“School should be about unlocking human potential.” - Jesse Sharkey
Jesse Sharkey is a Chicago schoolteacher who served as Vice President of the Chicago Teachers Union from 2012 to 2014, acting President from 2014 to 2018, and President from 2018 to 2022. A tireless defender of public education and social democracy, Jesse was instrumental in leading the 2012 and 2019 CTU strikes, both of which led to better pay and working conditions for teachers and other rank-and-file education support staff.
Twitter: @SharkeyCTU1
Chicago Teachers Union official Twitter and website
Articles/press coverage/media appearances:
“What’s Behind the Attack on Public Schools?” - Class Matters Podcast, 23 April 2022
“The Chicago Teachers’ Strike Ten Years On: Organizing for the Common Good, Then and Now” - Eric Blane, New Labor Forum, 10 August 2022
“Chicago Teachers Union VP: 10 Years Ago, We Went on Strike and Won” - Jackson Potter, Jacobin, 10 August 2022
“Karen Lewis’ Replacement at the CTU Has a Message for Rahm Emanuel” - Miles Kampf-Lassin, In These Times, 22 October 2014
“Chicago Teachers Union president Jesse Sharkey to step down in June” - Mila Koumpilova, Chalkbeat Chicago, 2 February 2022
Music: “Zero” from Trills EP, by Vincent Mazza
Audio engineering: Derek Simpson
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