Let’s be clear the strike vote does not mean we teachers are going to strike. This vote legally authorizes teachers to strike if; the appointed board of education with zero educational experience, the “CEO” of CPS and the Mayor continue to bash, antagonize, and disrespect public school teachers. Zero progress continues to be made on the contract negotiations, not because the Teachers and CTU have stopped negotiating, but because the Board’s proposals are harmful for students, parents, teachers, and overall our city. Schools are not a business and should not be run as such. The Board of Education should be made up of teachers, parents, community members, not multi billion and millionaires with no respect for public education who choose to send their own kids to private schools that have art, music, gym, and world languages every day, while the public schools do not. I will vote for the strike authorization vote, because the board and mayor need to know how serious we educators are. A strike helps no one, but since Rahm has come into office he has bashed us and blamed us for anything he can. A time comes when teachers must stand up to harassment by the only means we have left to do so. No one wants to strike, but the mayor is leaving us with no other options. So we will authorize a strike, then let it be up to him if he wants to work with us or continue to bash us. Whatever rout Rahm chooses will determine if we actually have to strike or not in September.