As we approach the ninth school day of the teacher’s strike...

Jimena Cuautle
14 Years Old
North-Grand High School
9th Grade

My name is Jimena Cuautle and I am a Youth Leader with the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA). I am currently a Freshman at North-Grand High School. My youth group at LSNA and I have been out since the first day of the teacher’s strike supporting our Chicago Public School (CPS) teachers and staff because we feel it is the right thing to do.

Throughout the CPS System, there are many programs that are not running because of a lack of adequate funding and staffing. At North-Grand High School, we lack the basic funding needed to have an on-staff librarian, so students are limited in the time they can spend in the library because an alternative staff member, usually a coach, must be available/present in order for students to use the library.

Students are suffering because we are consistently placed in over-sized classrooms, where our teachers are overworked and underpaid.

When Lori Lightfoot was campaigning for Mayor, she made many campaign promises, including a promise to fix our broken school system and provide CPS with the resources necessary to adequately support our students and teachers.

As a CPS student, I am asking Mayor Lightfoot, “Where is the help that you promised?”

In an effort to make it clear to Mayor Lightfoot that CPS students and the community supports our teachers, LSNA has been hosting and attending rallies across the City of Chicago in support of the Chicago Teacher Union, CPS families and students.

As we approach the ninth school day of the teacher’s strike, what I would like to say to Mayor Lori Lightfoot is,

“While you and your staff claim to be proud of the lastest proposal that you have put on the table, it still does not adequately fund our school! With my future at stake, and the future of all CPS students hanging in the balance, this simply will not do. My education and the education of over 300,000 CPS students is at stake! And we will not be silent!

WE DESERVE BETTER MAYOR LIGHTFOOT — WE DESERVE BETTER!!!”