Sorry for the late notice but the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) is reaching out for aid again in their struggle against School Actions/Closings on the South Side. Their sit-in is back to city hall tomorrow morning. They will be getting there around 8 am. They are asking for parent leaders and allies from fellow targeted schools to join them there. They are trying to put together a press conference with minister allies to denounce the school actions city wide and call for federal hearings, convened by friendly legislators. If you or those you know are able to assist even for 1 hour, please help, share this message.
LOCATION:
Office of the Mayor, City of Chicago
121 N LaSalle Street
Chicago City Hall 5th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
The messages available to anyone who wished to read them were spread on the floor at the beginning of the sit-in (white posters, above in center). The first two told the ten-year history of the sabotage of the lakefront portion of Chicago's "Bronzeville" community's schools under Paul G. Vallas, Arne Duncan, Ron Huberman, and Terry Mazany. Each of the four previous "Chief Executive Officers" of Chicago's public schools had implemented a consistent policy of school closings and privatization that was never made public, but which became clear at the decades went on. The policy eliminated the major public institutions in the community (public schools and public housing) and privatized as much as possible (see chronological posters below). Substance photo taken January 4, 2012 at the beginning of the sit-in. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.
- DAY #2 CHICAGO: Parents and Teachers Takeover City Hall
- UPDATE CHICAGO: Parents and Teachers Takeover City Hall
What you can do:
* Download this comprehensive list of actions your school community can take.
* Attend a community hearing on school closings. Download the list of dates here.
Did you know...
* Tim Cawley, until his recent appointment as CPS Chief Administrative Officer, was a managing director of the Academy of Urban School Leadership (AUSL), the organization the Board wants to take over Turnaround schools?
* Many of the Board members donate tens of thousands of dollars to political organizations?
* Only one Board member has classroom experience?
For more details about the background of the members of the Board of education, as well as the history of AUSL and CPS Turnarounds, download this research briefproduced by the CTU Quest Center.
The Quest Center has also compiled this table on teacher demographics at schools slated for "action" as well as this map showing the relationship between school actions and forclosures and this map that shows the relationship between school actions and African American population.
Further Reading:
- Quest Center information on school closings and turnarounds
- CTU Statement on Turnarounds
- CTU Statement on 2012 school closings
- From the New York Times: "Why School Choice Fails"
What you can do:
- Attend the unified actions in support of our schools.
- Call the State Representatives and Sentators who have schools slated for turnaround or closure in their districts. You can download the list with their contact information with this link.
Chicago Teachers Union
CROSS POSTED @ http://www.substancenews.net
More Reading Regarding Opposition to Crony Corporate Education Politics in Chicago
- Chicago 'Juking' the Stats
- Education Reform: Where's the Debate?
- One Public School's Death By A Thousand Cuts
- Taking It to the Next Level With CPS and AUSL
- Another CPS Miracle?
- What real education reform looks like
- Opposition to Marquette Plan
- Rahm's Bureaucrats Fluent in Ptydepe
- You pray at the altar of greed!
- No More Peons, Where is Boss Emanuel
- Rahm's 'Rent-A-Protest' Fails
- Rahm's Rent-A-Protest pickets outside CPS
- Chicago Public Schools sponsor Christian breakfast to promote CPS push for longer school day
- Students As Collateral Damage? A Preliminary Study of Renaissance 2010 School Closings In The Midsouth
- School Reform Chicago Style
- Bloody Days in Chicago
You pray at the altar of greed!