New Teacher & Retired Teacher Delegates
The Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates last month featured many new faces who were elected delegates.
When CTU President Stacy Davis Gates asked the new delegates to stand, I was surprised to see so many people stand up to represent their schools for the first time.
Long-time Washington High School Delegate Frank McDonald, who was a powerful presence at the mic questioning the leaders and representing the opposition caucus Members First, is out at his school. He lost a close election to Donald Davis.
Fiery CTU activist Lauren Bianchi who led the fight against General Iron on the Southeast Side and serves as the chair of the CTU environmental committee, also lost her election to be delegate at Washington High School. She has been leading the fight to build a new Washington High School.
Erika Meza, a long-time high school teacher who chairs the CTU Tier 2 Committee, won her election to serve as an associate delegate at Washington High School. Meza ran as the financial secretary for the REAL Caucus in the last CTU election.
Alison Eichhorn, a former CTU Trustee and pension trustee candidate in the last election, is now a citywide delegate. She is a social science teacher at Little Village Lawndale High School and also a member of REAL.
Former CTU Field Rep Joey McDermott who ran for Vice President in the last election on the REAL ticket, is contesting his status to be seated as a citywide delegate. He is currently teaching history at Prosser High School.
The Retired Delegates election resulted in long-time Delegate Lou Pyster, also a critical voice at the mic who questioned the CTU’s political strategy, out as a Retired Delegate. He and his fellow Members First retired delegates lost in the latest election.
Many of the winners for Retiree Delegates are aligned with the CORE Caucus - George Milkowski, Pat Knazze, Jack Silver, Drunita Steward, Norine Gutenkanst, Dave Robbins, Margo Murray, Lois Nelson, Beatrice “Bea” Lumpkin, Charlotte Sanders, Debby Pope and Glory Margotte.
Earlier this month Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) Trustee Jerry Travlos resigned from the Board of Trustees. He was first elected in 2012 and was last re-elected in 2022 to serve a three-year term through 2025.
Travlos who currently serves as the Network 4 Chief was mostly a no show at Pension Board meetings.
In his 2022 election he ran against Nicholas Guerrero, a principal at Ravenswood Elementary School on the Northside. Guerrero’s resume stated he became one of the youngest principals in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) history. He began teaching in 2013, which would make him a Tier 2 employee. That means he gets a reduced pension and cannot retire without penalty until the age of 67.
The CTPF President will appoint a committee of three trustees at the March 21, 2024 Pension Board meeting who will then make a recommendation at the following meeting.
Second City Teachers reached out to Troy LaRaviere, the President of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, to see if he is backing anybody to replace Travlos. He did not respond.