Protecting Our Students

The AFT is dedicated to fighting for a better life for all. Our members are standing up for their students, and they are drawing on and contributing to the supports their local unions offer. One crucial tool the AFT has long championed is bargaining for the common good. That’s just what it sounds like: In addition to seeking the higher wages and better benefits educators deserve, AFT members and their locals demand the resources students need. As we face the Trump administration’s attacks on students and public schools,¹ bargaining for the common good is becoming even more critical.

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) provides a strong example of how contract negotiations can meet this moment. The CTU’s current contract—ratified in April 2025—contains several provisions that the union began working on during President Trump’s first term. A CTU summary of those provisions explains that students will attend “LGBTQIA+ Safe Schools that respect their gender identity and their journeys of self-discovery, and schools that will continue to teach Black, Indigenous and other histories—so students can see themselves in their education.”²

To learn more about how CTU educators are bringing these provisions to life and protecting Chicago’s students, we spoke with two teachers. Corey Blake is a music teacher at Foreman College and Career Academy, and Amaziah Burton is a special education teacher at Avalon Park Fine and Performing Arts School.

–EDITORS

EDITORS: What drew you to teaching?

AMAZIAH BURTON: This is my fifth year teaching, but I am a career changer. Previously, I was in middle management for a grocery store chain and for a hardware chain. Both had a lot of staff turnover, which is typical in those industries. As I conducted exit interviews, young adults describing their dream jobs resonated with me. During the pandemic, I earned my second master’s degree—this time in education—so I could become a teacher.

Some of our students, especially our Black and Hispanic students, don’t have enough people around them showing them possibilities for how they can live their lives and become productive citizens. Having managed young adults in retail who were struggling to make the transition from high school into the workforce, I wanted to intervene in young people’s lives earlier—to help them accomplish their goals and be successful in whatever they desire to do.

COREY BLAKE: I moved to Chicago in 2018 after finishing my PhD in ethnomusicology, which is essentially anthropology with a focus on music. I applied to become a music teacher because I wanted to have a positive impact in this world. I was not out as trans yet, but I still wanted to be the supportive teacher that trans kids need.

I transitioned during the first couple of years of my employment within Chicago Public Schools (CPS). People were very supportive. It was heartening to see that the situation for our youth today, at least in some parts of the country, is significantly different than it was when I was in school in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Our kids know themselves better than I even imagined I could know myself at that age. Many know their identities and their needs. And those who are still figuring these things out are willing to engage and talk openly.

It was really important for me when I started teaching that I became a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) advisor. (In the past, GSA referred to the Gay-Straight Alliance, but the name was updated to encompass the various identities that our young people may hold.)

I remember reaching out to someone at the district, saying, “Hey, I need support. I’m trying to do a GSA at my school.” Shortly thereafter, I was invited to lead LGBTQ+ affirming work at the district level.

As I was working on starting my school’s GSA, Lindsey Williston, my school’s union representative, filled me in on the union’s LGBTQIA+ committee. It had been essentially inactive for years, so we decided to revitalize it. Lindsey and I became the co-chairs, with the goal of building community and a safety net for our students. It’s great that our kids know who they are, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. And it doesn’t mean that outside of school they’re able to talk about who they are with the people who love them.

For both the CTU’s LGBTQIA+ committee and the CPS central office’s safe and supportive environments work, we ask: How can we make sure that we are continuing to find ways to support the whole student?

EDITORS: How are you, along with the CTU, working to keep students safe given the Trump administration’s attacks?

COREY: As we were developing out our contract proposals in 2024, a big focus was ensuring that our queer staff and students are protected, even with the Trump administration being determined to use trans people as a pawn to enact systemic horrors. During Trump’s first term, it became very clear that regardless of who is in office, protections have to be enshrined in our contract to show that we are willing to stand up for the LGBTQIA+ community.

A lot of our contract provisions are rooted in solidifying some of what has already been happening within CPS. The district already has protections laid out for trans and gender-nonconforming students and expectations for supporting LGBTQIA+ youth. Our new contract strongly conveys that the district is required to continue that support even if the federal government is telling them not to.

Additionally, we created specific roles that are directly responsible for ensuring these protections. One of those is a gender support coordinator for every school. These coordinators are responsible for helping ensure that each school is safeguarding students, and they are guaranteed release time for training. They are also point people for actively supporting GSAs. In fact, we are pushing for this role to be taken on by GSA advisors; although this is a voluntary role, becoming a coordinator gives them leverage to expand that work schoolwide and to connect with other people throughout the district.

We also now have a position in each of our geographical networks that is responsible for helping to support, sustain, and grow GSAs within all Chicago public schools. We know that in moments of crisis, when systemic violence is being enacted toward members of our community, we have always survived through our communities—the people who love and support us. Schools that do not have a GSA also do not have the community our students need. So, having somebody at the district level who’s actively working to ensure that all our schools are creating these community spaces for our students is so important. Affirming a student’s name, pronouns, and identity in the classroom reduces the risk of suicide attempts by about 50 percent.³ These simple affirmations save lives. They are also life-giving. We are giving our students a chance to be in schools, curricula, and communities where they can see themselves.

AMAZIAH: I wholeheartedly agree that every school needs a GSA and a gender support coordinator. At Wendell Phillips High School, where I taught for four years before transferring to Avalon, one of my Black students was struggling with their gender identity. They asked me to call them by their affirmed name, which I gladly did, but then I had to determine their home situation. It’s challenging for a student to present one way at home and another way at school. And as an educator, my job is to give them a safe space, and sometimes that includes trying to help family members adjust while still respecting parents’ or guardians’ wishes. A gender support coordinator could have helped the family see that their child is not lesser just because they’ve decided that this is how they want to live life. They deserve to be loved in the way they want to be loved.

Phillips also has a significant number of students struggling with their sexual orientation. Still, the school only has social workers once or twice a week working within the building to provide services to students. As a special educator, I was often the person students confided in. I think that’s to be expected because special educators deliver individualized instruction. We not only modify lessons, but we also help students modify their behavior and find accommodations. Through all of this, we get to know our students deeply. I’m thrilled that the CTU’s new contract mandates social workers in all schools on all instructional days.⁴ Students and teachers need that level of support.

As a Black educator, I’m very concerned about the Trump administration’s attacks on the programming we offer our students. The administration has deemed much of what we do to support students’ success to be DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and, shockingly, it is against that.

This leaves me in a very strange space. Due to how CPS allocates special education teacher staffing across schools annually, I was already fighting to maintain my place in the world of education. Now I’m also fighting to maintain my academic freedom so I can ensure my students learn honest history and understand their true heritage, place, and potential. Frankly, it’s hard to be on the right side of the truth these days. It’s scary too. I fear that some CPS students will be indoctrinated into Trump’s rhetoric and worldview. The more public schools are starved of funds, the worse the education students receive and the more likely they are to fall for Trump’s foolishness. Thankfully, our contract states that educators may supplement curricula, including with culturally responsive and antiracist materials.⁵   

Equity in academics and restorative justice are significant right now. I often feel like the Trump administration’s goal is to prevent our youth from discovering not only how biased many of our institutions have been and are, but also how powerful young people can be. As the Trump administration pulls funding from DEI initiatives and attacks academic freedom, we have to recommit to sharing the truth with our students and providing the supports they need. In our contract negotiations last year, we fought for the inclusion of restorative justice coordinators in all schools, as research has indicated that suspensions are associated with students dropping out and being arrested.⁶ Although the CTU and CPS remain committed to restorative justice, we didn’t win the guarantee of coordinators. However, we did win additional social workers and counselors, as well as limitations on using counselors’ time to proctor tests, so many more schools will be able to engage in restorative justice.

COREY: I’m glad Amaziah brought up equity in academics. Our contract emphasizes including LGBTQIA+ contributions. Especially in social studies and history classes, it is important for all of our students to know about queer leaders and the history of LGBTQIA+ rights within our country, state, and city. And it’s vital for our queer students to be able to see that they are a part of this history and that their voices matter.

But that doesn’t end at social studies. LGBTQIA+ identities can and should be woven through every single topic within a school community and throughout the curriculum. In my world music class, we talk about the way that gender is conceptualized in various places throughout the world and how that relates to music, which can be very gendered.

For many students, seeing themselves in the curriculum is transformative. One student who graduated in 2025, I’ll call him John, was very disconnected from others when he started high school. He had a lot of insecurities related to being a trans person—and not seeing other students like him—but fortunately he had one person who was his girlfriend throughout the entirety of high school. John was in the choir, which I lead, all four years. I watched him gradually become more secure in his identity, more confident in the way he talked with other people and made friends. That growth was directly impacted by the inclusiveness of my curriculum and of our whole school. For example, in English, each senior had to select a topic and write a research paper. John focused on gender-affirming care, producing one of his better works—he was very proud of it. I’m not an English teacher, but he asked me to read it because he was so excited.

When students are able to make meaningful connections and see their identities in the curriculum, when they can shape their learning experience through their identities, they’re able to thrive in school. It’s beautiful. My job is to ensure that all my students have access to these inclusive, enriching learning experiences that are meaningful to them and that help them grow.

Sadly, John’s interest in researching gender-affirming care was partly driven by the Trump administration. He planned to go into the military after graduating high school, but Trump no longer allows trans people in the military.⁷ John has long looked forward to gender-affirming care—he scheduled his first appointment when he turned 18. But under the Trump administration, he fears that he won’t be able to complete the process and have his body match who he is. I’m glad that our approach to education has helped him learn about and think through these concerns.

AMAZIAH: Educators didn’t sign up to be immersed in politics, but this fight has been brought to us. I have to engage because I care about what my students have the opportunity to learn—in school and in our museums and libraries. This work is not for the faint of heart. I feel an urgency of need to step up in every way, in every facet of my life. Not only the way I teach, but also how I fortify myself with knowledge, where and how I get news, and the care I take in avoiding sharing my personal views while I’m teaching.

My dedication to academic equity and inclusiveness centers on being safe and welcoming for all students. My role as an educator is to provide students with the space to form their own opinions and reach their own conclusions about current events—while ensuring that they have the evidence to back up any claims that they want to make. Today, with the abundance of disinformation online, I strive to teach students how to evaluate the quality and trustworthiness of their sources.

I want my students to see that it’s OK to tell the truth, whether people like it or not. What’s crucial is being able to back up your claims with evidence, to explain why you’ve reached a particular conclusion. If you have the right information, you can be dangerous. But you can also be dangerous if you believe a lie. I want my students to know how to discern the truth and to have the courage to speak it.

We devote a lot of time to figuring out which sources are reputable. Students receive a lot of information on social media, so they need to learn how to evaluate it critically. “Trending” does not equal “trustworthy.” We work on checking sources, but with deepfakes, it’s only getting harder. I’m encouraging my students to have face-to-face conversations. If they can find a person with firsthand knowledge, they should talk to them instead of simply believing a 30-second video online.

EDITORS: Is there anything you’d like the CTU to prioritize as it continues to bargain for the common good?

AMAZIAH: I’d love to see further expansion of our Sustainable Community Schools program, which offers much-needed coordination, curriculum, program design, and funding, and brings educators, parents, students, administrators, and community partners together. I assisted with Phillips High School’s application before transferring—and I know my former colleagues will continue securing the partnerships they need to develop a successful application. Many Phillips students are in and out of foster care and shelters. They need additional supports to connect them with resources and help them heal. They need the rigorous education that all youth need, and they also need rigorous education for trauma.

For most students, attendance would be more consistent if Phillips became a Sustainable Community School. Community partners could offer fun and engaging after-school activities, such as dance, and could enhance our athletic programs. Plus, partners could support families with food pantries, healthcare, and evening courses, which would increase family involvement. Phillips wants to have its doors open later so that parents and guardians can grow and learn right alongside their teens.

I’m focused on Phillips because that was my school, but the Sustainable Community School model would benefit all CPS students. I’m sure the CTU will keep fighting to expand it.

COREY: Like Amaziah, I’m hoping for more of what we’re doing. You might think that LGBTQIA+ students would be safe in CPS, but just last year we had principals and assistant principals directing their staff not to teach specific lessons within CPS’s Skyline curriculum because they include a trans kid. According to those administrators, these Skyline lessons prevent students from having the right to believe in only two genders. We also have principals who are actively trying to push out teachers who become GSA advisors; they claim their schools don’t have any LGBTQIA+ students. That’s obviously not true. If you don’t have queer kids in your school, it’s not because they’re not there; it’s because they’re hiding from you because they don’t feel safe.

Thankfully, the CTU and CPS are steadfast. Our shared goal is to have a GSA and a gender support coordinator in every school. Some of our plans have to be revamped because they were supported by a federal grant before the Trump administration started slashing funding, but we’ll press forward one way or another.

EDITORS: You are both union activists. Is there anything you want to share with AFT members across the country who are just starting to become active?

COREY: I knew nothing about the CTU before I became a member. I had learned a little about unions in history courses—particularly how we have advanced workers’ rights—so I was proud to become part of the labor movement. Right away, I saw that being a member of the CTU meant I would not have to face being a teacher alone. We have our school communities, but the principal can change any day. In my first six years of teaching, my school had four principals. Each has been wildly different, ranging from supportive to making me feel unsafe. It’s comforting to know that no matter who is heading my school, I have a union that is willing to fight for me.

For anyone who is interested in getting involved with their union, just show up. Talk to your union staff, democratically elected leaders, and anyone else who’s involved in the union. It’s so important right now. Each of us has to be part of something bigger because we cannot survive this political moment on our own. Unions have power, and workers have power through their unions.

I’m deeply proud of my union. I love my union for giving me the opportunity to do this work. The CTU enacts the motto “Nothing about us without us.” It asks queer and trans teachers to lead the work regarding what queer and trans teachers need to be safe and to bring their full selves to their work. The CTU lifts our voices, ensuring we shape our contract and our work.

AMAZIAH: I agree. I volunteer frequently with the CTU because this is what democracy looks like. I love the CTU’s commitment to bargaining for the common good. We utilize our contract to establish a protective force field around our students, ensuring that the resources they require remain intact. CPS is in debt—and the state of Illinois owes the school system about $1.6 billion—so it’s all the more vital that we keep fighting for what our students need.

Another thing I love about the CTU is that it is helping me grow. A couple of years ago, I graduated from the CTU’s summer organizing institute; more recently, I completed its policy fellowship. Currently, I’m pursuing National Board Certification with the CTU’s support through the Nurturing Teacher Leadership program. The National Board process is very tough and strategic—and it’s making me a better educator. I’m grateful for the challenges that have helped me become a more polished diamond.               

Endnotes

1. P. S. DeMio and W. James, Public Education Under Threat: 4 Trump Administration Actions to Watch in the 2025–26 School Year (Washington, DC: Center for American Progress, August 27, 2025), americanprogress.org/article/public-education-under-threat-4-trump-administration-actions-to-watch-in-the-2025-26-school-year.

2. Chicago Teachers Union, “Benefits for Students – Highlights from Our Tentative Agreement,” April 2025, ctulocal1.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TA_Whats_in_it_for_Students.pdf.

3. S. Russell et al., “Chosen Name Use Is Linked to Reduced Depressive Symptoms, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicidal Behavior Among Transgender Youth,” Journal of Adolescent Health 63, no. 4 (March 30, 2018): 503–05; and The Trevor Project, “Facts About Suicide Among LGBTQ+ Young People,” December 15, 2021, thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide.

4. Chicago Teachers Union, “Highlights of the Proposed Tentative Agreement: What’s in the TA,” March 31, 2025, ctulocal1.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Highlights-Proposed-TA-2025-03-31.pdf.

5. Chicago Teachers Union, “FAQ: Advancements for Academic Freedom,” April 2025, ctulocal1.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TA_Academic_Freedom.pdf.

6. R. Balfanz, v. byrnes, and J. Fox, “Sent Home and Put Off-Track: The Antecedents, Disproportionalities, and Consequences of Being Suspended in the Ninth Grade,” Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk 5, no. 2 (2014): 13; R. Chandler and N. Patoine-Hamel, California’s Demographic Future: Ethnic & Racial Change in the School-Age Population (Los Angeles, CA: Civil Rights Project, UCLA, December 5, 2024), civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/reports/californias-demographic-future-ethnic-racial-change-in-the-school-age-population; and M. Mielke and D. Farrington, “School-Based Interventions to Reduce Suspension and Arrest: A Meta-Analysis,” Aggression and Violent Behavior 56 (January–February 2021): 101518.

7. M. Sherman, “Supreme Court Allows Trump’s Transgender Military Ban to Take Effect, for Now,” PBS NewsHour, May 6, 2025, pbs.org/newshour/politics/supreme-court-allows-trumps-transgender-military-ban-to-take-effect-for-now.

[Photos courtesy of Corey Blake and Amaziah Burton]