of Human Resources shall offer interim assignments in school-based, vacant 210-funded teaching positionsto tenured teachers who are in the reassigned teacher pool due to school closings, consolidations, reconstitution, drop in enrollments, and phase outs. Interim assignments shall be for a period of up to sixty consecutive school days. Tenured teachers who decline the assignments shall remain in the reassigned teacher pool and shall be subject to the remaining terms of this policy. The interim assignment shall be no longer than sixty consecutive school days. If the principal decides not to retain the tenured teacher, the teacher shall be reassigned to the pool at the conclusion of the 60-day period for a term of ten school months.

All rank and file members of the Chicago Teachers Union received a letter from President Marilyn Stewart dated March 25, 2010, boasting about an arbitration victory that, “will provide long-term benefits for members of the CTU.”
According to Appendix H, Section 7 of the current Board/Union Agreement, displaced teachers who did not get placed in interim positions, will not be getting their jobs back!!!

At the most, they will be entitled to 60 days of their regular salary.

The average CPS teacher salary is about $54,000.00. Sixty (60) school days paid at the average salary totals about $10,000.00 after taxes. Depending on each displaced teachers state certifications, the Board can argue that there was not a vacant 210-funded position at the time to place the teacher in an interim position or that the reassigned teachers signed off saying they didn’t want the interim placement voiding their arbitration reward.

The contract language regarding Appendix H is so ambiguous, all the Board has to do from this point on is make sure there are not any vacant positions by transferring all vacant positions to each schools discretionary monies, making sure principals fill them right away, allowing principals to re-classify the positions, or just eliminate them before each school year.

Bottom Line: Stewart’s arbitration victory really only guarantees an additional 3 months in the Reassigned Teachers Pool for affected displaced teachers, as long as:

1. There are vacant positions in the Boards general fund
2. If the teacher has the proper state certificates to qualify for placement in any position

The SCHOOL EMPLOYEE ALLIANCE CAN DO BETTER!

Synergy, Experience, A New Direction