Chicago Teachers Union

This is what solidarity looks like! From powerful speeches to unwavering energy, our rally showcased the strength of educators and allies united for justice. 💪🏽 We’re building a brighter future for our students, schools, and communities.

In Chicago, we believe in academic freedom, teaching Black history, supporting trans and immigrant youth, teaching civics, and doing our part to stand up to the billionaires who have taken over federal government to bring back the confederacy. The same people erasing the Tuskegee airmen from museums are investigating CPS and our CEO for staying committed to teaching about them. It’s not a coincidence that the administration disenfranchising Black voters in the South is investigating how we teach their children in the North. It’s yet one more example of why we need our state leaders to take seriously the need to Trump proof Illinois.

Young people are not just the future of Chicago. They are leaders right now. The Mayor’s Youth Commission gives young organizers, advocates, and changemakers across our city the chance to shape policy and speak directly on the issues impacting their communities. From education and housing to public safety and justice, youth voices belong at every decision-making table. If you’re between 14-19 and ready to organize, lead, and fight for a more just Chicago, apply for the 2026-2027 cohort today. Learn more at tinyurl.com/MYCapp26

CPS athletic directors showed up for students all season long. They organized schedules, transportation, eligibility, equipment, and support for student athletes across the city. They did the work. They deserve to be paid. Dozens are still waiting on stipends they earned months ago, and CTU is fighting to hold CPS accountable. Read more from WBEZ: wbez.org/education/2026…

Working families are being asked to do more with less while billionaires and corporations keep getting richer. Trump’s cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and public education will blow a hole in Illinois’ budget and our students will pay the price if Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly don’t take action. CTU stands with the call to tax the rich and invest in our communities. Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly must fight for a tax system that works for students, working families, and Chicago — not just those at the top. Read more: chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/20…

Congratulations to CTU members Misty Richmond and Heather Debby on being recognized by the Golden Apple Foundation for their extraordinary leadership and commitment to public education. 🍎✨ Misty Richmond and Heather Debby were honored with Excellence in Teaching Awards, a testament to the incredible impact CTU educators make every day in our schools and communities. The Golden Apple Foundation honors educators who advance educational opportunities for students across Illinois, and we are proud to celebrate these outstanding CTU members for their dedication, passion, and excellence. Learn more at: goldenapple.org/awards

CTU: If Governor Pritzker’s Budget Complied with Evidence-Based Formula, CPS would have a $1 Billion Surplus

Last year, CPS cut ~500 custodians. Shocking result: schools are dirtier. Imagine what $1 Billion in CUTS would do? Better yet, imagine what $1 Billion in SURPLUS would do?

Chicago educators are everything and then some! As we close out #TeacherAppreciationWeek, thank you for the work you do in and outside the classroom to build the schools our students deserve. ❤️ IB: Kenwood Academy NHS

For Teacher Appreciation Week, Dave is honoring the educator who shaped his life long before he became a teacher himself — his mother. A special education teacher, principal, and lifelong educator, she led with love and strength while pushing through sexism and constant challenges in the workplace. The lessons she passed down didn’t stop with her students. They live on in the educator Dave became and in every student he now teaches. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to the educators who shape generations. ❤️

On this Mother’s Day, we honor the mothers who raised us to be educators, leaders, and freedom fighters. Whether you birthed us, raised us, mentored us, or stood by our side, you taught us the most important lessons in life. Happy Mother's Day to the women who shaped the people we are today. 💐

CPS athletic directors showed up for students all season long. They organized schedules, transportation, eligibility, equipment, and support for student athletes across the city. They did the work. They deserve to be paid. Dozens are still waiting on stipends they earned months ago, and CTU is fighting to hold CPS accountable. Read more from WBEZ: wbez.org/education/2026…

Hon. Ruben Castillo (ret), Prof. Craig B. Futterman @UChicagoLaw & Stacy Davis Gates @CTULocal1 @iftaft present “State Power and Individual Rights: Enforcement, Due Process, & Accountability.” #ISBA #RuleOfLaw #CLE #DefendingDemocracy

"Now that you got all this knowledge, what are you gonna do with it?" That's the question Professor Marite Fregoso used to ask her students at Harold Washington College, and it's the same question Kevin Moore now asks his own. This Teacher Appreciation Week, Kevin is shouting out the educator who shaped how he shows up in his classroom today. Because great teaching doesn't end when the semester does, it ripples forward.

Some teachers don’t just teach lessons, theybecomethem. ForAmaziah Burton, that was her second grade teacher, Lisa Siler. Ms. Siler was the kind of educator who went beyond the job, who made a child feel seen, valued, and worthy of more. Amaziah’s reflection is what Teacher Appreciation Week is really about. We thank teachers for what they do, honor who they are, and the lives they shape long after the bell rings. To Ms. Siler, and every educator who pours into their students like this, we see you. Thank you. ❤️ Happy #TeacherAppreciationWeek

For some students, the school nurse is their only source of health care. That’s why CTU fought for a nurse in every school, every day in our contract, and won. Nurses, we honor your service today, this week, and always. Thank a nurse today for their care, their compassion, and their courage.

CTU has protected schools from cuts, protected jobs, fought for more resources, and smaller class sizes. We won a transformative contract that puts our students first. Updating CTU dues strengthens member services, expands union capacity, and positions us to fight back amid rising authoritarianism. It also helps fund a statewide campaign to tax the rich and win real revenue for our schools. Join members like Kat who are voting YES on equitable dues.

Today, on Teacher Appreciation Day, we celebrate Chicago's educators. Your work goes far beyond the classroom. You organize and advocate for better resources, stronger policies, and learning environments where every student is seen and supported. You stand up, speak out, and fight for the schools our students deserve. In an era when education is under attack and honest, inclusive histories are challenged, you persist. Thank you for everything you do. ❤️

Chicago turned out big on May 1st! ✊🏽 But this is just the beginning. TODAY: Learn about the growing May Day Strong network and how you can plug in to the long term organizing we need and be part of what comes next. This moment requires all of us. Tune in to hear from IFT and CTU President Stacy Davis Gates and Ash-lee Henderson from Utopian Visions. Register at bit.ly/mayday26

Across Chicago, CPS students turned May Day into a day of civic action: art builds, restorative circles, and moments that showed what happens when young people move together. The kind of lesson that stays with you for the rest of your life.

May Day brought the energy to our joint event with @RPCoalition Students learned the importance of civil rights, including organizing their community, sharing their resources, and speaking truth to power. Our students heard from a powerhouse panel of speakers that included Richard Fowler, Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah, Joshua Doss, and Charles Coleman Jr. And a surprise visit from Lil M.U. got everyone dancing.