The National Association of Social Workers Illinois Chapter (NASW-IL) supports the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) strike and the union’s call for higher pay, affordable housing for new teachers and low-income students, and the need for more social workers and other staff to support students.
The NASW Standards for School Social Work Services calls for at least one social worker per 250 students in schools and one social worker for 50 students in schools with intensive needs. However, the ratio of social workers to students in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system does not come near these recommended levels, putting thousands of more students at risk of having poor educational outcomes.
Social workers are desperately needed in schools, and NASW-IL is glad teachers in Chicago and across the nation support hiring more social workers. Social workers help prevent school violence and support students in moments of crisis.
With an epidemic of violence in Chicago and the trauma young people are experiencing, social workers should not be a discretionary budget item. That is why the NASW-Illinois Chapter is putting its backing behind the teacher unions and their decision to strike.
For more information on the invaluable services that school social workers provide visit Back to School with Social Workers, a joint public education campaign from the National Association of Social Workers and the School Social Work Association of America.