Karen Lewis '74

1970s

1980s

1990s

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2010s

As president of the Chicago Teacher's Union, Karen Lewis has challenged the status quo of public education to improve schools across the city and has overseen work on a significant body of leading educational research.

MAKING A MARK

During a weeklong strike in 2012, Lewis not only negotiated for improved pay, benefits, and job security for the union's 30,000 members, but also for greater student enrichment, securing regular classes in art, PE, social studies, and science. As a longtime chemistry teacher, Lewis inspired numerous girls to pursue science at a time when it was not the norm.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

As one teacher put it, Lewis "fights for the very soul of public education, not only in Chicago, but everywhere."

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