DC Teachers Step Up Solidarity With Striking Chicago Teachers

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)D.C. teachers and union staff at the Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) and across DC wore red yesterday to demonstrate their solidarity with striking teachers in Chicago. On Tuesday, the Representative Assembly of WTU Local 6 voted unanimously to support the efforts of the striking Chicago Teachers Union and its members. DC teachers say they understand the concerns of their colleagues in Chicago after seeing hundreds of teachers dismissed as a result of the IMPACT teacher evaluation system; a similar proposal in Chicago helped spark the strike there. Such systems result in “punitive evaluations that place too much emphasis on student test scores which will undoubtedly lead to a less stabilized environment for teachers and students,” said WTU Local 6 President Nathan Saunders. The Washington Teachers’ Union is also contributing to the Chicago Teachers’ Union solidarity fund, providing picket line refreshments and sending letters of support to encourage Chicago’s fellow teachers and union members. AFT and the AFL-CIO are calling on activists to share photos of friends and allies wearing red in solidarity with Chicago teachers. Photos can be emailed to photos@aft.org or shared on the AFL-CIO Facebook page. - photo of WTU staffers by Emmelie De La Cruz, photo of AFL-CIO/Working America staffers courtesy of AFL-CIO