Catherwood LibraryILR School

The Chicago school board gave the CEO the power to lay off teachers, increase class sizes and establish a lone of emergency credit on Tuesday. Officials say that the move is an effort to pressure the teachers? union into concessions that they insist are necessary for the school district. The city wants the teachers to agree to a wage freeze, take furloughs and pay for more benefits. The board could have said that they did not have the money to pay teachers, and reopened the contracts, but that would have put them at risk of strikes in an election year. A representative for the teachers? union says that the teachers want what their contract promises them, and that there are other areas the school could cut from. She also said that the cuts will only save around $80 million of the around $400 million shortfall. The city says that the pay freeze would save $135 million, and a city official said they are open to negotiations.