Unless there is a compelling reason for doing so, such as public safety, there is not reasonable basis for requiring a public employee to live within the boundaries of the government entity for which they work. One can make an argument for such a requirement regarding police or firefighters, but certainly not for teachers – but some districts try to do so anyway.

It looks like the teachers in one district might be free at last from such an absurd requirement.

The Chicago Teachers Union scored a major victory Wednesday in its two-decade fight to dump a requirement that Chicago teachers live in the city.
A bill to prohibit the rule passed the Illinois House nearly unanimously, 105 to 4. It now moves to the Senate.

"If you want to recruit the best and brightest teachers, why would you put up a roadblock?" said CTU lobbyist Pam Massarsky.

CPS is the only district in Illinois with a residency rule, Massarsky said.

And if you want proof that this is not about the good of the schools, but is instead about something else, you need only look at these comments.

Mayor Daley has been a big proponent. He has argued that teachers will invest more in the schools if they live in the city.

"This increases the number of middle class living in the city," Massarsky said. "It has nothing to do with whether or not they know more about the community in which they teach."

Fifteen years ago, I chose not to even consider teaching in the city of Chicago because I didnÂ’t want to live within the city limits. Indeed, I could not have afforded to do so in a neighborhood I considered acceptable.

Today, I don’t live in my district, and commute 30 minutes each way in order to ensure that my wife and I have the personal privacy that we believe is important. At the same time, I work my butt off for my kids, and make a point of being at those events that fit in my schedule. No one questions my investment level – if anything, they know that I am more invested in these schools because I choose to make a commute from a district that pays more and has a more affluent, better educated population than this one. I’m here because I believe in these kids.

Posted by: Greg at 05:46 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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