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March 13—24, 2014
Chicago Street Journal
higher performing, the 125 of the 16,119 total students— investments needed to 0.78 percent—are white. create a quality, 21st cenCTU stated by closing the tury education for every schools, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and child. These investments CPS are declaring these communi- include: ties’ dead zones that are unworthy of Air conditioning in targeted investment. The closings every classroom, a library affect 40,000 CPS students and par- in every school, iPads for ents. all students in grades 3-8, However, CPS reported an in- New and upgraded techcrease of 63% high graduates com- nology supports including pared to 43% ten years ago. CPS expanded Internet bandCEO Byrd-Bennett said. “Our work width is just beginning – and cannot do Improved ADA accesthis work alone. With parents as sibility; Upgraded faciliactive partners and an engaged com- ties and cosmetic immunity, there is no limit to what can provements, including achieve. I look forward to working fresh paint, masonry together with parents and our school work, new windows, new communities to create a fresh, posi- ceilings and floors, and tive start for their new school this others fall.” Improved food service Karen Lewis CTU President said, capacity. “School closings are the largest Customized school amount ever closed at one time in safety plans, including any city in America. Parents and Safe Passage programs at community members are outraged every welcoming to provide safe that Barbara Byrdroutes to and from school. Bennett, Mayor CPS is also adding 10 Rahm Emanuel and new STEM (Science, the Board of EducaTechnology, Engineering tion would close and Math) programs, six that many schools, new International Baccaespecially amidst laureate (IB) programmes the current climate and a new Fine Arts proof youth violence”. gram in Welcoming “And this is by Schools to ensure that design.” said Lewis. s t u d e n t s i n e ve r y “These actions neighborhood have access unnecessarily exto high-quality programs. pose our students to The Chicago Teachers However, many are still gang violence, turf Union President Karen convinced in what they wars and peer-to- Lewis said. “Most of say, this handpicked peer conflict.” Board made some bad An independent the campuses decision. board issued a re- are in the Black An interview with a report opposing the tired educator in Gary, IN closing of 13 of community. ... school system illustrated Chicago’s schools, “And this is by that when a school was but Mayor Rahm closed and students were Emanuel has ex- design.” transferred to another pressed that he will school, soon that school not follow the rethen became overport’s recommendation. crowded. CPS stated in a press release by ‘Stand For Children’ an organizaconsolidating underutilized and un- tion that works with parents from der-resourced schools, CPS can every side of the city, its director, redirect its limited resources into Juan Jose Gonzalez said “This has been a challenging year in CPS, now the shift towards making the transition in the fall as smooth as possible. “We knocked on over 11,600 doors across the south and west sides of the city in impacted school boundaries, giving parents direct and clear information about what's happening”. tion favoring an elected school Gonzalez said, “Time and again, board. Last September, a group of we didn't hear screaming but heard 14 Chicago aldermen introduced pragmatic voices that just wanted an ordinance in the City Council quality school options for their to place a citizen referendum on kids.” He adds. “Now we need to the March 2014 primary ballot. It hold the Board of Education acwas promptly referred to the Rules countable for their role in ensuring a Committee, where it languishes smooth transition.” today. If the ordinance ever Community activist Pat Hill who emerges from the Rules Commitonce taught in Chicago schools tee, it could be placed on the Nopointed out that, the protestors vember ballot. It is an excellent gauge for measuring the strength of voter commitment to an elected s c h o o l b o a r d . Local School Council (LSC) memAccordingly, IVI-IPO members bers provide invaluable service to our in Chicago are urge to their alderschools and communities by partnerman to vote both the ordinance ing with local school leaders to imfor an elected school board referprove educational outcomes for stuendum out of committee and to dents. The three primary duties of an place it on the November 2014 LSC are: approving how school ballot. funds and resources are allocated, In addition, to contact developing and monitoring the anstate senators and state representanual School Improvement Plan, and tives asking them to support enaevaluating and selecting the school's bling legislation for an elected principal. school board for the City of ChiLSCs consist of: 6 parents, 2 comcago. There is no actual bill yet, munity members, 2 teachers, 1 nonbut a shell bill - HB4520 - has teacher staff, the school's principal, been introduced to serve this purand a student representative (high pose. schools only). Members are elected For more information contact by parents and community residents Marion 773-664-1785 or IVI-IPO in an election that is held every two State board 312 939 5105 years. Teacher and non-teaching staff (Continued from page 1)
Mass school closures have become a commonplace occurrence in urban school districts across the country. Philadelphia close 23 public schools, nearly 10 percent of the city's total. 81 % of students impacted are black, even though they make up only 58 % of the population. Unlike the occasional school closures that happen naturally due to shifting populations or new facilities, mass closures are catastrophic blows to the communities to which those schools belong. And as U.S. Department of Education data suggests, the rounds of mass closings in Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia disproportionately hurt Black and lowincome students. To highlight these disparities, the National Opportunity to Learn Campaign released the above infographic. Beyond disparate impact, no evidence suggest that school closures actually work the way policymakers claim. Reports have shown that the majority of students who are affected do not get placed in schools that perform any better—and in the case of Philadelphia, many students are sent to schools that perform even worse. And though closures are often touted as a way for districts to save money, those savings often fail to materialize and in reality cost taxpayers millions in hidden costs. The discriminatory impact of school closures will only exacerbate the hurdles that young black men face as they chart a course through high school, college, and the workforce. Last fall, the Schott Foundation for Public Education reported that only 10 percent of Black males in the United States are deemed proficient in eighth-grade reading, and only 52 percent are graduating from high school in four years. As Schott President John H. Jackson puts it, “These unconscionable outcomes for these young boys and men are not reflective of their potential nor their abilities—but a direct result of denying them equitable supports and resources they need to be fully engaged and succeed. This is the opportunity gap at the root of the achievement gap.”
Nationally the Color of School Closures
LSC Elections
against closing schools are emotionally driven versus strategically directed. “It has become clearer that the powers orchestrating these protests want to keep it that way”. Hill explained. “For example, the constant focus on Barbara Byrd Bennett versus the Board members. Hill pointed out one of the more influential board members is the mother of Hip-Hop artist "Common". “How many groups or organizations that are opposed to school closings have approached her, Dr. Hines?” Hill proposed. With that, ’Action Now’ parents and community members did hold a “School Board Bullies Bus Tour” at the homes of three CPS members. The first stop was at the home of CPS member Andrea Zopp at 10920 S. Oakley Ave in Chicago. Zopp is the President of the Chicago Urban League which protectors say the CUL leader is going against the mission for economic, educational and social progress for African Americans by deciding to support the closing of schools, the majority of which are in African-American communities. The bus went on to Board of Education President David Vitale’s house, 4925 S. Woodlawn, then continue to Penny Pritzker’s home at 1875 N. Orchard. Questions continued to be raise for an elected School Board. The Chicago school board is appointed by the mayor, which Lewis said the fight must eventually move to the ballot box. CTU launched its series of voter registration and education workshops where nearly 150 CTU members, retirees, and others were trained to become deputy voter registrars. "Our next plan is to have to change the governance of CPS”. Said Lewis "Clearly this kind of cowboy-mentality, mayoral control is out of control". We're starting our representatives as well as the student representative are appointed by the Board of Education following a preference poll of all full-time staff. The school's principal is automatically a member of the LSC. Every LSC candidate must fill out a set of forms that are available at the main office of any Chicago Public School, Alderman Dowell's office, or www.cps.edu. Completed forms must be submitted to the school where you intend to run no later than 3pm on February 26th or the Office of Local School Council Relations (125 S. Clark, 5th Floor) by 3pm on February 19, 2014. For more information, contact the Office of Lo cal School Council Relations at (773) 553-1400 or visit www.cps.edu.
The Schott Foundation for Public Education is a grantee of the Open Society Foundations. deputy registration, and we will be registering voters across the city." “This is the mayor's 25 percent solution." Their goal is to push the mayor and others who backed the school closings out of office, and to gather support for an elected school board. Mayor Emmanuel brushed off the politics indicating to reporters in two years Chicago will see improvements in the school system. Lewis said CPS is contributing to a vicious cycle of disinvestment and
population flight that severely hinders the possible revival of established African-American and integrated communities. “With all the closures that have taken place that target low-income minority communities, a disproportionate number of teachers that dedicate their lives to those students in those communities are AfricanAmerican teachers,” Potter said. “So when they target those schools and get rid of those teachers that are having a disparate impact.”
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