>>> THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR IS ALWAYS EXCITING, AND THAT WAS ON FULL DISPLAY YESTERDAY AS CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPENED.

HERE'S MAJOR BRANDON JOHNSON, HIMSELF A FORMER MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER AND CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION ORGANIZER KICKING OFF THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE HOPES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR IS CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION PRESIDENT STACY DAVIS GATES.

WE WILL HEAR FROM CPS CEO PEDRO MARTINEZ ON OUR SHOW NEXT WEEK.

STACY, WELCOME BACK, THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> THERE'S BEEN A LOT SAID YESTERDAY AND TODAY ABOUT THE INFLUX OF NEW MIGRANT STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY ON THE FIRST DAY, WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS ENOUGH SPANISH-SPEAKING TEACHERS TO SUPPORT THOSE STUDENTS?

>> WELL, WE KNOW THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF ANYTHING TO SUPPORT OUR MIGRANT FAMILIES IN THE CITY.

WE ARE LIVING THE LEGACY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET, AND SO WHEN WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR YEARS, THIS IS THE RESULT OF NOT HAVING IT.

WHEN YOU SEE FAMILIES LIVING OUTSIDE OF POLICE STATIONS.

BEYOND THAT, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS NOT PUT AN EMPHASIS OVER TIME ON MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE MULTILINGUAL TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.

AND WE ARE FEELING THE PAIN OF THAT RIGHT NOW.

WHAT I WILL SAY WAS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR THAN IT HAS BEEN IN YEARS PAST IS THAT THERE IS AN OVERALL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE NEED TO RECRUIT MORE MULTILINGUAL TEACHERS TO THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ONES THAT WE HAVE ARE GIVEN SOME AGENCY.

WE ARE ENGAGING ON A VERY GRANULAR LEVEL, I WOULD SAY, WITH THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON HOW TO OFFER FAMILIES WHAT THEY NEED AND HOW TO FILL IN GAPS.

>> WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS, THEN.

AND YOU JUST NAMED SOME OF THEM, BUT FOR THE MIGRANT STUDENTS WHO ARE COMING, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A LANGUAGE BARRIER.

BUT ALSO THEY'RE CARRYING SOME TRAUMA.

>> WELL, AGAIN, WHEN WE SAID A NURSE AND SOCIAL WORKER IN EVERY SCHOOL, WE NEEDED THAT FOR THE TRAUMATIC IMPACTS THAT OUR CHILDREN HAD PREVIOUSLY.

THAT NEED HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY.

SO WE ARE SAYING YES TO WHAT WE'VE ALREADY SAID YES TO.

AGAIN, THE DIFFERENCE NOW IS WE ARE WORKING COOPERATIVELY ON SOLUTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, OUR FAMILIES, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE ALREADY ARE GETTING WHAT THEY NEED.

>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY SOME OF THAT COOPERATION LOOKS LIKE, AND WHAT ARE THOSE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS YOU ARE WORKING ON?

>> WE HAVE A GROUP OF OUR MEMBERS WHO ARE GOING FROM SHELTER TO POLICE STATION TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ENROLLED FROM THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

SO RIGHT NOW OUR MEMBERS ARE ENROLLING STUDENTS IN THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW.

THAT WAS UNHEARD OF BEFORE THIS ADMINISTRATION.

SO THAT'S ONE THING WE'RE DOING.

WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY AGENCIES ALL OVER THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OFFERING LANGUAGE SUPPORT TO FAMILIES.

WE ARE WORKING IN MUTUAL AID EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S CLOTHING, THAT THERE ARE TOILETRIES, AND THAT WE'RE JUST MEETING THE NEED.

WE ARE A PART OF THE COALITION NOW.

WE'RE NOT FIGHTING TO BE A PART OF THE COALITION.

>> OF COURSE THERE WERE REPORTS, THOUGH, THAT SOME OF THE MIGRANT STUDENTS HAVE BEEN TURNED AWAY FROM THEIR SCHOOLS DESPITE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE ENROLLED WITH THE SUPPORT OF CTU OR OTHERWISE, WHAT ARE YOU HEAR SOMETHING HAVE STUDENTS BEEN TURNED AWAY FROM SCHOOLS.

>> I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT ONE, I DID READ IT, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT ONE.

WHAT I WILL SAY IS, AGAIN, THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR YEARS HAS SUFFERED FROM A LEADERSHIP THAT WASN'T RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS ON THE GROUND.

I WILL SAY THAT WE'VE HAD GREAT RESPONSE, DEPUTY MAYOR JEN JOHNSON -- >> FORMER C TU CHIEF OF STAFF.

>> STAFFER, CHIEF OF STAFF.

SHE HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING MEMBER CONCERNS ON THE GROUND AND BEING ABLE TO POINT US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS AND TO CONNECT THE NEED TO THE RESOURCE.

>> HEAT'S EXPECTED TO SOAR TOMORROW.

CPS SAYS EVERY CLASSROOM HAS AT LEAST A WINDOW UNIT, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE BUILDINGS, GYM, CAFETERIA, HALLWAYS, WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS THERE?

>> WELL, I HAVE MANY CONCERNS THERE.

I'M A PARENT IN THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS WELL, AND WE ARE EXISTING IN A CLIMATE CRISIS CURRENTLY.

THERE IS ZERO INSTITUTION IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW THAT IS PREPARED TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THIS CLIMATE CRISIS.

HOWEVER, AGAIN, THIS TIME WE HAVE COLLABORATION.

AND SO WE'VE HAD MORE INTERACTION WITH THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE CITY OF CHICAGO ON THIS ISSUE WITHIN THE LAST WEEK THAN WE'VE HAD IN THREE YEARS WITH THE COVID CRISIS.

>> WHAT MORE CAN THE DISTRICT DO TO BE KIND OF PREPARED FOR THESE EXTREME SWINGS IN TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER?

>> WELL, WHAT I WOULD SAY NUMBER ONE IS THAT THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE, THERE'S A SHORT, AND THERE'S A LONG-TERM SOLUTION.

SO I'LL START WITH THE LONG TERM.

THE LONG TERM IS THAT IN THE OCCASION OF THE TENURE FACILITIES MASTER PLANNING THAT THE DISTRICT IS UNDERGOING RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO HAVE GREEN, SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL FACILITIES FOR OUR CHILDREN ACROSS THE CITY.

WE ALSO HAVE TO GO INTO SCHOOL COMMUNITIES LIKE WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, SCHOOL ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO, AND ASSESS THAT THAT BUILDING WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE PERMANENT AND MAKE A COMMITMENT TO PUT THE FUNDING THERE TO BUILD A GREEN, SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL FACILITY.

BOTH THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

SO THAT'S A LONG TERM, RIGHT?

AND SO WHAT I WOULD SAY A SHORTER TERM GOAL IS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A VERY ROBUST MASTER PLANNING PROCESS THAT INVOLVES THE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND WE HAVE TO BE EQUITABLE WITH THAT.

NO ONE KNEW ON -- DURING THE RAHM EMANUEL AND LORI LIGHTFOOT ADMINISTRATIONS HOW A SCHOOL WOULD RECEIVE UPGRADES OR HOW A SCHOOL WOULD RECEIVE LONG-TERM RENOVATIONS OR EVEN A NEW SCHOOL FOR THAT MATTER.

NOW WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORTH A DIFFERENT SPACE OF THIS AND ACTUALLY ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.

BUT ON A MORE IMMEDIATE LEVEL, WHAT WE HAVE IS COLLABORATION.

SO OUR SAFETY TEAMS ARE GOING TO BE BACK UP AND RUNNING TOMORROW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING HAND IN GLOVE WITH BUILDING LEVEL ADMINISTRATION AND CENTRAL OFFICE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT HEATING AND THE HEAT THAT'S -- THAT WILL PERMEATE MANY OF OUR BUILDINGS TOMORROW IS KEPT AT BAY.

AND THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, OUR PRINCIPALS TO RESPECT, THE VOICES OF THOSE DOING THE WORK, BUT ALSO THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE OF THE DISTRICT TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.

WE'VE BEEN ASSURED IN MULTIPLE ENGAGEMENTS THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN.

>> SO THERE'S ALSO THE TEACHER SHORTAGE, BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, WE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY WITH HAVING ENOUGH MULTILINGUAL TEACHERS, BUT THE TEACHER SHORTAGE IN GENERAL.

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT ENOUGH TEACHERS?

>> WELL, FOR PROBABLY A GENERATION NOW, YOU KNOW, MEN HAVE BEEN BEATING WOMEN OVER THE HEAD ABOUT HOW WE TEACH, WHAT WE TEACH, AND WHEN WE TEACH IT.

YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT OUR PROFESSION IS OVERWHELMINGLY FEMALE.

OUR MEMBERSHIP IN CHICAGO IS OVER 85% FEMALE, IN FACT.

WE HAVE TO CONNECT THE FACT THAT THIS COUNTRY HAS AN ADDICTION TO MARGINALIZING WOMEN.

AND THAT IS OUR WORK AS WELL.

BUT BEYOND THAT, WE ALSO HAVE AN ADDICTION TO UNDERFUNDING AND DEVALUING THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY AS WELL.

AND THEN THE THIRD THING THAT I WOULD ADD TO THAT IS THAT WHEN YOU GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE, BY AND LARGE YOU'RE GRADUATING WITH A GOOD AMOUNT OF DEBT.

AND THE SALARIES FOR OUR BEGINNING TEACHERS IS LESS THAN WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE.

AND SO WE HAVE TO, NUMBER ONE, RESTORE THE DIGNITY AND THE RESPECT TO THE PROFESSION.

AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE OUR ADVOCACY AS STRIDENT AS IT IS.

AND NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER ABOUT RESOURCING OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES SO IT IS A FUN PLACE, A MEANINGFUL PLACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE ADULTS TO ENGAGE.

AND THEN FINALLY, YOU HAVE TO PAY PEOPLE THEIR WORTH.

WE EDUCATE THE WORLD.

WE EDGE CATE EVERY PROFESSION.

I WOULD THINK THAT THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE TO OUR DEMOCRACY.

>> ON THE TOPIC OF SHORTAGES, AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT 20 SECONDS, THERE'S ALSO THE BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE.

PARTICULARLY THERE ARE CONCERNS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS AND THEIR ABILITY TO LEARN.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE THERE?

>> LISTEN, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY AND THE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY BUSES.

I THINK WE HAVE TO BRING THAT IN HOUSE.

WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO OUTSOURCE BUSING.

AND AGAIN, I NEED TO SAY IT BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING NATIONALLY, YOU HAVE TO PAY PEOPLE TO DO WORK IN THIS CITY.

AND THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE PEOPLE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THEY'VE DONE BEFORE.