The Daily Northwestern Wednesday, November 16, 2016
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Board, teachers spar over contract Offers made public as teachers say they might go on strike By NORA SHELLY
daily senior staffer @noracshelly
Hundreds of people, mostly teachers and community members, showed up to the District 65 school board meeting Monday to urge board members to reach a deal amid ongoing contract negotiations. Earlier that day, offers drawn up for both sides were available on the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board’s website as part of the public posting process. The District 65 Educators’ Council, the body that represents the teachers, began the strike process last month after several meetings between council representatives and board members with a federal mediator. If a strike were to occur, it wouldn’t take place until after Thanksgiving. According to the District 65 website, teachers have to wait 14 days after the offers are publicly posted before striking. Additionally, they have to give a ten-day notice of their strike date. The offers from the council and the board show the two sides differ on several key issues, such as how long the contract should be for and planning time for teachers. The council is requesting that teachers for grades kindergarten through fifth grade receive five days with planning time a week, as they are currently allotted four.
The board has included that request in their contract offer, but has stipulated that it not go into effect until the third year of the contract. District 65 Superintendent Paul Goren said the district needs time to set aside money to pay for the fifth day of planning time. “The cost of giving the additional planning time means we have to hire actual staff to actually cover that time with those children,” he said. “The reason to go until year three of the four-year contract is that we can accrue savings in the first two years so that we can afford it so we don’t go into further debt.” According to the board’s offer, the cost of giving teachers the additional day of planning time would be $640,000. Paula Zelinski, president of the District Educator’s council, said teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth couldn’t wait for their fifth day of planning time. “ These teachers need planning time five days a week in order to better serve the students of Evanston,” she said. “Our K-5 teachers currently have planning time four days, and … their workload has increased.” Goren cautioned that although the board supports a healthy working environment for teachers, the financial outlook for the district is not ideal. Next school year, the district will have a $4.5 million deficit. In the 2020-2021 school year, the district’s deficit is projected to be $10.7 million. » See CONTRACTS, page 6
Leeks Lim/Daily Senior Staffer
Student Action NU co-founder Scott Brown speaks at the group’s meeting on Tuesday night. During the meeting, students expressed support for the Student Access Bill by calling state representatives and leaving voicemails encouraging them to vote in favor of the bill.
Student Action pushes lawmakers
Group backs bill that would let undocumented students receive aid By KRISTINA KARISCH
the daily northwestern @kristinakarisch
Students expressed support for legislation that would allow undocumented students
Record number applies early to Northwestern
Northwestern received a record number of Early Decision applications by the Nov. 1 deadline, with an increase of about 23 percent from last year. A total of 3,736 people submitted applications by the deadline. The last Early Decision application
from Illinois to be eligible to receive financial aid and grants, calling state representatives during a Student Action NU meeting Tuesday. Part of the group’s higher education campaign, which lists demands for public
higher education in Illinois, is supporting the Student Access Bill, said Medill senior Scott Brown, co-founder of Student Action NU. The campaign advocates for fully-funded public higher education in Illinois, which would undo
recent state cuts to grants, such as the Monetary Award Program, Brown said. To show support for the bill, which could be voted on as early as Wednesday in the
record was set just last year, when the University received a total of 3,022 Early Decision applications. This year’s spike included an increase in international student submissions, which rose by about 39 percent, totaling 603 international Early Decision applications, Mills said. Mike Mills, associate provost for University enrollment, said NU frequently breaks its records for numbers of applicants. “It sounds like a broken record,
but that’s been true for probably the last 12 years running,” Mills said. “This one’s a new record.” Mills said he expects the Early Decision round to fill roughly half of next year’s incoming first-year class, which is expected to total 1,925 students. However, he said exact numbers will not be finalized until all of the applications are read. The source of the increase is unclear, Mills said, but one contributing factor could be the Segal
Visitors Center. When campus visits were based at the Office of Undergraduate Admission at 1801 Hinman Ave., large school groups were turned away due to a lack of space, he said. In contrast, the Segal Visitors Center has allowed the university to accommodate more visitors. Mills said Early Decision applicant decisions should be released no later than Dec. 15.
» See ACTION, page 6
— Kelli Nguyen
City considers protections for undocumented residents
Officials revive resolution urging immigration reform, look deeper into function of ‘sanctuary cities’ By SAM KREVLIN
the daily northwestern @samkrevlin
Evanston officials are reviving a resolution adopted in 2008 about immigration reform after the election of Donald Trump to see how the city can better protect its undocumented immigrants. City manager Wally Bobkiewicz said Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl called for members of City Council to reaffirm Evanston’s continued support for immigrants Monday night, saying Evanston should stick by the resolution passed eight years ago, which asked Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform.
The document called for the federal government to create a road to legalization, a temporary protective status for
undocumented immigrants and an end to discriminatory practices. Bobkiewicz said the
Daily file photo by Zack Laurence
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl speaks earlier this year. Tisdahl called for City Council members to reaffirm Evanston’s support for immigrant rights.
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
resolution was heavily debated when it was adopted by the council in 2008. However, because the political climate has clearly changed, he said, City Council will work over the next several months to amend and add to the resolution. “These issues are important to Evanston,” Bobkiewicz said. “They have been important to Evanston for a long time. Last night the mayor raised a flag to say these issues are back in the forefront and will be something we need to consider over the next several months.” Bobkiewicz said although there are multiple definitions of “sanctuary city,” he believes Evanston does classify as one. Sanctuary cities typically have local laws prohibiting police
and government workers from inquiring about a residents’ immigration status. After Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) asked for clarification at Monday’s City Council meeting on whether The designation of Evanton as a sanctuary city would “benefit from full analysis and study,” city attorney Grant Farrar said. Fiske said she would support Evanston becoming a sanctuary city if it is not already. When City Council meets after Thanksgiving, they will be working on gathering information and discussing possible revisions to the resolution, Bobkiewicz said. Council members may also evaluate how Chicago has dealt with immigration over the past eight years as a
sanctuary city and discuss how a Trump administration may change current local policies. President-elect Donald Trump emphasized throughout his campaign his desire to build a wall on border between the United States and Mexico. He also called for a temporary shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. Despite Trump’s statements, Evanston will continue to work for all people, no matter where they come from, Bobkiewicz said. “Just because there is a change in the White House, that doesn’t change what kind of community Evanston is and what is important to Evanston,” » See SANCTUARY, page 6
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