Street outside CTU headquarters to be renamed for late former union president Karen Lewis

The street outside the Chicago Teachers Union’s Near West Side headquarters is set to be renamed in honor of the late Karen Lewis, the charismatic former union president who rallied educators around fighting for social justice.

Lewis passed away in February 2021 after a yearslong battle with cancer.

She had spent the previous decade spearheading a movement of teacher activism and at one point considered challenging former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s reelection before her diagnosis threw off those plans.

In the union’s latest attempt to honor Lewis, a block of West Carroll Avenue at the CTU’s 1901 W. Carroll building will be renamed “Karen Lewis CTU Way” on Sept. 30.

“Karen Lewis is a beloved giant across our city and the nation for her spirit and commitment to public education and every single one of our students, particularly the most disenfranchised,” CTU spokeswoman Chris Geovanis said Friday.

“This street naming is one of the many ways that the union seeks to continue the movement that she helped to jumpstart and that our rank-and-file members carry on with pride every day.”

Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) said the CTU asked him “some time ago” to dedicate the street to Lewis and “it’s just now coming to fruition.”

Burnett called Lewis a “dynamic person in our society” and a role model to teachers and women.

“Although some of us in government for financial reasons didn’t agree with everything she wanted to do, we always respected her dedication to fighting for students and communities,” he said.

“In history you always have a dynamic person that stands out with the teachers union and all these unions and makes a difference in people’s lives. Karen not only motivated teachers, she stood up and fought for kids in Chicago.”