The Network for Public Education has released a statement condemning the Rahm Emanuel administration for the outrageous school closings in Chicago.
Parents, teachers, administrators, and concerned citizens must speak up and act out against this horrendous and arrogant action by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
In Chicago you have the only union and union leader, Karen Lewis, who shows she cares. Remember “I hear real good, but I see a whole lot better.” Of any district in the U.S. you in Chicago have the best chance of stopping them there as a result of CTU.
I’m sorry–this is off-topic–George, you know all about Deasy. John’s PBS comments were making me think of the “Tavis Smiley” I watched tonight (well, yesterday already)–John Deasy was the guest. They put his name up &, after, it said “PhD.” I believe there was some controversy as to whether he really has a PhD., & you’d mentioned it. Does he? Also, where is he from? His accent sounded Bostonian. Thanks, George!
Wish I could be on a flight to Chicago! With them in spirit and will pass the word. Brilliant 4:00 start time.
Good luck to all of you! It is time for people to push back against these corporations. I just heard Karen Lewis on PBS. They tried to give her that “status quo” garbage, but she did just great. As you know, many billionaires give money to PBS, so there were going to be a few questions like that. I think people are waking up to what is happening. I was getting my car fixed, and a lady started telling me how terrible it was that they are closing schools in Chicago. The propaganda networks can’t bury or spin this.
Chicago teachers have guts!
If having guts was “catching” we could probably “win” or win over some valuable support. BUT…most of the teachers seem to be oblivious to the tsunami that is bearing down on their careers. It makes me sad, and anxious.
Cheers for Karen Lewis and her courageous fellow teachers.!
They aren’t oblivious to it, they are hoping to outrun it, or they are like victims that suffer from “learned helplessness.” Funny, the psychologist that studied and developed that concept works for the KIPP schools. Life is full of ironies.
It’s about tenure and the scarcity of jobs in the US. Simple as that. We’ve got so many young teachers and paraprofessionals in our schools who will do almost anything to keep their jobs. They’ve got college loans to repay, not to mention the obvious need for food and shelter. They are always telling me about how they wish they didn’t have to act this way.
Hard not to think it’s Rahm’s big ‘%$#@ you” to the teachers for embarrassing him.
Yes, it seems Rhameeee is the thug of Chicago, spinning his justifications for closing 50+ schools, and displacing thousands of students. It’s terrible to witness outright crimes against education and children. My support goes out to all those brave souls standing up to this tyrant.
I feel that long before school closings start to happen, “corporate ed reformers” set up a system that enables the closings to happen to make for “miraculous” reopenings which are of course CHARTER SCHOOLS thus making way for privatization. Across this nation before the closings start…. govt officials who have no business leading schools force their way into leading schools! Look at Wisconsin’s governor… look at NYC with Bloomberg, look at DC with Fenty/Rhee, look at Rahm Emmanuel in Chicago. Now look TODAY in the here and now stage look at Prince George’s County Maryland….
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/maryland-senate-introduces-baker-school-takeover-legislation/2013/03/25/f442378c-9563-11e2-ae32-9ef60436f5c1_story.html
We need strong leaders like Karen Lewis and Diane Ravitch etc.. to join together the UFT and the NEA and to bring the teachers’ unions across America together to work their employees into a united front to stop this corporate strategy when it is in the “first” stage (mayoral take over supported by corporate “ed reformers”).
When they close schools, they typically shut down all grades, all at once. Ever notice how when new schools open, especially new charters, they start with one grade at a time and add one more grade each successive year? I used to wonder if that was about budgetary constraints or if was about the kids, like they were aiming to get education right by growing the school slowly.
It turns out it’s neither. actually. There’s evidence to believe it’s a way to stack the deck and ensure compliance and higher test scores, by indoctrinating kids from year one. Then, the next grade added is the grade that those initial students will be moving on to the following year, such as by starting with Kindergarten and then adding 1st grade the next year, 2nd Grade the year after that, etc. So each new grade that “opens” is actually filled by the indoctrinated students who were there the previous year. Plus, such schools often have a clear preference for filling spaces in KG and 1st Grade and are less inclined to replace kids who’ve left the school in later grades.
It’s a highly orchestrated scheme. If only officials acted so methodically in the true interests of children, such as when closing schools, taking all variables into consideration, including the kids who are scheduled to soon graduate…
Thanks, TeacherEd, for bringing up an important point that I haven’t yet seen. “Highly orchestrated scheme” and “indoctrinated students” gets right to the crux of the matter…the raison d’etre.
That’s EXACTLY why this must be stopped now.
I had the pleasure of hearing Ms Lewis on NPR the other day.
GREAT JOB!
Answered all the usual “but the schools are failing” junk with real substance and passion.
Keep going!
I wrote an email to Barbara Byrd-Bennett and received such a condescending reply that I’m posting it hear. It’s pathetically laughable.
Dear Ms.Byrd-Bennet,
Your policy of closing schools target predominantly minority students. This is racist. Why don’t we work on eradicating poverty instead of establishing charter school that segregate our children and put more money in the pockets of privatizers. This is sad.
Byrd Bennett, Barbara
9:50 AM (3 hours ago)
to me
Good morning
I am sorry that you have been misinformed. If we work from the facts, you will see that the underutilized schools and under resourced schools are in the African American neighborhoods and this is also why the quality of the education in those schools is not what it should be…it is not what our children deserve.
why would i ever close a school and deliberately do harm to a child?
Let’s work with the facts. it is sadder when we do not
Thank you for reaching out to me
to Byrd
Good Afternoon,
I am sorry you have been misinformed. Closing neighborhood schools disproportionately affects minority students (those who need a cohesive school environment the most.) Current research indicates that this does not improve student outcomes.
Children don’t deserve to live in poverty. Children don’t deserve to have their needs glossed over by corporate for-profit educational informers. I’m sorry you are so misinformed.
Nice response.