In an editorial today, the Chicago Tribune says it is time to “unchain the charters” because they have along waiting list.
The “waiting list” is sheer propaganda. No one knows if it exists. No one knows how many duplications there are. No one acknowledges that charters spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to generate demand and “waiting lists.” The lists are a marketing tool.
The Tribune wants to end public education in Chicago. Even if the charters got higher test scores than the public schools–and they don’t–this would be an abandonment of civic responsibility.
Suppose the Chicago Tribune did a poll and discovered that most of the parents in the CPS want more resources, smaller classes, arts programs, and social workers in their public schools? What if their poll showed that most parents prefer public schools, not corporate chain schools? Would they print that?
Don’t hold your breath.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Oh they know the truth. They know what parents really want. My school recently went through a Quality Review. When the reviewers met with our parents and students, they couldn’t believe how much the parents AND students loved our school, felt safe and knew the best education was being provided. The only complaint? Stop siphoning the school’s funds, stop raising class size, increase music and art classes and bring back our phys ed teacher. The reviewers didn’t know what happened!
Diane, the Chicago Tribune is maniacally devoted to the charter/privatization/anti-teacher agenda. Their unquestioning faith in it reaches back decades. Their standing as a “news source” is deeply compromised by their being “chained” to these notions, and it would be merely embarassing to witness as a reader except for the widespread harm their propaganda actually inflicts on the city of Chicago. The Rahm/CPS/Chicago Tribune threesome is invulnerable to critique, seemingly unstoppable, and inflicting what seems to be irreparable harm on our city.
Diane, you are absolutely right.
Here’s what my look at the actual poll found (http://pureparents.org/?p=20424):
Who responded:
50% of those polled were white. Less than 9% of CPS students are white.
30% of those polled make more than $ 75,000 a year. 87% of CPS students are from low-income families that qualify for federal free or reduced lunches.
43% of those polled do not know a Chicago Public School teacher or teachers’ union member. Really?
Key result the Trib decided not to tell you about:
The most popular answer to their question about what to do about underperforming schools was “devote more resources while keeping the staff intact” (37%). The least selected answers were “close the school and transfer students to a higher-performing school” (only 6%) and “allow an experienced nonprofit to come in and run the school” (18.8%) (question 24).
They will print nothing that fails to support their agenda. Period.
Taking over the presses and shutting down the propaganda pipeline is one possible solution.
Interesting suggestion. Who can be hired to conduct that poll? I”m sure that WBEZ-Chicago would be interested in the results of that poll?
Did not the Sun-Times just in the last few months have a story on Chicago Charter Schools which showed that of the about 100 charters in Chicago only one did better than the regular Chicago Public Schools? If so, why replicate failure unless you have a hidden agenda. What do you think their real agenda is? Is it for or against you best interests? The answer is simple.
They also own the L.A. Times. Wonder why we have problems in L.A. Our other paper the Daily News also will not print real education stories. At least in Chicago you have the Sun-Times.
Folks, here is a little more unpacking of that survey from the folks at PURE in Chicago:
http://pureparents.org/?p=20430
Take a look! The transformation of the information from survey question to response to data point trumpeted by the Tribune, is a sleight-of-hand show. A scary one.
“Unchain the charters?” To quote Nancy Grace, “Unleash the lawyers!”
We in Illinois are waiting to hear about K12 approval in any of 18 school districts they are attempting to invade. There’s a wonderful video from District 204, whereby the snake oil salesman is confounded by the fantastically knowledgeable school board and administration, all of who did their homework and asked/made spot-on questions/comments. It appears certain that THAT district will deny K12’s application.
However, Illinois does have a state charter commission, and recently overturned a denial to Concepts made by District 299…which is, in fact, CPS.
BTW–this charter is scheduled to open within blocks (two, I think) of a school that is slated for closing.