negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago public schools still have not reached a contract deal.

>> Meanwhile, the CPS Board of Education's publicly elected members will be sworn in on Wednesday in the district will be on the search for a new leader since the current board fired CEO Pedro Martinez just before the holidays.

Joining us to discuss the state of negotiations and more is Stacy Davis, Gates, Chicago Teachers, Union President.

Stacy, welcome Thank you for having me.

How would you describe the progress of contract negotiations at this point?

It's not moving fast We were good successful men back and forth.

>> Before the CEO received his temporary restraining order.

That slowed progress significantly and almost to a halt.

You know, we have members at the table today who you know, their level of frustration.

Many of the things that we're pushing for.

We one in place before.

Number 47 is inaugurated.

Title 9 was struck down last week.

We are.

We have real concerns about our and transgender students here in the city.

Ray Lopez has introduced legislation that make Chicago a co-conspirator in deporting our students and their families.

We don't know what that looks like in the school These are things that we have to settle at the table to codify and build a force field around our school district.

And of course, that the temporary restraining order that you're referring to is the one that CEO Peter Martinez received from court.

>> So that he would be the one negotiating with you all, not the board members who were recently ceded, not the ones are going to be taking the oath this this Wednesday, of course.

So a few things that you are asking for your contract.

5% raises annually for the first 2 years of the contract, 4 to 5% raises for years.

3, 4, of the contract.

district says it is offering 4% because that's all it can afford.

You're also asking for more fine arts and library.

20 minutes of prep time for teachers as well as 200 librarians for the district, approximately and a nurse in every school.

What's been the district's response on knees, presentations proposals.

The district is still living from a very marginal perspective of how we offer the best type of public education for all of our students here in the city.

contract is over a multi-year plan and what we are trying to do is do what we did in 2019 2019.

>> We implemented a plan, a or says and social workers in our school.

The program restored of justice coordinators gave more to the student when they return from COVID and when they return from COVID, they had the staffing, the support and the resources that they needed to overcome.

A lot of the deficits that many other districts are dealing with.

That is what we are trying to do here.

Build off of those gains, create a unmovable infrastructure already.

We think that what we've landed with sports is will be like iconic and legendary as it compares to what we've had previously.

However, only 12 of our high schools have school libraries to be very frank with you, the way in which the district says teachers pitch black teachers or teachers who teach at a majority black school and parrot their ratings are a lot lower.

This is not our data or research.

This data was commission by the Illinois General Assembly.

This data comes from a study at the University of Chicago.

We are trying to work with the district to replenish the number of black teachers that were fire.

We used to have 50 almost 50% black teachers in the city of Chicago.

Now we're hovering under 19%.

The the district has to work with us for the last few years.

We have been incubating in supporting black teachers to get through that process.

But that process is arduous biased and it's unfair.

We need to fix in our Of course, you know, we have to pay for all of this, right?

You know, part of your argument that the 9 economic issue Brandis the court if I can be completely transparent with you, the push and pull at the table right now is not over the economics.

>> It is over academic freedom.

We want to make sure that our young people in our our members are able to engage in a complete dimensional history of our country.

And teacher preparation time when you come to the studio, you don't just jump in this chair and, you know, do an interview with the president's Chicago teachers union.

You prepare for that.

That's the same thing that our members want to do.

They want to prepare to receive the young people.

So all of what we're talking about is doable because we have the time already in our schedule.

We do not have to marginalize instructional time.

We can do this work.

These are 9 economic that said, though, part of your argument, though, is that the district is not in fact, broke CPS leadership that they held a press conference late this afternoon to explain some of the district finances.

>> 1.1 billion in reserves.

That notion is just not is flat out.

Not true.

It's based on a snapshot in time.

Not fully coming for revenues and expenses in the fiscal year.

And I can let my son go into more qna.

But the reality is we have 66 million dollars of cash on hand and that's 3 days of operating revenues.

You heard or see a fall.

If we had on 1.0, 1 billion in reserves sitting in the bank, we would not be taking over out.

We would not be taking out loan over a billion dollars in tax and suspicion loans to make payroll.

waiting for property taxes come in.

There is no medical pot of gold.

>> All right.

also want to add on to that before a grand time because the Civic Federation released a report today as well.

And a little bit of says the quote to the existing fiscal year 2025 CPS budget is structurally imbalanced heavily relying on temporary revenues and lacking provisions for impending collective bargaining costs.

These financial strains coupled with long-term issues such declining enrollment rising expenditures, pension liabilities and looming credit downgrades demand immediate in strategic action to stabilize CPS.

The board must implement a forward looking financial plan, addressing budget deficits with cost saving measures, operational efficiencies, sustainable revenue source is an advocacy for increased state support.

What do you make of of both of these assessments from the district and the one from the Civic Federation which sort of supports what the district is claiming.

So let me answer this in 2 ways in the first bike, it I will say that everything that is at the table that need settling right now.

>> real issues are 9 economic.

So those 2 press conferences, our mood when it comes to settling this contract.

The settlement of this contract will be about the 9 economic issues that empower educators, protect our freedoms and make sure that our students get their supports.

Those are economic.

Now to the press conference and the Civic Federation, the Civic Federation for years has argued for the closing of black schools.

They've argued for underpaying women.

They've argued for stealing people's retirement security.

So this makes sense for them to say this is what they always say.

Number 2, pedro's assessment of the finances of the Chicago Public Schools without our contract is dire.

No one can argue facts.

But here's the question that I think we need to ask ourselves Chicago.

I think Congo.

Public schools needs leadership that is going to be visionary enough to sustain it for the long term.

This contract is a snapshot in time.

The sustenance in the sustainability of this school district is something else.

So he has to do a few things.

Number one, he asked the leverage the fact that he just received the largest of surplus ever in the history of the city.

Number 2, buy 2031 that tariff will be nearly a billion dollars.

He has to count those things.

Here's the other thing that he needs to do.

He needs to figure out how to get a reimbursement for Medicaid so he can pay for the social workers.

We need for our students.

And then here's the next thing.

You need to be very clear about advocating for both progressive revenue and for the Illinois General Assembly and the governor of this state to fund are schools.

That said the state is also facing a 3.2 billion dollar shortfall.

But we've only got a couple seconds left and I want to get your response on this.

>> Obviously last week it was reported on that you compared CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to a special education student that can't be suspended.

Of course, you know, there's a statement that we received from equip for equality equality, excuse me nonprofit disability advocacy agency, which our viewers can see online.

I want to give you the opportunity to to respond to all of this.

How do you plan on rebuilding trust with parents and students after this incident?

Obviously, you apologized immediately last week as well.

First off, I am extraordinarily embarrassed.

It does not reflect my values or my body of work.

>> I am deeply sorry for it and I am going to be in a process speaking to the advocates, family students are members about how to repair the harm.

I'm absolutely open for that.

And for or union is going to redouble its efforts to make sure that the Chicago Public Schools actually supports the special education students that we do have because we do have a track