CORE: The Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators 0000
Under CORE’s leadership, the CTU has won class size protections, bilingual education provisions and sanctuary schools protections. We won big COLA raises in our current contract and bigger raises for paraprofessionals. We won safety agreements that protected us when a court outlawed school mask mandates and that allows flip-to-remote when quarantine rates are high.
We have huge opportunities around the corner for big improvements in our job conditions and in students’ learning conditions. That’s especially true since we have finally won the bargaining rights taken from us in 1995 and we will have elected members of the school board in the next election and a fully elected school board in 2026. But we’ll have to fight to win if we are to make the most of those opportunities. That’s why we need CORE to keep leading!
Latest Updates
Congratulations CORE and CTU Officers!
Since CORE: The Caucus of Rank and File Educators took the world by storm and Karen Lewis became the CTU president in 2010, we've defied expectations. 90% of our caucus just voted to re-elect our amazing officer team for the 2022 elections. If we win, it will be our 5th term. Congrats CORE!
Vote for Larry, Lois and Mary as retired Pension Trustees!
Please nominate Larry, Mary and Lois here: https://vote.yeselections.com/ctpfnom/
Help Tammie and Quentin become CTPF Trustees
Please nominate Tammie and Quentin here if you are an active teacher: https://vote.yeselections.com/ctpfnom/
Please print these petitions and circulate at your schools before the end of the year.
CORE Congratulates the campaign to stop General Iron
For Immediate Release
What: Media Alert about the victory on the General Iron permit
When: May 10th
Who: The Caucus of Rank and File Educators. www.coreteachers.org
The Caucus of Rank and File Educators congratulates the environmental justice movement that stopped the metal shredder, General Iron, from adding to the already excessive pollution on the Southeast side of Chicago. The hard fought battle was won due to the heroic efforts of students and teachers at Washington High School and the entire Southeast Side who had to go to the extreme of waging a month-long hunger-strike to have their voices heard.
The herculean efforts of the coalition led President Biden’s new administrator for the EPA, Michael Regan, to pressure Mayor Lightfoot Friday to halt the permit for this notorious polluter. He stated that the pollution on the Southeast Side “epitomize[s] the problem of environmental injustice” and Mayor Lightfoot finally listened, suspending permits for the metal shredder indefinitely, pending a study of health impacts on the community.
CORE members helped lead the fight for environmental justice and illuminate the disproportionate harm faced by the Black and Latinx communities in and around the city from so many corporate polluters. According to CORE member and teacher Lauren Bianchi “this has been a righteous fight but one that only has just begun. We will not rest until all our schools, students and their families have a healthy and green alternative to these polluters, including free solar panels, updated school HVAC systems, clean air, removal of lead pipes, and the medical care too many low income families lack. Our students are demanding that the schools and city use the more than $3 billion in Rescue Act funds from President Biden to address these historic disparities and listen to the people.”
Building Strong Safety Committees
CORE member and delegate Quentin Washington, shared his school's safety committee guidelines at our April CORE meeting.
We are taking this opportunity to share the materials and will add more as we receive them from other CORE members. 
CORE member Miriam Socoloff celebrated for her mosaic on Jewish Labor in Chicago
Check out this fabulous article about CORE member Miriam Socoloff
Vote CORE's Retiree Slate
