Chicago—The Chicago Board of Education is expected to approve the vote tomorrow on 12 new proposed schools announced last week. The Chicago Teachers Union however, is warning parents not to be fooled.

In a written statement, Chicago Teachers Union President Marilyn Stewart warned parents, community groups and union members to be leery of what’s ahead. “The community is not getting the whole story on Renaissance 2010. 'Buyer beware' will become the new mantra, especially for Chicago parents,” stated Stewart. “One-fourth of the proposals submitted for these new schools came from out-of-state, for-profit vendors. If these proposals were not chosen now, they will be considered in the next round. Having companies running our schools is not what Chicago parents want. Education is about quality, not corporate profits,” added Stewart.

Last week, Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan stated that CPS is giving parents what they want by opening more charter schools. Stewart challenges that belief. "Privatization of Chicago schools will lead to less accountability to parents, higher staff turnover in the classroom, and take us down the slippery slope to school vouchers. That's bad for teachers and bad for students."

On average, teacher turnover is higher in contract and charter schools according to union officials. And, charter schools only have to employ 50% state certified teachers while regular CPS schools are required to have 100%. "Why would parents want more schools with less certified teachers in the classrooms?” questioned Stewart. “Is this what parents want--administrators and teachers who are not 100% certified to do their jobs?”

The Chicago Teachers Union has been highly critical of Renaissance 2010 in its current form. The plan is untested, lacks any demonstrated evidence of success in improving student achievement and is being pushed through without adequate review.

“We examined school report cards published by the state in December,” said Stewart. “ The data show that charter schools are not out-performing regular CPS schools. In addition, 10 out of 14 Chicago charter schools enrolling 87% of charter school students, failed to make their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) target required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act,” added Stewart. "It's time for CPS to stop ignoring the concerns of the community and the voice of those in the classroom.”