Reportedly under pressure from parents, Chicago Public Schools will begin tracking its teachers' absentee rates in Fall 2006. Principal James Cosme of Otis Elementary welcomes the change, saying, "it forces self-examination."

An analysis by The Chicago Tribune shows that an average of six percent of the city's teaching staff is absent on any given day, with the most absences on Fridays. As a result, the school system was forced to use 280,000 substitutes last year.

Union President Marilyn Stewart says, "The district is using this as an intimidation tactic," and that teachers' reasons for taking time off are "no one's business." Stewart argues that most teachers work under heavy stress and that there is no reason to punish teachers who use their allotted 13 unscheduled days off. According to the Tribune's analysis, Chicago teachers missed an average of 12 unscheduled days (roughly 7 percent of a school year) during the last six school years.