Karen Lewis ( Jennings;
July 20, 1953 – February 7, 2021)
was an American educator and labor leader who served as president of the
Chicago Teachers Union
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is a labor union that represents teachers, paraprofessionals, and clinicians in the Chicago public school system. The union has consistently fought for improved pay, benefits, and job security for its members, an ...
(CTU), Chicago's division of the
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the second largest teacher's labor union in America (the largest being the National Education Association). The union was founded in Chicago. John Dewey and Margaret Haley were founders.
About 60 perc ...
, from 2010 to 2014. For nearly 20 years before becoming president of the teachers union, she was a high school
chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
teacher.
Early life
Karen Jennings was born on July 20, 1953 in
Chicago's South Side
The South Side is an area of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. It lies south of the city's Loop area in the downtown. Geographically, it is the largest of the three sides of the city that radiate from downtown, with the other two being the north and we ...
to a family of teachers.
She attended
Kenwood High School, but left after her junior year to attend
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a private liberal arts women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite historically women's colleges in the Northeastern United States.
...
. Lewis said Mount Holyoke "taught
eryou can do anything
..to use your mind well
..to express yourself." She transferred to
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...
in 1972, when Dartmouth became the last
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...
institution to become co-educational, and was the only African-American woman in the class of 1974.
However, she said at Dartmouth "it was clear that women weren't wanted" and called the university "a really bad experience for me, but it made me stronger."
She graduated with a degree in sociology and music.
After graduation, she married Arnold Glenn and moved to Oklahoma; the couple later divorced.
She then earned a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
degree in
inner city
The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...
studies from
Northeastern Illinois University
Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public university in Chicago, Illinois. NEIU serves approximately 9,000 students in the region and is a Hispanic-serving institution. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park wi ...
.
Career
For nearly 20 years, she worked as a chemistry teacher, beginning as a substitute before being hired full-time at
Sullivan High School
Sullivan High School is a public high school located in Sullivan, Indiana. SHS is one of three high schools in Sullivan County (the other two being North Central High School in Farmersburg and Union High School in Dugger). Sullivan High S ...
.
She later worked for
Lane Tech College Prep High School
Lane Tech College Prep High School (often shortened to Lane Tech, full name Albert Grannis Lane Technical College Preparatory High School), is a public 4-year selective enrollment magnet high school located in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on ...
and
King College Prep
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. College Preparatory High School (commonly known as King College Prep or locally as King) is a public 4-year selective enrollment magnet high school located in the Kenwood neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illi ...
,
and said she "measured my success as a teacher by the hugs at the end of the year, by the conversations with kids who say, 'I never thought of it that way.'"
In 2001, she married John Lewis, also a Chicago teacher, and the couple lived together in
Bronzeville.
She became a member of the
Chicago Teachers Union
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is a labor union that represents teachers, paraprofessionals, and clinicians in the Chicago public school system. The union has consistently fought for improved pay, benefits, and job security for its members, an ...
in 1988.
Initially, she disliked the union, with her impression being that "they don't want to do any better."
Lewis said the incident which inspired her to take an active role with the union happened when she was serving on a school council and saw a school principal using the position to profit his friends.
In 2010, Lewis, running with the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE), gained control over the CTU by winning 60 percent of the vote in a run-off election.
CORE ran an aggressive
grassroots
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
organizing campaign and took a strong stance against school privatization.
CORE accused the incumbent United Progressive Caucus (UPC) of capitulating to corporate interests, silencing dissent within the union, and collaborating with the city to prevent union outreach at schools.
CORE quickly took action to distinguish itself from UPC, reaffirm its grassroots support, and launch a campaign to defend public education. The new leadership cut pay for union officers and used the savings to expand outreach.
CORE represented a major bloc of dissent at the 2012 AFT convention, and held signs in protest of
Race to the Top
Race to the Top (R2T, RTTT or RTT) was a $4.35 billion United States Department of Education competitive grant created to spur and reward innovation and reforms in state and local district K–12 education. Funded as part of the American Recovery ...
during a speech from Vice President
Joe Biden.
2012 strike
![Fair Contract Now](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Fair_Contract_Now.jpg)
Several Chicago teachers became disgruntled with the local government in 2012, and said that incumbent
Mayor of Chicago
The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and r ...
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to Japan. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served two terms as the 55th Mayor of Chicago from 2011 ...
, who had been elected a year prior, had failed to deliver a four percent pay raise promised by the city.
In early September 2012, Lewis led the CTU on a seven-day strike, which was the first Chicago public school teacher strike in 25 years.
Emerging victorious, the union softened the proposed teacher evaluation system, prevented the instituting of merit pay, and ensured protections for veteran teachers in phased out schools. Lewis was re-elected as CTU president for a second three-year term in 2013, and a similar but smaller walkout occurred in 2016.
Potential 2015 mayoral candidacy
In July 2014, Lewis set up an exploratory committee to consider running for
Mayor of Chicago
The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and r ...
in
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
. In a poll from the same month, Lewis bested Emanuel 45–36 in a hypothetical electoral contest.
On October 13, 2014, her exploratory committee announced that she would not run, citing health issues. Instead, Lewis supported
Jesús "Chuy" García
Jesus ( AD 30 or 33) was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who most Christians believe to be the incarnation of God and Muslims believe was a prophet.
Jesus may also refer to:
People
Religious figures
* Elymas Bar-Jesus, a Jew in the ''Ac ...
in the election.
Retirement
Lewis stepped down as CTU president in 2014 and was replaced by
Jesse Sharkey
Jesse Sharkey (born 1970) is an American former schoolteacher and labor leader in Chicago. From 2010 to 2014, he was the Vice President of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). In October 2014, he became acting President of the CTU after Karen Lewis ...
. She retired from the union altogether in 2018, citing health concerns. Following her retirement, Lewis was praised by Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, a longtime political enemy, who nevertheless said they had "grown to admire each other as friends."
Awards
*2002 – National Board Certified Teacher in the area of science for adolescents and young adults.
*2015 – The
Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award, presented by
FairTest The National Center for Fair & Open Testing, also known as FairTest, is an American educational organization that addresses issues related to fairness and accuracy in student test taking and scoring.
History
FairTest was founded in 1985 by leaders ...
.
*2015 – The Mary E. Smith Foundation named a scholarship after Lewis, the "Karen Lewis CTU-CPS Excellence in Science Award."
Personal life and death
In 1993, Lewis, who was previously a
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
, converted to
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
.
She told the ''
Chicago Jewish News
Chicago Jewish News was a newspaper mainly serving the Jewish population in Chicago. The newspaper won two Simon Rockower Awards in 2015, where it is categorized as a newspaper with a circulation of less than 15,000 copies. At its peak the newsp ...
'' in 2013 that she wore a necklace of the
Star of David
The Star of David (). is a generally recognized symbol of both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles.
A derivation of the ''seal of Solomon'', which was used for decorative ...
every day.
An opera aficionado, she spoke French, Italian, and Latin, and played flute and piano.
On October 9, 2014, Lewis was hospitalized for a "serious illness".
On October 13, a source confirmed that Lewis had been diagnosed with
glioblastoma
Glioblastoma, previously known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is one of the most aggressive types of cancer that begin within the brain. Initially, signs and symptoms of glioblastoma are nonspecific. They may include headaches, personality ch ...
, a cancerous brain tumor.
On February 7, 2021, Lewis died at age 67.
Following her death, the CTU put out a statement saying "Karen did not just lead our movement. Karen was our movement. She bowed to no one, and gave strength to tens of thousands of Chicago Teachers Union educators who followed her lead, and who live by her principles to this day,"
and the union told ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' that she "dazzled you with her smile, yet could stare down the most powerful enemies of public education and defend our institution with a force rarely seen in organized labor."
She received tributes from Emanuel, current Mayor
Lori Lightfoot
Lori Elaine Lightfoot (born August 4, 1962) is an American attorney and politician serving since 2019 as the 56th mayor of Chicago. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor, Lightfoot worked in private legal practice as ...
and U.S. Senator
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Karen
1953 births
2021 deaths
Activists from Chicago
African-American activists
African-American Jews
African-American schoolteachers
American Federation of Teachers people
American women educators
Chicago Teachers Union people
Converts to Judaism from Lutheranism
Dartmouth College alumni
Deaths from brain cancer in the United States
Deaths from glioblastoma
Education activists
American trade union leaders
Leaders of organizations
Mount Holyoke College alumni
Northeastern Illinois University alumni
Schoolteachers from Illinois
Women trade union leaders
Workers' rights activists
20th-century African-American people
20th-century African-American women
21st-century African-American people
21st-century African-American women