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202.783.3870  Issue Analysis      7 Important Facts about the
Chicago Teachers Union Strike      26,000 teachers went on
strike in Chicago Monday, leaving 350,000 students stranded in a
political battle they’re too young to understand. Here are seven
things you should know about the city’s public school system and
the union that controls it.      1. Chicago Public Schools (CPS)
are known for underachieving. In 2011, they had a dropout rate
of 38 percent and graduated only 58 percent of their students.
You’ll notice the numbers are even worse when you isolate for
male students: 45 percent and 52 percent, respectively.      2.
Test scores are nonetheless dismal for students who stay in the
classroom. Approximately 79 percent of 8th graders in the CPS
system are not proficient in reading, and another 80 percent are
not proficient in mathematics.      3. Chicago is home to one of
the shortest