The president of the Chicago Teachers Union, Jesse Sharkey, announced on Feb. 2 that he will not run for reelection in May.

Sharkey said he will return to teaching. In 2010, Sharkey left his social studies classroom at a Chicago high school to take over the union with Karen Lewis, who went on to become president. Together, they are credited with not just revitalizing the Chicago Teachers Union, but spurring activism among unions across the country. Sharkey became president of the union in 2014 after Lewis stepped down.

Union vice president Stacy Davis Gates, who regularly clashes with the Chicago mayor, is expected to run for president.

WBEZ, Feb. 2