CTU President Karen Lewis said that she has no idea who organized the protest. "I didn't have anything to do with it, but I certainly enjoyed it," she said.
Interesting irony that Chicago and NYC hold meeting same day - except Chi is early AM to really keep people out. While the CTU may claim not to have organized this, they certainly played a much bigger role than the UFT did at the PEP in NYC (meaning almost none). See Chicago Tribune article below.
http://youtu.be/AoIsdXkVzVg
On December 14, 2011 Parents, community members, and educators took over the monthly Chicago Board of Education meeting. After years of not being heard, they stood up and took it back.
Script:
Parents, teachers, students and communities
reject CPS failed reforms.
In 2004,
then-CPS CEO Arne Duncan
introduced the first Renaissance Schools,
soldiering Daley's initiative
to close 60 failing schools
in order to open 100 new schools.
In 2006,
Duncan introduced turnarounds,
as an answer
to communities' outrage
over the displacement of students.
In turnarounds,
students stay in the building
(some of them)
while all adults
have to reapply for their jobs.
Since then,
communities have been thrown into a turmoil
every year
as school closings and turnarounds are announced.
Now Jean-Claude Brizard
continues this tradition,
proposing to turnaround 10 schools,
close 2,
phase out two
and shutter a few more.
But has this approach worked?
The answer is
[together] NO!
We now know
that only 18 percent
of the replacement schools
(those schools
that are located in buildings
where schools have been turned around or closed)
were considered high performing.
Of those schools,
more than half are selective enrollment
or magnet schools
run by CPS.
Nearly 40% are performance level 3,
the lowest rating CPS gives.
The Chicago Tribune reported
that since Renaissance 2010 was initiated,
1/3 of the schools perform better,
1/3 are the same
and 1/3 of the schools are worse
than traditional neighborhood schools.
Mr. Mayor, Mr. Vitale, Mr. Brizard
and the rest of the board;
you should be ashamed of yourselves.
The definition of insanity
is to repeatedly do the same thing
and expect a different result.
You have ignored community voice,
community proposals
and have operated schools
as a foreign institution in our neighborhoods.
You know how
to make good neighborhood schools;
they exist in CPS.
You don't care to.
These are our children, not yours.
Your job is not
to broker the responsibility
of running public schools.
It is a violation of the civil rights
of African American and Latino children
to deny them the same resources,
expectations and opportunity
as children from more affluent communities
within this city.
These are our children, not yours.
We are taking our fight to the mayor!
We are taking our fight to the courts!
We are taking our fight to the schools!
We are taking our fight to the streets!
These are our children,
not corporate product.
These are our children,
not corporate product.
These are our children,
not corporate product!
www.chicagotribune.com/news/
chicagotribune.com
Protesters send CPS board members scurrying
By Joel Hood and Noreen Ahmed-Ullah
Tribune reporter
12:18 PM CST, December 14, 2011
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In a chaotic scene at Chicago Public Schools' headquarters Wednesday, the school board abruptly ended its meeting and went into closed session after being shouted down by a couple dozen angry parents and union representatives upset over planned school closures, consolidations and turnarounds.
At least 10 people were escorted by security out of the building after a systematic protest in defiance of the board's actions. The proposed school realignments are to come before the board for official action in February.
"Nearly 40 percent of new schools that have replaced ones that closed are performing at the lowest levels," one of the protesters said. "We see through the sound bites. You have betrayed the public trust. You have failed Chicago's children."
One by one, members of the audience stood to read from a prepared speech denouncing CPS' actions and policies. They interrupted CPS chief Jean-Claude Brizard's presentation to the board several times.
After several interruptions, board president David Vitale abruptly closed the meeting and the board followed him off the floor.
Before he left, Vitale told the crowd that he hoped they'd "gotten it out of their system," prompting more jeers.
"We need you out of our system," one man yelled back.
"I am fed up," said retired CPS teacher Howard Emmer, one of those escorted out. "Brizard comes in, he's new. But these are all old policies. Charters, turnarounds, school closings are all failed policies."
Parents, teachers and union representativeshad turned out in force Wednesday morning at CPS headquarters to protest the proposed school closures and turnaround projects that could bring hundreds of layoffs.
"They have ignored parent concerns in this process, they've neglected teacher voice and undermined student progress," said Chicago Teachers Union spokesman Jackson Potter prior to the school board meeting. "Today we stand before you to demand that the Board of Education immediately end all of its moves to push school actions upon the community. We also are asking them to stop charter expansion and to stop handing over these schools to politically connected, under-performing charter networks."
"They have ignored parent concerns in this process, they've neglected teacher voice and undermined student progress," said Chicago Teachers Union spokesman Jackson Potter prior to the school board meeting. "Today we stand before you to demand that the Board of Education immediately end all of its moves to push school actions upon the community. We also are asking them to stop charter expansion and to stop handing over these schools to politically connected, under-performing charter networks."
Board members were expected to vote Wednesday on renewing charters for six different networks. The board will vote on a series of school closures, turnarounds and consolidations in February.Supporters of some of those schools crowded CPS' district office with signs and a clear message of defiance for the board.
"Our school's academic performance -- despite the historical instability and administrative changes, the dismantling of the local school council by CPS, and the continuous lack of resources and funding -- has achieved more than adequate gains," said Sharisa Lee-Vaval, a parent of three children at Wendell Smith Elementary, a South Side school targeted for turnaround. "Due to the dedicated commitment of students, parents and teachers, Wendell Smith is on a path to success. Now is the time to support us with resources and funding that is so sorely needed."
Hannah Richardson, a Montassori teacher at Stagg Elementary, another school slated for turnaround, said she worries that such specialty early childhood education will be cut in the turnaround process.
"Our school has worked very hard to get a Montessori program into the school, a program that is often only offered to families of well-off children who can afford tuition to private schools," Richardson said. "We want our school to continue on the path that it is, where we are increasing scores all the time."
Claudia Moreno, a bilingual teacher at Piccolo Elementary, said close-outs and turnarounds are unfairly targeting minority students from low-income communities.
"We need to stop targeting those in the community that are of color and are of cultural diversity," Moreno said. "We need to support our schools, not close them. We can function if the board and the legislature gives us the funding we need to make our schools great."
Jitu Brown, a member of the local school council at Dyett High School, a struggling South Side high school scheduled to begin a three-year phase-out next year, said the board's actions over time to move students from one school to another and strip funding from others have gutted once high-performing schools in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
"When will we ask the question 'why' and stop believing the stereotypes about black and brown children? We love our children as much as anybody else."
"Our school's academic performance -- despite the historical instability and administrative changes, the dismantling of the local school council by CPS, and the continuous lack of resources and funding -- has achieved more than adequate gains," said Sharisa Lee-Vaval, a parent of three children at Wendell Smith Elementary, a South Side school targeted for turnaround. "Due to the dedicated commitment of students, parents and teachers, Wendell Smith is on a path to success. Now is the time to support us with resources and funding that is so sorely needed."
Hannah Richardson, a Montassori teacher at Stagg Elementary, another school slated for turnaround, said she worries that such specialty early childhood education will be cut in the turnaround process.
"Our school has worked very hard to get a Montessori program into the school, a program that is often only offered to families of well-off children who can afford tuition to private schools," Richardson said. "We want our school to continue on the path that it is, where we are increasing scores all the time."
Claudia Moreno, a bilingual teacher at Piccolo Elementary, said close-outs and turnarounds are unfairly targeting minority students from low-income communities.
"We need to stop targeting those in the community that are of color and are of cultural diversity," Moreno said. "We need to support our schools, not close them. We can function if the board and the legislature gives us the funding we need to make our schools great."
Jitu Brown, a member of the local school council at Dyett High School, a struggling South Side high school scheduled to begin a three-year phase-out next year, said the board's actions over time to move students from one school to another and strip funding from others have gutted once high-performing schools in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
"When will we ask the question 'why' and stop believing the stereotypes about black and brown children? We love our children as much as anybody else."
CTU President Karen Lewis said that she has no idea who organized the protest. "I didn't have anything to do with it, but I certainly enjoyed it," she said.
In the awkward moments after the board left, representatives from the teachers union organized their own meeting with the 100 or so people still in the building.
Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey went down the list of scheduled speakers, most calling attention to proposed closures or turnarounds that effect their children. Sharkey called people to the front of the room to air their grievances. They stood at the podium, addressing their concerns to the empty seats where the board members would be.
Some wished the empty seats a good morning and others chided board members for leaving without hearing the public's complaints.
"I've had many hard days as a teacher and one thing is that when you've had a hard day in class you can't just take your ball and go home," Sharkey told the empty seats.
Angela Dillon, a teacher at Marquette Elementary School, which is slated to be turned around, said gutting schools is not the answer.
"CPS is filled with brilliant people and I'm confident there's a better way to deal with this," Dillon said.
Lewis spoke before the empty seats, saying charter schools had no track record of improving student performance and suggested political ties, not sound education policy, was behind the push to expand charter networks.
Union spokesman Jackson Potter reiterated that the union was not behind Wednesday's uprising. He called it an "organic expression" from a parents who feel like their voices have not been heard.
"You see people here who've reached a boiling point," Potter said. "Certainly we hope that (the board) hears this. They're saying, 'We're desperate to have you hear us.' "
jhood@tribune.com
In the awkward moments after the board left, representatives from the teachers union organized their own meeting with the 100 or so people still in the building.
Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey went down the list of scheduled speakers, most calling attention to proposed closures or turnarounds that effect their children. Sharkey called people to the front of the room to air their grievances. They stood at the podium, addressing their concerns to the empty seats where the board members would be.
Some wished the empty seats a good morning and others chided board members for leaving without hearing the public's complaints.
"I've had many hard days as a teacher and one thing is that when you've had a hard day in class you can't just take your ball and go home," Sharkey told the empty seats.
Angela Dillon, a teacher at Marquette Elementary School, which is slated to be turned around, said gutting schools is not the answer.
"CPS is filled with brilliant people and I'm confident there's a better way to deal with this," Dillon said.
Lewis spoke before the empty seats, saying charter schools had no track record of improving student performance and suggested political ties, not sound education policy, was behind the push to expand charter networks.
Union spokesman Jackson Potter reiterated that the union was not behind Wednesday's uprising. He called it an "organic expression" from a parents who feel like their voices have not been heard.
"You see people here who've reached a boiling point," Potter said. "Certainly we hope that (the board) hears this. They're saying, 'We're desperate to have you hear us.' "
jhood@tribune.com
7 comments:
Brizard did these same foolish things in Rochester, NY. He is anti-teacher and anti-student. He single-handedly ruined our district. I was glad to see him go but I feel bad for CPS.
The previous commenter has it wrong. Brizard uncovered what's wrong with RCSD. Let's all take responsibility for what took years to create! As for Chicago, they have been struggling for years. - A Current Teacher in RCSD
What did brizzard uncover? The fact that you can create a new school, hand select the students and it will preform better. While you dump the rest of the students into the remaining schools and watch them suffer as you simply point out that those schools weren't your idea and blame the failures on teachers. Then leave town before people realize that all you did was sweep the dirt under the rug. Oh wait he also uncovered that you can make a ton of money doing it.
Jean-Claude Brizard has no good ideas when it comes to running a school system.
His parents may be the only teachers he respects.
Charter schools are the only school he likes.
He listens to no one who doesn't agree with him.
He's got a thin skin where criticism is concerned and a thick one where correction is concerned.
Apparently, a significant amount of his "ideas" are directly from the Broad Academy playbook, and those ideas are all about making people uncomfortable and trying to reform from the top down. The problem is that the things that need reforming are bottom-up. The teachers, administrators and other professionals in the district are educated and have accomplished something. They've got working brains and can tell you what their students (who they have daily contact with) need. The culture of poverty and lack of academic and professional success plaguing our cities needs reform as much as anything, and addressing those issues would go a LONG way to alleviating the problems in the schools. JCB will never go that route as it requires heavy lifting and dealing with people he can't bully, coerce or control.
Thank you Rahm for taking this clown off our hands, but I'm so very sorry to all you poor Chicagoans who now have to deal with him. Good luck, God bless, and don't send him back to Rochester.
--Yugoboy
Mr. Brizzard discovered that when you lower graduation standards, graduation goes up. So he lowered them , despite colleges complaints that graduates where not college ready. He discovered that if you tell principals they can't suspend, suspensions are reduced. Behavior is out of control but you wouldn't know it from the numbers. Mr. Brizzard discovered that if you label teachers as the problem, a large segment of the public endorses that. Going to war with his own people in the past left an atmosphere in which teachers really didn't want to work harder. He was a disaster for Rochester.
Mr. Brizzard also discovered that if you replace the principal and shuffle the staff, you can call the school a NEW school. Since it takes time to get on the state list of underperforming schools, you can get all your schools off the state list of chronically poor schools with virtually no effort and no changes. It's a shell game but it sure did pad his resume. He is a con man.
In Rochester, Brizard's wife was allowed to open a charter school and draw any students she wanted. Other Rochester public schools were assigned chronic behavior problems and poor students. Guess what she got (besides a 6 figure salary)
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