Karen Lewis On 'The Ed Show': Rahm Emanuel Is 'Absolutely' Anti-Teacher (VIDEO)

After participating in the heavily attended, largely peaceful Take Back Chicago rally Monday evening, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis appeared on MSNBC's Ed Schultz's "The Ed Show" and offered criticism of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

"Where is your mayor, Rahm Emanuel, where is the former chief of staff of the Obama administration, where is Rahm Emanuel on this? Is he anti-teacher?" Schultz asked.

(Watch Lewis's interview with Schultz below.)

"Absolutely," Lewis responded. "He's been very clearly anti-teacher from the very beginning. He came in, he went to Springfield to try to take our collective bargaining rights away. He made it so that it would be 75 percent it would take our union to strike. He was just like adamant about us not being able to strike. And then yesterday, he goes on 'Meet the Press' and says we're going to have performance pay."

"It's kind of hard to have performance pay when you haven't bothered to negotiate with the people doing the work," Lewis continued.

Earlier in the conversation, Lewis referenced the Chicago Board of Education's denial of teachers' previously agreed-upon, contractually-obligated four percent raises as the precursor of the ongoing, bitter battle between the teachers union and the board centered on the longer school day and year. The union has also filed an unfair labor lawsuit against the board as they claim that Chicago Public Schools is bribing and coercing schools with lucrative discretionary funding packages should they join a "pilot program" for the new, lengthened day yet this year.

The tension escalated to the point where Emanuel allegedly pointed his finger toward the teachers union president and yelled "F--- you, Lewis" during a conversation on the longer day debate.

According to the union, while 13 schools have joined the pilot program as of late last month, teachers at 115 other schools have voted against instituting the longer day, which will likely be mandated across the school system by the 2012-13 academic year.

In response to the union's criticisms of their pilot program and accusations of union busting, CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll previously told the Huffington Post that they are "willing to support the teachers and schools who are willing to add more time to the day in any way necessary to make that happen."

"Why wait a year from now and shortchange kids for a year if their teachers at their schools want to do it today and want to give their students that opportunity to get a leg up to be successful?" Carroll said.

WATCH Lewis discuss Mayor Rahm Emanuel's relationship with his city's teachers union below:

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Comments

[Caesar Howell]

06:05 PM on 10/12/2011

As a Chicagoan and the son of a teacher, some of the glib responses on the value of extending the school day and the "perceived" benefits due to the feelings that the teachers are at fault for your children not behaving properly,studying at home, DOING their homework for at least three hours when they get home. The school system is not a babysitting service for parents who decided to be "friends and pals " to their children vs being a parent. I was told as a child that it was my responsibility to learn, do my homework and get good grades. I was lucky to have parents who fostered and demanded that of me. For disadvantaged students have more difficult issues like poverty, living conditions, and bad nutrition to deal with which is a symptom of income inequality and poverty that a longer school day will not solve. Ask yourself if your job asked you work longer for no money, would you do it?

[Nick3169]

05:29 PM on 10/12/2011

Keep up the good work Rahn.

[Frod43]

04:22 PM on 10/12/2011

There are so many good comments pro and con here....I have seen it all in my 40 yrs of teaching in California. The comment about some students' environment at home is certainly true ..ie, sleeping on the couch ...single parent family, poverty, etc... It's hard to blame the teachers for this...we can't raise the children as much as it breaks our hearts ...
The 50 kids in a Catholic School for a lot less pay is not teaching Its controlling the classroom by fear...yes, contrary to what people think...not all Catholic schools are the same! ..Public schools get the rejects from Catholic schools, and behavior problem students from private schools...
...And of course there are teacher's unions that are a rip off ..just there to protect the bad teachers and their interest. On the other hand, I have seen some teacher unions work hand in hand with the school district and parents...and yes, even go along with pay cuts and longer work days ...
We are not all evil and uncaring folks ..

[beolab8000]

12:14 PM on 10/12/2011

Seriously, is there any other occupation with more discussion on what's better for the worker than on the constituency she serves? Typically, since employment is a privilege and not a right, the worker serves at the behest of her manager(s) for the sake of the organization and its constituencies, whether customers, other businesses, etc. Education, it seems, is an anomaly, wherein the unions promote the welfare of the teachers, despite their duty to promote the welfare of the students whom they serve. I cannot imagine the average teacher, who likely chose her profession carefully and out of passion for the role, is as inflamed about an extra 1.5 hours a day if it will help her students perform better. I'm not an educator, but I would imagine that any incremental lift in students' performance, whether quantitative (test scores, etc.) or qualitative (attitude, diligence, respect)... would ultimately provide the teacher a net benefit in quality of life, teaching efficacy, etc. And, frankly, with so much existing paid time off, the addition of these hours need not be commensurate with an accorded salary increase. Precious few others, in other occupations, get to set their hours, let alone deny their manager(s) when instructed to put in additional hours for the sake of their constituencies.

[DeweyJ]

08:06 PM on 10/12/2011

Why is it incorrect for a group of workers in any field to strive to improve their working conditions and their compensation? One can argue the assertion that a happy valued workforce is a more capable and competent one.

Let's take a look at the mentality that presumes that when teachers advocate for their working conditions, they are "hurting" students. Is there an ugly Puritan ethic somewhere buried in this thinking that supposes that working under less humane conditions is somehow better for the soul and for the students we serve? Are these goals really mutually exclusive?

And finally, the most egregious faux pas, the view that teachers only work when they are teaching in their classrooms, so why the heck not add 1.5 hours to their teaching day. Teaching is much, much more than standing in a classroom teaching students. It is planning lessons, preparing materials, doing clerical work that is required and necessary, it is attending meetings, classes, trainings, collaborating with other educators, grading papers, seeing students for 1:1 support as needed before or after school, writing IEPs. Increasing teaching hours at once subtracts from the available pool of hours to engage in these support activities which one cannot teach without doing, and increases the time required to complete them.

So, no thanks, I am not accepting a longer teaching day, especially not for anything less than a substantial increase in pay. I do have a family to support, so this is not community service for me.

[caveman1313]

11:42 PM on 10/11/2011

wow, for a second there i thought those two were on an episode of biggest loser

[malmorse]

11:24 PM on 10/11/2011

There is a difference between being anti-teacher and being pro-student. And I'm sorry, if you really care about kids, and if you really want students to succeed, than lengthening the school day and school year is the first place to start. And yes, I am a teacher. And yes, I am non-union, and my school runs 7:50am to 4pm, and I see the difference EVERY DAY that the additional hours of instruction make in the lives of my students. A student in Houston who begins in Kindergarten and continues through 12th grade will have nearly FOUR MORE SCHOOL YEARS worth of learning time compared to a Chicago student. This is unacceptable, and we cannot cave to the whiny demands of selfish and stubborn teachers who love the status quo because it benefits them. We are doing a disservice to the children of our city by prioritizing our teachers' free time over their learning time.

Second, it is ridiculous that teachers currently ARE NOT paid by performance. In what other job can you be proven ineffective and not only retain your job, but retain your pay at a constant rate? Would you hire and retain an ineffective lawyer? Doctor? Even plumber? No. Our kids are worth more than this.

[chgotchr]

12:13 AM on 10/12/2011

Thanks for repeating corporatist talking points. I hope you are doing well on your 25,000 a year with no health or retirement benefits.

[Hawksnest]

12:19 AM on 10/12/2011

You do not understand anything. Your brain needs to be cleansed and then re-educated in reality. Pathetic

[ChiGuy]

12:30 AM on 10/12/2011

And just how do you think a juvenile reaction like that helps the discussion, teach?

malmorse put together two paragraphs of opinion and suggestions which he/she took some time to consider and compose. No insults. No hyperbole.
But rather than present a serious counter-argument, you went right for the two sentence insult? Really??

Based on that sequence alone, people genuinely interested in hearing both sides of this topic so that they might formulate their own opinion may very well have made their decision based on the Chicago teacher ("chgotchr") being a real j*rk.

You embarrass the profession.

I have two cousins in Wisconsin who are teachers (one with a Masters) who feel the same way as malmorse.

[DeweyJ]

09:43 AM on 10/12/2011

Given that my job requires HOURS per week of prep time, time to grade papers, clerical activities, IEP testing and writing...given that in order to TEACH I must invest invisible time in the many necessary activities to support and make teaching possible, I would really like to know more about your schedule.

I have read, with keen interest, about schools in high performing countries, and while I note that teachers may have longer mandated workday, they are not T EACHING for all of the hours during which students are in class. The schools hire enough teachers to break the teaching up with office time for their teachers. During this nonteaching time teachers may engage in activities that include: one-to-one meetings with students, observing colleagues, grading papers (meaningful feedback is a very important facet of learning), preparing new lessons, speaking with parents.

What does your day look like? I might support a longer school day providing I am not expected to be TEACHING from 7:50 to 4 with a 30 minute lunch, and perhaps a single conference period.

[Chembug602]

08:44 PM on 10/11/2011

Where is the data that performance pay and/or longer school days improve student performance? Where is all the research? I would like to see some data to support these ideas. I never see that in these articles. I know this is a blog, but don't we expect a justification for these proposals? I am pretty sure with all of the universities in this nation there is some data out there. If we are going to pay teachers more for performance, I sure would like to see which performances are the most effective.

[DeweyJ]

09:47 AM on 10/12/2011

Well, we know that Finland consistently falls in the top 3-5 on international measures. They do NOT have a longer school day or school year, they don't even buy into homework.

Finland is very socialized and virtually every child is assured food on the table and his/her own bedroom in which to study and sleep.

On the other hand, in my suburban CA district, I teach students who sleep on couches in 2-bedroom apartments where they live with 4 siblings and a single parent who can scarcely provide food on the table. They spend too much of their time raising their younger siblings and have no time or place to study.

You think I make this up? It is more common than you may realize, and I have been to more than one of these "homes." But, we can continue to pretend this does not happen and that these students' learning is not impacted.

[philips0811]

07:41 PM on 10/11/2011

Is it just me, or does the MS Lewis sound semi-literate?

[Criss Strokes]

08:57 PM on 10/11/2011

It's not just you.

[47th]

09:34 PM on 10/11/2011

It's just you....and Criss Strokes.

[eceresa]

07:03 PM on 10/11/2011

Nice racket CPS is running there.

"We've got the funds schools need to run, and we COULD just give them to the schools and help the kids. But instead, we're going to withhold the funds, doling them out only to those schools where the teachers agree to work much longer hours without being paid for them. Then, we'll try to spin it so that people believe the TEACHERS at the school are denying the kids what they need, diverting attention from the fact that WE'RE the ones denying them the funds to try to leverage them into working for free."

[WhatWereTheyThinking]

12:21 PM on 10/13/2011

I've attended proposal meetings at CPS headquarters and I have never seen such a top-heavy organization.

[eceresa]

06:29 PM on 10/14/2011

I'm not from Chicago; I've got no personal experience. But it's clear from reading about it that the administration is intentionally sticking it to the kids and trying to get people to blame the union for it. And in too many cases, it's working.

[arb24529]

05:34 PM on 10/11/2011

Dont worry Dems it wont cause any problems. She said it on MS DNC so nobody saw or heard it.

[RageVsMachine]

10:16 AM on 10/12/2011

We progressives don't drool over MSNBC like you apparently polish your turtle to Faux News.

[JFaye]

05:31 PM on 10/11/2011

Good for Rahm Emanuel ... Someone needs to stand up for the students ... the teachers rally and strike when it comes to their pay and yet want to continue with one of the shortest school days in the nation. This shorten day has helped to produce some of the least prepared students for the workplace as well college and high drop out rates. All the while ... soaring crime amongst Chicago's youth... It's past time for a change and that includes better representation for Chicago teachers and more power to the students.

[LitSpeaks]

08:22 PM on 10/11/2011

Obviously you are not a teacher. It is exhausting teaching a room full of 34 children for nearly an hour each period. You have to make sure no one is arguing, playing, or endangering themselves or others. Then you have to keep them all on task when only a few can work independently, most need one on one help, some just don't get it, others weren't paying attention, and a handful will just get it wrong anyway. You have to teach it again and again and again and the reteaching never stops (unless you just give up). In the meantime, this one snapped at you because you asked him/her to sit up, another walked out the room because you moved his seat, another stopped working because she got in trouble and the class clown disrupts students at every table you seat him. Calling home rarely makes a difference and you can't spend all night making phone calls because you have to work on lesson plans. Then you start this cycle over again the next day nearly every period of the day. On top of that, students' work has to be graded and most teachers I know do it after school. So where, in your world, do short school days exist. I want to work there because I take work home with me everyday and weekends.

[OldSchool4942]

09:10 PM on 10/11/2011

Been there done that. Other outsiders just don't get it. But they were the ones in your class that were absent 38 days in a year and never paid any attention to anything except their social agenda, or next game. You are appreciated.

[JFaye]

10:51 PM on 10/11/2011

This is very complex problem and I empathize with educators... who should also act as advocates for their students... Yes, "been there and done that" as a volunteer while working a full-time in corporate. There are no easy answers; however these children need someone fighting to give them the best possible chance of being successful. Perhaps the next strike should include a demand for more classroom aids or smaller class size to make education more accessible and interesting for students who want to learn. A shorter school day is obviously not the best solution for children who require more classroom time.

As far as grading papers at home... most teachers get the summer off ... so this is a wash. My girlfriends who are teachers sometimes have grading parties where we come over and help grade papers. The long hours ... please don't think only teachers put in long hours. I've spent two days in the field collecting data, conducting interviews, etc., and sat up all night creating a narrative and or manual for presentation the next day.

I also "sympathize" with you for the often stressful family dynamic when working with parents who are not as helpful. Even as a volunteer, I was not spared a wacky parent here and there; didn't deter me because my objective was to make a measurable difference in my students' lives.

[DeweyJ]

09:51 AM on 10/12/2011

Standing up for students might first require us to stand up for children wherever there is poverty (almost 1/4 of our school age children in this country today). Let's think about getting them decent food, a place to study and the time to do so first.

I don't know about you, but had I been required to sleep on a sofa and care for my 3-4 younger siblings every afternoon and evening, subsisting on mac and cheese from a box or Chef Boyardee (sp?), I might not be a working teacher today with over 6 years of college under my belt that mom and dad helped finance.

[JFaye]

04:23 PM on 10/12/2011

DeweyJ... Grateful you took a hard, difficult situation and used it for your good. You obviously have a more empathetic ear and illumined eyes to the hardship of poverty. Increasingly, school districts across the country are recognizing this phenomenon and are working to help students who are faced with homelessness, barely existing in poverty, etc. It is still not an excuse for failure and I speak from personal experience with circumstances more dire than anyone can imagine.

You are my person of the day!

[butkusrules]

04:11 PM on 10/11/2011

The teachers' union gets what it deserves for electing Lewis. Her little escapades on TV and complaining to the Chicago newspapers that Rahm yelled at her in a private meeting will do nothing but make it more difficult for her to get things accomplished for the Union. You can see the results already. The vast majority of Chicagoans side with the mayor, and he has been successful in dividing the schools and teachers on school day length.

[chgotchr]

12:14 AM on 10/12/2011

Do you live in Chicago?

[changing]

09:10 AM on 10/12/2011

No thank goodness she at last said the truth. Dems like Emmanuel and Obama are anti-teacher (just as much as not more than the Repubs). They want to privatize and let testing companies profit off our poor kids. Just because you have a D in front of your name now means nothing.
As for being nice and appeasing, that has gotten teachers' union nothing but kicked in the teeth.

[teasly]

03:58 PM on 10/11/2011

Why do those gol durn Republicans hate our teachers and our children?............ Oh wait Rahms not a Republican....... Um, Rahm is only doing this to help teachers and better the educational opportunities of our children.

[PalaceOfWisdom]

04:13 PM on 10/11/2011

Rahm is a corporatist just like the administration he left to become mayor. He hates the idea of people being able to make a decent living without crushing anyone to do it. His mentality is that you can't win unless someone else loses, which is why he points, curses and generally acts like a maniac when he doesn't get his way.

Longer school days have nothing to do with "better educational opportunities" for children. The goal is to keep kids in one place for many hours to condition them for the 60 hour work weeks that await them when the last of the unions have been broken.

[The 5 Percent]

04:33 PM on 10/11/2011

Thanks for your sanity. I wish these people would wake up and remove their lips from Emanuel's behind!

[Dovoid]

06:30 PM on 10/11/2011

longer school days do matter, especially in a city known for having the shortest days. aside from the additional learning opportunities, for students coming from problematic homes or neighborhoods, it provides them with valuable time in a much safer environment.

i never really understood why education always has to become a partisan issue. can you, or any of your recent fans, explain to me what the problem with extending a school day and other reform initiatives are? are you flatly pro-union, anti-emanuel or have a different proposal that you support?

[Dan Crabtree]

03:43 PM on 10/11/2011

No democrat is anti-teacher..period.. a fantasy..

[cjaco]

03:51 PM on 10/11/2011

Wake up, not true. The reform movement is corporate driven by DFER (democrats for education reform) - they are in bed with hedge fund managers and billionaire foundations. Not a progressive bone in their bodies, and are very anti-teacher, anti-union, anti-labor in general.

[KaAp]

05:50 PM on 10/11/2011

Thank you so much cjaco that is so true,

[Dovoid]

06:38 PM on 10/11/2011

what BS

[chgotchr]

12:15 AM on 10/12/2011

Rahm isn't a Democarat. He's a republican with gay friends.

[Ablecynic]

01:32 PM on 10/14/2011

Gee, I'll bet Messiah Obama would be surprised to learn that Rahm was a Republican! And the only gay friend that Rahm has stayed behind in DC from what I hear.

[Dan Crabtree]

03:39 PM on 10/11/2011

Next step WHITE FLIGHT...and the end of chicago as you once knew it..Have some new nice neighbors fron chicago down the block in my city..hope they left there same failed politics that doomed there old city behind also.

[JFaye]

05:39 PM on 10/11/2011

One of the reasons Chicago's downtown and near north area is growing by leaps and bounds is empty-nester suburbanites who want to return to the big city.

[corwin]

06:26 PM on 10/11/2011

"Then, I awakened."

Corwin. Cruel.To be Kind

[Criss Strokes]

10:09 PM on 10/11/2011

Have fun with your new criminal neighbors but don't come back blaming Chicago when they start robbing you. Chicago is cleaning house and trust me, smart, educated and high earning individuals aren't the ones leaving.

[Ablecynic]

01:19 PM on 10/14/2011

You mean they are driving out the city workers and the unionistas?