Chicago Teachers Union

AFT-IFT Local 1. 30,000 educators dedicated to the schools Chicago students deserve. Living rent-free in education reform minds since 2010. RT ≠ endorsement.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

This is what solidarity looks like! From powerful speeches to unwavering energy, our rally showcased the strength of educators and allies united for justice. 💪🏽

We’re building a brighter future for our students, schools, and communities.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

When cuts and layoffs were on the table, Michilla Blaise pushed the Board of Education to make a different choice.

Her budget amendment included $150 million in additional funding from the state, putting the pressure where it belongs: on Governor Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers to deliver the resources our schools are owed.

Now, Michilla is running to keep representing District 5 on Chicago’s first fully elected school board.

Hear why she believes this election is about fighting for the funding our schools need and keeping the voices of our communities at the center of CPS.

Learn more and make a plan to vote at https://t.co/4J1mVa9c2U

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Join us TOMORROW, October 10th, for a conversation with Maurice Mitchell, National Director of the Working Families Party, and Stacy Davis Gates, President of the IFT and CTU.

Where do we stand, and where do we go from here? Come be part of the conversation. RSVP: https://t.co/A9rN8aD7HP

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

When billionaires say the quiet part out loud. 👀

Amazon Prime Day is built on workers being pushed harder while billionaire profits keep growing.

That’s why we brought some satire to Whole Foods to call attention to what’s behind the deals: automation cutting hours, union busting, and workers being asked to do more with less.

Workers are organizing and fighting back because the answer to billionaire power is worker power.

Who’s got the power? We got the power. ✊
#HandsOffOurVote #PullOutThePillar #WorkersOverBillionaire

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Today, we honor Rev. Jesse Jackson on what would have been his 85th birthday.

Rev. Jackson led the way, showing Chicago and the country what is possible when working people, educators, and communities organize with courage and purpose. From Operation PUSH to his fight for educational opportunity and economic justice, he built a legacy rooted in collective power and action. We honor his life by upholding that legacy and continuing the work he led.

Rest in power, Rev. Jackson. ✊🏾

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

At LEAD 2026, we asked elected leaders what it will take to fully fund our schools.

Their answer: revenue, political courage, and making the rich pay what they owe.

Our students have waited long enough.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

What should Chicago’s first fully elected school board fight for?

For Hilario Dominguez, the answer starts with our students and a different question for CPS: not what can we cut, consolidate or close, but what can we add to our schools?

That means making sure families can count on their neighborhood schools for more of what they need, from universal pre-K to the services and support that come with Sustainable Community Schools.

And when Gov. Pritzker and IL lawmakers say no, Hilario says the job of the School Board President is to “fight like hell” for the funding Chicago’s students are owed.

Hear from Hilario about the kind of leadership he wants to bring to CPS.

Vote on or before November 3rd. Make a plan at https://t.co/4J1mVa9c2U

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Mermaid joined us at LEAD 2026, where CTU and IFT President Stacy Davis Gates caught up with her about Chicago politics, billionaire influence and why her voice has connected with so many people across the city.

For Mermaid, it comes back to something pretty simple: she lives here, pays taxes here, wants those dollars going toward equitable schools and the things Chicago families actually need.

As Stacy put it, when teachers give you an A, believe it.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

¡PRESENTE! 🌼

Known as the “Mother of La Villita,” Manuelita Garcia spent decades fighting for her neighbors, her community and Chicago’s children.

In 2001, she joined her granddaughter Andrea Guzman and other Little Village residents in a 19-day hunger strike demanding the neighborhood high school their community had been promised. That organizing helped secure what would become Little Village Lawndale High School.

Her legacy is a reminder that our neighborhood schools have always been shaped by families and community members willing to organize, fight and demand better for the next generation.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor Manuelita Garcia and the people-powered legacy she left behind.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Today is #WorldTeachersDay!

We honor and celebrate the educators who ensure students feel welcome in every classroom. Every day we’ll fight to fully fund our schools so that every Chicago student has access to the resources and education they deserve.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Join the Chicago Teachers Union and the Working Families Party for a conversation with Maurice Mitchell, National Director of the Working Families Party, and Stacy Davis Gates, President of the IFT and CTU.

Where do we stand, and where do we go from here? Come be part of the conversation. RSVP: https://t.co/A9rN8aD7HP

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Chicago Public Schools runs in my family, and so does this city. My wife Violeta, my brother Diego, and my sister-in-law Regina know me better than anyone, and they know why I'm in this race: fully funded schools across every neighborhood, quality school lunches, and universal pre-K starting at three. Unlike other candidates, I've lived CPS as a student, a teacher, and now a dad. This is our love, and this is our home. Learn more at https://t.co/fbaQ1AffKX.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

“Participation is a pathway to power.” — Tequila Johnson and CTU and IFT President Stacy Davis Gates at our annual LEAD Dinner on the power of Black women in leadership and embracing the community.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

CTU stands in solidarity with the more than 250 referees who are striking over weeks of missing pay.

Last school year, we had to fight for hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid athletic director stipends. Now referees are facing the same unacceptable problem.

Athletic directors. Coaches. Referees. Too many of the people who make school sports possible are being forced to chase down pay they are already owed.

This should not be a fight every single sports season. Pay people on time, respect their work, and let our students play.

Read more: https://t.co/yiqPRkSG3o

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

The Chicago Teachers Union stands with the family of Nolan Wells. Our hearts are with his loved ones, his school community, and everyone who is grieving him. We join them in demanding answers, accountability, and justice for Nolan.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

LEAD 2026 ended with one message ringing through the room: power is built through organizing.

President Stacy Davis Gates, Tequila Johnson, and Mayor Brandon Johnson each came back to the same point: the work isn’t finished, and neither is the fight to fully fund the schools our students deserve.

The power is in the people. Now we organize.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Students are more likely to find their voice when they know the adults in the room actually see them.

For Paola, that means starting with relationships: one-on-one conversations, talking circles, and creating a classroom where students feel comfortable showing up as whole people, not just as names on a roster.

Sustainable Community Schools helps educators build school communities rooted in trust, belonging, and student voice.

Because sometimes the first step toward deeper learning is simply making sure a young person knows, “I see you.”

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Corporations are a pillar of this administration's attack on our democracy. Pull that pillar out, and the rest starts to fall.

We've seen it work before. In Minnesota, 60 corporate leaders pressured the President into de-escalating the occupation of Minneapolis. In Arizona, a coalition of CEOs helped kill a state effort to strip birthright citizenship.

Join us Thursday, September 24 at 8pm ET for Pulling Out the Pillar: Corporate Campaigns to Reject Trump's Attack on the Elections. We're breaking down our theory of change, sharing what's worked before, and announcing our next week of action.

Register at https://t.co/XLewYhrK18

#WorkersOverBillionaires

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Our House of Delegates has voted: the Chicago Teachers Union proudly endorses Mayor Brandon Johnson for re-election.

This election is a simple choice. On one side is a mayor who has delivered more than a billion dollars for our schools, parks, and libraries. On the other are candidates pledging school closings three times the size of what we saw under Rahm Emanuel.

Our students learn best when they're a part of healthy school communities. Mayor Johnson has fought for that, and we're fighting for him.

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

When they talk about closing and consolidating schools, we know which communities they’re talking about.

Black and Brown neighborhoods have already lived through generations of disinvestment. The answer is not more closures. The answer is investment. Utilize our school buildings. Expand sustainable community schools. Wrap our arms around the schools that have been threatened and give every child the resources they deserve.

Help elect public school champions who will fight against school closures and for fully funded neighborhood schools.

Sign up to volunteer:https://t.co/hnExbFw2eX

[Chicago Teachers Union @CTULocal1]

Tequila Johnson shares that building a movement means building a focused, data-driven coalition across class, race, and socioeconomic status.

We are excited to welcome Tequila Johnson, the co-founder and CEO of The Equity Alliance, as the keynote speaker at our annual LEAD Dinner!

Join us as we hear more from Tequila and other special guests on how we can build our movement to champion equity and justice in our schools.

🗓️ Friday, Sept. 25
🕟 Social Hour: 4:30 PM | Dinner: 5:30 PM
📍CTU Center, 1901 W. Carroll Ave., Chicago
🎟️ Get your tickets now at https://t.co/JInC5VKHwZ