This is normal – and good – for school leaders to honor inspirational teachers, favorite coaches, civilian leaders and experienced graduates, among others. Instead, on Friday, the Chicago Teachers decided to lionize Assata Shakur – a violent radical that the US government wanted to overtake. Enough civilian lesson. Message received.
“Rest in power, rest in the world, Assat Shakur. Today we honor the life and heritage of a revolutionary fighter, a fierce writer, a respected elder from the liberation of the blacks and the leader of freedom, whose spirit continues to live in our struggle, ”CTU wrote in in mail on X.
The Union conveniently missed part of the story in which Shakur and the other two were responsible for the murder of a New Jersey soldier Werner Forester and the wounds of another state soldier during a shooting at New Jersey tourism in 1973. Forester left behind his wife and two children.
It is unclear who pressed the trigger that day. It is clear that Shakur was part of a movement called the “black -liberation army”, which was connected with the death of several police officers throughout the country within the framework of his mission to collect Western governments. She escaped from prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba, where Fidel Castro provided her asylum.
Apparently, nothing speaks of “freedom and justice” as the flight in Cuba Castro.
We imagine that most CPS parents – at least those who do not clean their “das kapital” – could be puzzled by this tribute. We also suspect that many serious teachers and members of the trade union were also embarrassed by this decision. Shakur, of course, forced her supporters back in the 1970s, and we are all free to mourn her death. But she was very around the weapon, and, of course, we can all agree that today's struggle is best suited without deadly weapons.
The rest of the country sees such behavior and return in unbelief. Who teaches Chicago children?
At the moment when the country is suffocating from extremists (see another place on the editorial page), CTU decided that the best contribution was to plunge into Headfirst.
ALD on Monday Sylvanas Tabares said “CTU has left.” This was obvious for quite a long time.
This almost forgets that this is a union of teachers, and not the head of the revolutionary youth league. Whether it is a defeat on issues, far beyond the classroom or now pays tribute to violent radicals, this message will make you believe that education is a belated thought.
On complete seriousness, the trade union representing Chicago teachers has much higher calls than this, namely, improving the educational results of the district and protecting solutions to reduce the problem of violence in our schools and around. And this gives us a pause to see how the trade union openly defends a man who hated America and believed that violence is an acceptable way to achieve political changes.
Remember also: less than 1 of 3 CPS students in grades 3-8 met the standards of reading, and only 18% are experienced in mathematics, according to the state.
We would like this if the teachers associated with CTU will focus on such fundamental problems as reading and mathematics. But we do not hold your breath.
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