School Things

From our e-mail:

• SCC,
  
  Ardent supporter of CPD and reader of your blog here. For what it's worth, of the 20 or speakers lined up at CTU's Q-and-A at the delegates meeting tonight, a good 80% had harsh criticism and questions for CTU leadership regarding Friday's events; 15% had procedural question; and 5% were goofs. The many pro-CPD comments and questions were greeted with applause.
  
  Thanks for all you and your CPD brothers and sisters do every day. Thought you'd enjoy this picture.

And the picture taken outside the delegates meeting:

Nice to know there are a couple of supporters out there. But we're pretty sure the friction will continue after this:

• Chicago Teachers Union delegates voted Wednesday night to cancel upcoming elections after no one stepped forward to challenge president Karen Lewis, who automatically keeps her office for a third term.
  
  The move was billed as a money-saver, CTU spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said, to spare members the $300,000 cost of elections in May that would merely have confirmed existing union leaders. The idea was floated at Wednesday night’s meeting of the House of Delegates, and then approved after no challengers appeared, Gadlin said.

So the disgust felt by some members didn't translate into a challenge. The absence of a challenge and the lack of an apology from Lewis means (to us at least) that the union leadership supports the speakers who appear on their stage.