>> Chicago teachers, Union officials say a contract deal with Chicago Public Schools is close at hand after nearly a year of bargaining today, CTU members submitted to the district a petition for what they say are their 5 absolute must haves signed by thousands of educators.

Ct is deputy general counsel says the union has submitted its quote Last best and final offer, which comes after more than 100 bargaining sessions between the union and the District.

Joining us now with the latest is Stacy Davis.

Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union.

Welcome back, Chicago tonight.

Thank you for having me.

Always a pleasure.

As we mentioned, you delivered what we said.

Thousands petition signatures, those 5 absolute must haves more educator prep time for elementary, smaller class sizes, boosting pay for veteran teachers, increasing staff like librarians nurses, other supports an ending that teacher evaluation system that a state report found is racially biased.

You say close to landing a new contract.

Where is there still a disconnect between the district and the union?

Well, that's why we took today to engage the board of education.

We took our by sticking issues with the intense support from our membership.

>> From communities, from Edison part to Beverly to Roseland all the way up to Colson in Little Village.

Our members are united.

Our families are united.

We our contract negotiators there.

We had our parents there.

We talked about issues that are going to make school better for young people.

I do believe that the people at CPS want what's best for our young people.

Same for Chicago teachers Union, the CEO of CPS says We're close.

I know we're close because I'm at the table and so we can land this contract.

The budget amendment that they put forth today tells me that they are ready to land this.

And so we are looking forward to getting that yet for folks who aren't familiar with that.

As you mentioned, the board of Education put forward an amendment to its budget today.

>> Can you briefly explain what that is and can what bearing that has on contract negotiations?

It's a little awkward.

Typically the budget amendment is put forth to the board Education after we lander contract.

But this year because the CEO did not budget for the pension payment, he did not budget for the principles contract and he did not budget for our contract.

He basically submitted some incomplete work.

And so now he's going backwards to figure out how to pay the pension payment and honor the workers and our school district.

And what did you see in that in that budget amendment doesn't look like, you know, it's the kind of financial wherewithal.

>> To meet some of the costs of this potential contract, it does appear to have the financial wherewithal to meet the cost in this contract.

>> We are encouraged by the number and again, hopefully this gets us to the finish line.

Look, our members are exhausted.

We have go Apple or were winners at the table.

We have teachers of the year at the table.

These are people who are intensely dedicated to their students.

They want to be back in the classroom with their students and that at the bargaining table.

So they want a period at the end of this session.

Our students deserve smaller class sizes and that's with contract will get them once settled.

>> As we mentioned, you called this the last best and final offer.

Are there more bargaining sessions scheduled?

we don't have any tomorrow.

We are looking forward to landing the contract.

We have offered at transformative vision in the form of a collective bargaining agreement that builds a force around our school district.

It honors the contributions and the diversity of our working staff by making sure we have black teachers in the classroom.

It gives young people a safe instructional experience.

In smaller classes, we expand the sports offerings.

We provide more art in music and physical education, teachers and more supports inside the classroom.

That will help to further transform our district.

This will be historic agreement once landed.

>> it's been a month or so since E 2 rejected an independent fact finders report.

Kind of looking at at the arguments.

Both sides have put forward rejecting that report is is a necessary step toward a strike.

Is CTU considering a strike authorization vote?

We went into this project this time thinking about how might we together with the Chicago Public Schools create an environment.

We're giving our students with a desire.

And so that is our priority and has been our priority.

The petition drive that we have the first 3 days told us that 5 issue, small class size veteran pay.

Those things are very important to our membership.

They are willing to fight for them and they would prefer to be honored and respected at the table and land this contract at the table.

So today we took the petitions today.

We also heard a budget amendment that makes a bit you know, more since then.

He's been making lately.

These are the things that I believe stop for the messy fight and will land in historic agreement that I think all of us can be proud of.

Well, in addition to the contract negotiations, a lot going on and on the national scene that affect education as well.

>> We saw a Linda McMahon sworn in yesterday as secretary of the U.S. Department of Education seemingly with mandate to dissolve that department, essentially for folks who aren't familiar with the role, the Education Department plays kind of in neighborhood schools.

What sort of an impact could that have little have a tremendous impact on the safety of our LGBTI.

A cute and trans students.

>> Our Department of Education provides a force go to support.

>> Civil rights protections for those young people.

Back when Arnie Duncan was the CEO of our public Schools.

We were suspending kindergartners, a disproportionate amount of black students.

The civil rights division came to Chicago and said time out, you can't do that anymore.

We lose that type of guardrail title, one funding, special education law and forsman of that.

That's why this contract is important.

We've used our contract historically to create a system under which we hold the district accountable to give special education students there.

Minutes their resources and their supports.

We are doing that with this contract as well.

And now it means even more because of the bullishness of the WWE running the D O E you could not make up the worst horror story.

If you tried in this moment, that's why it's important land this contract.

We're going need to have a district in the union relationship that is strong and protective black children, immigrant children lead a children's bilingual children are special education children.

I mentioned our trans children.

They're going to need all of the support and protection that is necessary in this moment.

>> And that collegiality in partnership will speaking of of those protections for certain populations of students and parents.

>> We recently saw ice make an arrest outside of a school drop-off.

Are you concerned we might see more targeting of undocumented students and families?

I am absolutely worried about that.

Back in 2016, we begin the process of bargaining sanctuary in our contract.

We land at those protections in 2019.

So I when federal agents came to Southside school, the entire staff had a understanding and training that prevented further action.

That's what we need the district for in this moment.

We need to land those protections and create that