Jesse Sharkey

Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey, a history teacher at Senn High School, also served as the Union Delegate. During 2004 campaign he was involved in mobilizing hundreds of parents, launched a website, put a ballot initiative up in the 48th ward, and built relationships with dozens of community organizations and religious groups to oppose the establishment of a military academy at Senn. That experience taught him that we can defend our public schools against privatization. He studied history and education at Brown University (Bachelor of Arts, 1992 and Masters of Arts in Teaching, 1997) where he studied and worked with many of the leaders of the Coalition of Essential Schools. Prior to becoming the Vice-President of the CTU in June 2010, he taught Social Studies for 10 years in the Chicago Public Schools at Senn.