During the Chicago Public School strike, thousands of students were put out of class. Families, students, and educators were struggling to adjust to the difficulties they were faced with, begging the question: is striking really going to benefit the students of one of the country’s most struggling public school systems in the long run?
The city of Chicago and the Chicago Teachers Union failed to reach an agreement on issues like classroom supplies, books, higher salaries, and even health benefits. The city replied that they did not have the funding for these things. Therefore, for the first time in 25 years, the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike on September 10th.
The strike lasted up until September 18th when eventually, the city forced teachers back into classrooms on September 19th. The city has promised to sort the issue out with another contract. The contract addresses the issues presented to the city by the teachers and also addresses ways to fund the wants of the schools. The options include possibly closing some Chicago Public Schools in order to fund others, cut pension costs, and even raise taxes.
But at Noll, a private, state-border option where many Chicago residents choose to send students, a strike keeping students out of the classroom could never happen.
“Beside the fact that the Chicago Public Schools aren’t the best to attend, this is one of the reason’s that my parents decided to send me to a private school,” said junior Katie Zlajic, a former Chicago resident who now lives in Indiana. “Issues like this would never interfere with our education.”
Although Chicago students were out of the classroom for eight full days of school, they were given other options to get their education, including online classes and community programs. Whether or not these students followed through with them during the strike remains unknown.
“It’s unfortunate that personalities are getting in the way of the education of kids,”  said Dr. Barbara O’Block, superintendent of the Diocese of Gary.
O’Block believes the issues were workable inside the classroom and didn’t require a strike.
Because of low test scores and some of the highest teacher salaries in the nation, many feel no sympathy for the teachers on strike. However, on the flipside, there are thousands and thousands of people supporting the Chicago Teachers Union. Families and students are striving to get the things needed in order to bring Chicago Public Schools to a higher level of education.
As the matter continues to unfold, people within the Chicago education community–parents, students, and staff–will soon see the results of these trying times. But for those choosing a private or parochial option, the guarantee that students come first is safe.