Submitted by arlenegloria on Mon, 06/14/2010 - 15:30

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...fierce foe of Daley's agenda ...slate nearly sweeps vote

BY MARY WISNIEWSKI AND ROSALIND ROSS- Sun Times June 13 2010

Karen Lewis, a high school chemistry teacher who has been a fierce opponent of Mayor Daley's Renaissance 2010 program to shake up and rejuvenate public schools, handily defeated two-term president Marilyn Stewart for the leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union early Saturday.

Lewis and her Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) slate won in a virtual sweep against Stewart's United Progressive Caucus team that has been in power for 37 of the last 40 years, with Lewis trouncing Stewart by a 3-2 margin.

Karen Lewis, shown in October 2009, is a chemistry teacher at King College Prep. She said she wants a "completely transparent budget" before she'll discuss pay concessions.

The change in CTU leadership -- Lewis takes the reins July 1 -- could put Mayor Daley in a political pinch through demands for the city to return tax-increment financing (TIF) funds to each school taxing district.

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