In a rare end-of-school-year move, 34 teachers at Urban Prep Academies walked out of classrooms, interrupting finals week at three all-male, predominantly Black campuses run by the charter network.
The teachers, who voted unanimously to strike in late May, said they want pay increases that would put them closer to salary schedules for district-run schools. According to the Chicago Teachers Union’s charter division, starting salaries at the network are $11,000 less than that of unionized teachers in district-run schools.
Urban Prep CEO Timothy King, who founded the school in 2005 and went on to reach national acclaim, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. But in a statement on Monday afternoon, Troy Boyd, the charter network’s chief operating officer, said that leadership was “disappointed” that educators chose to strike with six days left in the school year.
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