Chicago teachers union criticizes newspaper for calling out members' chronic absence.

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) reacted to a newspaper editorial on Friday regarding the issue of chronic absences among teachers in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), who earn a median salary of $95K.

The CTU posted on their X account that Roxanne Piersanti, a CPS teacher, criticized the Tribune Editorial Board's recent criticism of teacher absences, arguing that it unfairly targets working mothers and overlooks the realities of caregiving, illness, and the physical demands of teaching.

The CTU wrote: "Have educators, particularly the 75% who are women, been considered in terms of their frequent presence on the front lines of both their classrooms and families? Does the Trib think workers don't deserve sick days, FMLA, and parental leave? Educators not only teach but also sacrifice, care, and persevere. It's time for the Tribune to reflect the facts."

The Tribune's editorial board was the target of a remark made by Piersanti, which was brought to light by the union.

Piersanti criticized the Tribune in an article, stating that the editorial was one-sided and misogynistic.

Piersanti stated that the Tribune lacks information regarding the reasons behind teachers' absences.

"What about COVID-19? Would the board members' immune systems be able to withstand working with over 100 kids a day?" she inquired.

According to the Tribune editorial on November 25th, over 41% of teachers were absent from their classes for 10 or more days during the 2023-24 school year, as per state records. The outlet noted that 10 days of absences represent a statistical benchmark used in the profession to monitor chronic absenteeism among teachers.

The recent phenomenon of CPS teachers not showing up for work has been a cause for concern. In the 2022-23 school year, the absenteeism rate among CPS teachers was even worse, with 43% of teachers absent for at least 10 days. However, before that year, the rate was much better, with chronic absenteeism among CPS teachers at 31% in the 2016-17 school year. Although the number of absentee teachers worsened slightly before the pandemic, it was still better than what we are seeing now.

According to the Tribune, Chicago teachers earn a median salary of $95,000, which is higher than the salaries of teachers in the suburbs and more than any other large school district in the nation.

The Tribune stated that the CTU's demand for a 9% annual raise was an "outlandish request."

In an op-ed on November 29th, CTU President Stacey Davis Gates criticized the editorial board for its ongoing efforts to discredit the Chicago Teachers Union and for using misleading statistics to support its claims.

"Teacher attendance at CPS is similar to statewide trends when numbers are not manipulated to promote an agenda, according to Davis Gates. This phenomenon is referred to as "chronic absenteeism" and implies that teachers should feel ashamed for not attending school regularly."

Teachers in CPS and across the state are utilizing their allotted sick time more frequently than before the pandemic. Despite having more or less generous leave policies, Chicago falls neither in the highest nor the lowest category when it comes to teacher usage of paid time off.

Neither CTU, Davis Gates, nor the Tribune provided a comment when requested.