Dr. Patricia Watkins Talks About Illinois' Fight for Education Funding - Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

Dr. Patricia Watkins Talks About Illinois' Fight for Education Funding

Classes resume for thousands of Chicago Public School students in just over two weeks.

And while kids enjoyed the long summer, teachers and administrators have been fighting over how to solve a $370 million budget deficit.

In June, the Board of Education asked the union to give back a 4 percent pay raise, which teachers ultimately rejected. In July, CPS sent out layoff notices to 400 teachers. Board members also asked for concessions like larger class sizes, in order to prevent more layoffs.

In August, the Chicago Teachers Union filed a lawsuit against the district, saying their rights were violated.

Then, just last week, CPS officials said they may use $105 million in federal money to rehire 300-400 teachers. The money could also be used to cap core high school classes at 28 students.

We talked live with Dr. Patricia Watkins, CEO of "Target Area Development Coporation," a non-profit group working to get more federal funding for Chicago schools.