Chicago Teachers Put ‘Green Schools’ On The Bargaining Table

If the Chicago Teachers Union gets its way, the city will have an entire fleet of electric buses, windows that actually open in its schools and a healthier environment for children in underserved neighborhoods. This article was originally published on& Word In Black. By Willy Blackmore Overview: The proposals to help “green” Chicago public schools would not only reduce the city’s carbon dioxide emissions but would also improve the air quality in neglected neighborhoods and help residents cope with soaring summer temperatures. & When contract negotiations between Chicago’s public school teachers and the city began on Friday, it marked the first time that the union had one of its own on the other side of the table: Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former social studies teacher, was also an organizer for Chicago Teachers Union.& The union’s contract negotiators are hoping to get major concessions from Johnson and the city. Tops on their wish list is funding for its “green schools” program, an ambitious, environmentally friendly agenda which would remake the district’s built environment and upgrade the infrastructure of the aging school system for the climate-change era. The proposals range from utilitarian — windows that can open and close in every classroom...