The union is asking for a lot more than wage increases from a hard-pressed school district and hard-pressed taxpayers. CTU leaders want to limit maximum classroom sizes to 20 to 24 students in early grades. They also demand a counselor for every 250 students, nurses and librarians at every CPS school, the hiring of more teacher assistants for early grades, and raises for teacher’s aides and school clerks. The Sun-Times reports that the union also wants the creation of 55 “community schools” (each costing $500,000), a moratorium on charter schools and a ban on school closings during the term of the contract.