On Thursday, March 12, some Upper School teachers could be seen wearing red clothing. As members of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, their goal was to demonstrate support for one another in a manner visible to all.
The initiative was led by the heads of Parker’s Faculty Association and the newly formed Assistant Teachers Union, who encouraged all teachers to participate. However, administrators, staff members, and other community members were not asked to join the demonstration.
The unions encompass full-time and part-time Parker faculty as well as long-term substitutes.
Middle School English teacher David Fuder was a participant in the demonstration. “We wanted to remind ourselves of the collective care and solidarity that exists within the Faculty Union and Assistant Teachers Union,” Fuder said. “[I chose to wear red] to be in solidarity with my colleagues, many of whom I’ve worked with for a long time.”
Upper School English teacher Matt Laufer did not wear red but instead vocalized support and wore his “stand-in necklace.”
“This kind of thing doesn’t happen every day. I can’t remember the last time there was a demonstration of solidarity,” he said.
According to Laufer, Parker’s administration is “very supportive of the faculty’s right to speak and to express themselves.” Head of Upper School Cory Zeller declined to comment and instead referred back to the Union. It should be noted that, as an administrator and thus a non-union member, Zeller was not seen wearing red. “I fully support the broader ask, which I think is for transparency, clarity, and accountability,” Laufer said.
At the time of the event, students were not notified about the demonstration and were not told about its occurrence in the following days. Senior Ewuraesi Korankye was uninformed about the purpose of the demonstration when asked for comments. “I wasn’t aware of the demonstration, but when I saw a large majority of teachers wearing red, I assumed there was a purpose to it,” she said.
“We wanted this to be something initiated and carried out by our faculty in support of our union,” Fuder said. “In the future, there may be opportunities to expand that support to incorporate others, including students, but wearing red last week was an opportunity for teachers to support teachers.”
Due to Parker’s unique facilitation of democratic principles through hands-on learning, some community members believed that including students could help to strengthen understanding of community engagement. “I generally do think every chance that students can be part of [difficult] conversations like this is good,” Laufer said.
While the cause of the demonstration remains somewhat shrouded in mystery, While the impetus of the demonstration is unclear, 2026 is a contract negotiation year for the union, and discussions are ongoing. Next steps in a faculty solidarity campaign and related transparency to the student and guardian community remain unknown.
