But Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates said she's frustrated one person — schools chief Pedro Martinez — seems to hold the keys to getting a contract as the two sides work to negotiate a deal and avoid a strike.

Teacher prep time, evaluations, pay, and class sizes remain key sticking points as the district and union enter their eighth month of bargaining.

In dueling press conferences Friday Public Schools officials and Chicago Teachers Union members each emphasized that valuable progress had been made in their long-running contract negotiations. But in the eight months since the union launched its demands,