Monday, October 19, 2015

Save our schools

Save our schools



For months, BPNC has been fighting against efforts to open a new Noble Charter high school in Brighton Park that would drain funding from existing neighborhood community schools. On September 30th, BPNC held a press conference and rally outside the CPS central office before a scheduled CBOE hearing. Community members and students attended the hearing to discuss Nobel's proposal and ask the CPS Board to vote NO on the proposal. Only 13 residents were allowed into the hearing, but many students and staff from Noble Muchin College Prep, which is located one block away from the CPS central office, were allowed in. Nevertheless, hundreds of students and parents from Brighton Park rallied outside, chanting "fund our schools." BPNC also brought 6,500 letters of support from students and parents in Brighton Park and neighboring southwest side community schools opposing charter expansion.

The city of Chicago and CPS are in financial crisis. The school district has already announced hundreds of layoffs this year and could potentially cut an additional 5,000 teachers by Thanksgiving due to the budget deficit. CPS has also had to borrow a billion dollars to cover overdue pension payments, and operating costs. The district simply cannot afford to build new schools that are not necessary in communities that have plenty of options. The potential school site is located less than a mile from both Kelly High School, and Back of the Yards College Prep High School. For these reasons, many elected officials including House Speaker Madigan, Alderman Lopez (15th Ward), Representative Tabares, Senator Sandoval, Commissioner Garcia, and others are against the charter expansion. The Neighborhood Advisory Council, created by CPS to review charter school proposals also announced its opposition to the proposed new school.

Nevertheless, the Board of Education will take a final vote on the proposal on October 28th. BPNC and supporting organizations are demanding that current CBOE President Frank Clark, recuse himself from this vote and all future votes regarding charters because of his close political and financial connections to the charter industry. Frank Clark and his family donated $200,000 to Nobel Street Charter Network to open the Rowe-Clark Math and Science Academy. The Board's connections to the charter industry go beyond Clark's history with Noble and are a clear indication of the need for an elected representative school board in Chicago.

The indictment of former CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett is another reminder of the lack of accountability within CPS and the Board of Education. Katelyn Johnson, the executive director of Action Now recently stated at a press conference, “The time is now for Mayor Emanuel to support an elected representative school board. It is clear that he does not have the management skills to run this district and an Elected Representative School Board will provide the necessary checks and balances to bring transparency to CPS.” 

As demands for accountability have grown, state and city legislators have responded. Representative Martwick has introduced legislation in Springfield which would call for every Chicago Board of Education member to be elected by the voters of the city, rather than appointed by the Mayor. In the city council, 42 out of 50 Aldermen support a moratorium on charter expansion. However, Alderman Will Burns, Chairman of the Education Committee and a recipient of political contributions from pro-charter organizations, is blocking the legislation from moving forward.

On October 26th, students, parents, teachers, and community will join together for a historic march in Brighton Park to fight for our neighborhood community schools. Please join us to tell the city and the school district that they must stop charter expansion and that an elected representative school board is needed now. Thank you for your support.



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