Karen Lewis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karen Lewis
|
|
|---|---|
Lewis speaking at Daley Plaza during the 2013 protest of Chicago school closings
|
|
| President of the Chicago Teachers Union | |
| In office 2010–2014 |
|
| Preceded by | Marilyn Stewart |
| Succeeded by | Jesse Sharkey |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Karen Jennings
July 20, 1953 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | February 7, 2021 (aged 67) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Glioblastoma |
| Spouses |
Arnold Glenn
(divorced)John Lewis
(m. 2001) |
| Alma mater | Mount Holyoke College (no degree) Dartmouth College (BA) Northeastern Illinois University (MA) |
| Occupation |
|
Karen Lewis (born Jennings; July 20, 1953 – February 7, 2021) was an American teacher and a leader for workers' rights. She was the president of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) from 2010 to 2014. The CTU is a part of the American Federation of Teachers. Before leading the union, Karen Lewis taught high school chemistry for almost 20 years.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Karen Jennings was born on July 20, 1953, in Chicago's South Side. Her parents were both teachers. She went to Kenwood High School. She left high school early to attend Mount Holyoke College.
Later, in 1972, she moved to Dartmouth College. Dartmouth had just started accepting women students. Karen was the only African-American woman in her class. She earned a degree in sociology and music. After college, she earned a master's degree in inner city studies from Northeastern Illinois University.
Teaching Career
For nearly 20 years, Karen Lewis worked as a chemistry teacher. She started as a substitute teacher. Then she became a full-time teacher at Sullivan High School. She also taught at Lane Tech College Prep High School and King College Prep. She believed her success as a teacher came from the hugs she received and the deep talks with students.
In 2001, she married John Lewis, who was also a teacher in Chicago. They lived together in Bronzeville.
Leading the Teachers Union
Karen Lewis joined the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) in 1988. At first, she didn't like the union much. But she decided to get involved when she saw a school principal misusing his power.
In 2010, Lewis and a group called the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) won control of the CTU. They won 60 percent of the votes. CORE worked hard to connect with teachers and stood strong against turning public schools into private ones. The new leaders cut their own pay to help the union reach more teachers.
The 2012 Strike
In 2012, many Chicago teachers were unhappy with the local government. They felt that Mayor Rahm Emanuel had not given them a promised pay raise. In September 2012, Karen Lewis led the CTU in a seven-day strike. This was the first teacher strike in Chicago in 25 years.
The union won important changes. They made the teacher evaluation system fairer. They also stopped a plan to pay teachers based on student test scores. And they protected experienced teachers when schools were closing. Karen Lewis was re-elected as CTU president in 2013. A smaller strike also happened in 2016.
Considering Mayoral Run
In 2014, Karen Lewis thought about running for Mayor of Chicago in the 2015 election. A poll showed she was more popular than the current mayor at the time. However, on October 13, 2014, she announced she would not run due to health problems. She instead supported Jesús "Chuy" García for mayor.
Retirement and Legacy
Karen Lewis stepped down as CTU president in 2014. Jesse Sharkey took over her role. She fully retired from the union in 2018 because of her health. Even Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who had often disagreed with her, praised her after her retirement. He said they had "grown to admire each other as friends."
Lewis received several awards for her work:
- 2002 – National Board Certified Teacher in science for young adults.
- 2015 – The Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award.
- 2015 – The Mary E. Smith Foundation created a scholarship named after her. It was called the "Karen Lewis CTU-CPS Excellence in Science Award."
Personal Life and Passing
In 1993, Karen Lewis became Jewish. She used to be Lutheran. She often wore a Star of David necklace. She loved opera and could speak French, Italian, and Latin. She also played the flute and piano.
On October 9, 2014, Lewis was hospitalized with a serious illness. A few days later, it was confirmed she had glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor. Karen Lewis passed away on February 7, 2021, at the age of 67.
After her death, the CTU released a statement. They said, "Karen did not just lead our movement. Karen was our movement." They also said she "dazzled you with her smile, yet could stare down the most powerful enemies of public education." Many people, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, current Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, shared tributes to her.
