Mike Klonsky reports that Sara Sayigh, the librarian for the DuSable building has been rehired. The Chicago school superintendent Forrest Claypool said “an anonymous donor” had funded the position. Mike suspects that student protests brought about the sudden change.

As one of our readers pointed out recently, the elite of Chicago don’t think that public school children need libraries. But the University of Chicago Lab School–where Mayor Emanuel and Arne Duncan send their children–has many librarians.

Mike Klonsky writes:

“While I’m elated to hear that students at DuSable (I still call it that) have their beloved librarian Sara Sayigh back, CPS’s statement explaining the whole affair, is borderline laughable. An anonymous donor? Really, Forrest Claypool? Are teaching and staff positions at CPS now like endowed chairs at the university, dependent on the benevolence of wealthy patrons? Is that even legal? Will it become part of the next collective-bargaining agreement (if there ever is a next)?

“We’ve already got high schools named after billionaires line Gov. Bruce Rauner, retired ComEd CEO Frank Clark and Exelon’s John Rowe. What’s next? The Ken Griffin Social Studies Teacher at Lindbloom? The Anonymous Donor School Clerk at Bronzeville Military?

“Sayigh’s retention means we’re back to three out of 28 high schools with a student population over 90 percent African-American that have a library staffed by a certified librarian. The others are Morgan Park High School and Chicago Vocational Career Academy.”

Sadly, DuSable is no longer a school. It is a building that houses three privately managed charter schools. They too need a library and a librarian.