Education Funding News in Brief

Chicago Furlough Plan Leads to Teacher-Strike Threat

By Denisa R. Superville — March 15, 2016 1 min read
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Hours after the Chicago district announced that it was furloughing employees for three days, the teachers’ union said the action “all but assures” a strike or “a day of action” on April 1.

The latest volley follows the district’s steps to lay off 62 employees, including 17 teachers, in a bid to cut another $85 million from the budget. The district’s current year budget had a gap that exceeded $400 million. With financial assistance from the state looking less and less likely, school officials have been making a series of cuts.

The Chicago Teachers Union, which is operating under an expired contract, said the furloughs amount to a pay cut. The last strike, in 2012—the first in 25 years—shuttered the school system for seven days.

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A version of this article appeared in the March 16, 2016 edition of Education Week as Chicago Furlough Plan Leads to Teacher-Strike Threat

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