Teachers Union Pushes for Libraries and Librarians in Every CPS School
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is pushing to have librarians in each of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and said at a press conference Tuesday that the decision cutting them is hurting students.
Students Still Recovering from Pandemic
Students and their reading levels are still recovering from school closures and remote learning during the pandemic, CTU members say, and a rise in public misinformation calls for better information literacy among children.
"To support libraries, you have to fund them," said Tara Donnelly, a high school librarian at Foreman College and Career Academy, at a news conference Tuesday. "If they are not funded, the result will be the same as extremists who ban books: closing libraries and preventing access."
Loss of Librarians
The number of librarians has decreased dramatically since 2012, when the district had hundreds of librarians, Donnelly noted. CPS now employs 107 librarians for more than 500 non-charter schools run by the district.
CTU Members and Supporters Hand Out Books
CTU members and supporters handed out books to excited children headed to George W. Tilton Elementary School in Garfield Park, which does not have a library.
"You can look behind us. There are kids running to get books," said CTU Secretary Christel Williams-Hayes. "They are excited that they are being given books, not toys, not video games, but books, something they wish they had in their building."
Push for More Librarians
The push for more librarians stems in part from the 2013 decision to close 50 schools in the country’s largest mass school closure, said CTU Financial Secretary Maria Moreno.
"Now CTU says students are still suffering and the resources they were promised were never delivered to schools, including librarians," Moreno highlighted.
Inequitable Distribution of Librarians
Many schools without libraries are on the south and west sides of the city. Majority-black schools have historically suffered the impacts of declining enrollment and, subsequently, low funding; Librarians have been among the first positions cut in the past, the Sun-Times reported in 2022.
An analysis by the Sun-Times and a CTU researcher at the time found that librarians were present in only 10% of schools where black students are the largest percentage of the student body. By comparison, 25% of schools had librarians where white children are the majority, and 21% where Latino students are the highest racial group, the study found.
District’s Response
The district rejected some claims from the union, touting that its literacy growth ranked first compared to 40 other urban districts, according to research from Harvard and Stanford universities studying the educational impact of the pandemic. The district has hired staff in other areas and now has more licensed educators in the district than ever before, district spokeswoman Mary Ann Fergus said in a statement.
Ongoing Contract Negotiations
The demand for more librarians is also related to ongoing contract negotiations between the union and the district, according to CTU spokesperson H Kapp-Klote.
"We want the same thing," Kapp-Klote said. "We’re all on board, but when it comes to funding it and making it happen, we’re not getting much from CPS."
Conclusion
The push for more librarians in every CPS school is a crucial step in addressing the knowledge deficit, skills deficit, and empathy deficit that results from library closures. As the city faces a projected $500 million budget shortfall, it is essential to prioritize the funding of librarians and libraries, not just for the benefit of students but for the benefit of the community as a whole.
FAQs
- Why is the CTU pushing for more librarians in every CPS school?
The CTU believes that librarians are essential for providing students with access to information and resources, and that the current lack of librarians in many schools is hurting students. - What is the current state of librarians in CPS?
CPS currently employs 107 librarians for more than 500 non-charter schools run by the district. - How do the librarians’ numbers compare to 2012?
The number of librarians has decreased dramatically since 2012, when the district had hundreds of librarians. - What is the connection between the push for more librarians and the 2013 school closures?
The push for more librarians stems in part from the 2013 decision to close 50 schools, which resulted in a loss of resources and librarians in many schools.
