This video marks the end of one chapter in the fight of Chicago's working class communities to stop the closings and turn-arounds of 17 public schools. But it also marks the beginning of a new chapter: the campaign for an elected school board to end the current system of an appointed school board. Here are scenes from the final week of teachers union and school communities mobilization before the final decision (a decision already made long ago in secret) of the Chicago Public Schools Board about the fates of targeted schools.
We cover scenes from the big and spirited rally in front of Lakeview High School on the Northside, just blocks from Mayor Rahm Emanuel's house, to where everybody
then marched. There are also scenes from the Piccolo School occupation. And the notorious school board meeting, at which the non-elected board of the 1% dropped the ax on 17 schools, soundly confirming deepening convictions that the so-called public hearings on whether to close or turnaround the schools constituted a sham and a fraud.
George Schmidt, of Substancenews.net, provides some useful commentary on what this all means now, and the video concludes with images from the joint Operation PUSH/Chicago Teachers Union resolve to now move forward with a broad campaign for an elected school board. We see in this video the continuing and growing movement against educational apartheid in Chicago, a movement now evolving in its understanding of what needs to be done.
Speakers include: Jitu Brown, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization; Rosie Hudson, school parent; Larry Davis, President, Youth Rep, Local School Council; Jose Candelario, Parent, Member of Local School Council; Dr.l Carmen Palmer, Retired Educator, Chicago Public Schools; Ryan Jackson, Parent, Tilden High School; Rico Gutstein, Teachers for Social Justice; Trenton Perry, Tilden High School Alumnus; Pat Bell, Retired School Crossing Guard.
Length: 26:18. Donate to Labor Beat (Committee for Labor Access) at - https://www.paypal.com/...
Chicago Schools in Upheaval
Outrage continues in Chicago over the proposed cuts and closings to public schools, many in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, but Mayor Emanuel says the protests are just noise. The Reverend Jesse Jackson joins Ed to discuss it.
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