Troy LaRaviere has been an exemplar of courage and integrity as principal of Blaine Elementary School in Chicago. He was president of the city’s principal’s association. He was education advisor to mayoral candidate Chuy Garcia. He endorsed Bernie Sanders and made a commercial for his campaign. He has criticized Rahm Emanuel and his hand-picked board. Finally, someone decided Troy had gone too far. He has been removed, a replacement has been chosen.
Educators are not supposed to speak out.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
May his poor treatment bring him massive anti-reformer support!
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Really simple, as an administrator, if he goes off script from what management supports, he will be treated like any rogue member of an organization, cut him, get rid of him. How dare he side with teachers, his arse was grass.
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The emperor has spoken “Off with his head !”
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From a very old and very dead and very Greek guy—
“Without a sign, his sword the brave man draws, and asks no omen, but his country’s cause.”
Homer knew how to acknowledge the courage to do the right thing under trying circumstances.
😎
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If anyone thinks this kind of thing will change under a Hillary Clinton Administration, they would be sorely mistaken.
There’s a reason Troy supports Bernie. They both value democracy, where truth to power is welcomed rather than silenced.
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Bernie slams ouster of Troy:
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160421/lakeview/bernie-sanders-slams-ouster-of-troy-laraviere-as-rahms-revenge-obsession
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Cheryl: thank you for the link.
😎
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Agree totally!
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I’ll go one strong, Ed Detective. I suspect they wait until the New York primary to make sure they would have enough cover. A Clinton Presidency will be a bloodbath.
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Indeed, “bloodbath” is not hyperbole.
If Americans could find it on the map, they might want to ask the Libyan people what they think of Hillary “We Came, We saw, He died.” Clinton, since she is directly responsible for turning that country from one of the most affluent and egalitarian in Africa into a failed state, training/recruiting ground for ISIS, and jumping off point for mass migration to Europe.
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I’m glad LaRaviere has Diane Ravitch in his camp. Today, a news reporter wrote, in reply to me about a different issue, that he’s spoken with Dr. Ravitch, on a few occasions. And then, with praise, he described her as a “heavyweight”. It doesn’t get much better than that compliment!
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Linda: what you said.
😎
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The statement from CPS references a certain July 2015 confrontation between Laraviere and then-CPS CEO Jesse Ruiz, as one of the factors that led to his firing.
At the time, LaRaviere also was accused of “insubordination directed toward the CEO” during a July 13, 2015, budget meeting in which he “asked a provocative question from the audience attempting to highlight financial missteps of the Board and demanding an answer to those missteps.”
I just dug up Laraviere’s own account of this confrontation:
See how Ruiz behaves when the cameras are off, according an account of activist principal Troy LaRaviere in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
LaRaviere is a proponent of having and elected school board, and who backed Chuy Garcia, Emanuel’s opponent and Ruiz’ boss in the recent election.
BELOW is LaRaviere’s first-hand account. In the story that follows, LaRaviere put his job on the line, and boldly confronted Ruiz at principals’ budget meeting, days before Ruiz was replaced as Interim CEO of CPS. LaRaviere took Ruiz to task about how Ruiz and his unelected board diverted $2 billion dollars of school funds to benefit non-school construction projects related to organizations which had backed Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s successful re-election bid.
(NOTE: Years ago, Mayor Emanuel had appointed Ruiz to the Board, and also appointed Ruiz to briefly lead the board as its interim CEO in June 2015.)
In a real mano-a-mano confrontation, Ruiz clumsily attempted to refute LaRiviere’s contentions, but eventually became flustered and gave up, calling Ruiz a “loud-mouthed principal.”
All very entertaining stuff… read on…
This is an enlightening look into how zero free speech and non-democracy reigns with an unelected school board.
http://troylaraviere.net/2015/07/16/adding-insult-to-injury-a-look-inside-a-cps-principals-budget-meeting/
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Outspoken Principal Troy LaRaviere goes at Chicago Public Schools
CEO Jesse Ruiz one-on-one: (days before Ruiz was replaced)
Just before this excerpt begins, LaRaviere asked a question, and then began asking to have to floor, and speak at the principals’ budget meeting, when…
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TROY LARAVIERE:
At that point, interim CEO Jesse Ruiz stood up, projected his voice, and with a somewhat stern and agitated tone stated, “You can get your question addressed outside in the hall with me.”
Once again, a CPS official was, in effect, stating to the audience of principals, “Everyone will hear US (CPS administration), but NO ONE will hear YOU (people not in CPS adminstration, be that the public or principals or whoever), and NO ONE will hear OUR response to YOU.”
(Ruiz’) standing up was a bold move, seemingly intended to either intimidate me, or to make other principals think twice about seconding my question.
“My question needs to be addressed right here with the principals in this room,” I replied.
“YOU are disrupting this meeting,” Ruiz said.
“And YOU are insulting the intelligence of everyone in this meeting,” I countered.
At that point, my network chief asked that I accept the CEO’s offer to step outside the meeting; so I did. As I left I told principals, “If anyone else is interested in his answer to the question, we’ll be right outside the door.”
TROY LARAVIERE: (continued)
No principal took me up on my offer. When we got into the hallway, we began to engage in what I can only describe as a testosterone-driven, back-and-forth aimed at little else except besting the other’s last comment.
I’m sure there is quite a bit I’ve left out due to the limitations of my own memory, but here is—to the best of that memory—how it went once we left the auditorium.
LARAVIERE: “That political propaganda had no place in a principal’s budget meeting.”
RUIZ: “If you’re so unhappy with CPS, why do YOU stay in it?”
LARAVIERE: “To save it from people like YOU.”
RUIZ: [I can’t remember his exact words, but it had something to do with the budget]
LARAVIERE: “Your mayor has diverted over $2 billion tax payer dollars to his campaign contributors.”
RUIZ: “He’s YOUR mayor, too.”
At this point Ruiz launched into an extended critique of my involvement in the Chuy Garcia campaign.
(NOTE: Garcia was Mayor Emanuel’s opponent, who made history by being the first non-machine candidate to force the machine incumbent into a run-off. Garcia backs keeping traditional public schools—not closing them and replacing them with charters, and also backs going back to an elected school board. JACK)
LARAVIERE: “Please. Don’t lecture me on the ethics of principals being involved in election campaigns, when you work for a mayor who repeatedly pulled CPS principals out of their buildings during work hours to stand on stage with him at his campaign events. Let’s get back to the point. Your mayor diverted $2 billion taxpayer dollars to his campaign contributors (to the elections of both Daley and Emanuel).”
RUIZ: “And what is your source for that?”
LARAVIERE: “Forbes Magazine.”
RUIZ: “Well, I’m sure they didn’t cite any evidence.”
LARAVIERE: “They cited about a decade of receipts from City Hall’s vendor checkbook.”
RUIZ: “You’re nothing but a loud-mouthed principal!”
“Did the CEO of CPS just resort to name-calling?” I thought.
The exchange had already sunk low enough. I wasn’t about to sink to name-calling—especially with my boss. I will tell my boss a truth he doesn’t want to hear, and raise questions he doesn’t want to answer, but I’m not calling him names.
It was after the “loud-mouthed principal” comment that I decided to end the exchange.
LARAVIERE: “It’s obvious I’m not going to get my question answered here so I’m going back in to listen to rest of this nonsense propaganda.”
RUIZ: “If you think it’s nonsense, why would you sit through it? I would not sit through nonsense.”
LARAVIERE: “That’s because you’re too busy dishing it out.”
[I walked away and returned to the auditorium]
We had left the auditorium because Ruiz invited me into the hallway with the understanding that he would address a question I posed about CPS’s reckless spending. However, the exchange we had outside that room quickly degenerated into a chest pounding stand-off, much of which had nothing to do with my question about CPS spending.
I had allowed him to lure me into a verbal cockfight. The CEO of Chicago Pubic Schools and one of its most successful principals were going toe-to-toe like two overstimulated teenaged jocks—in public. It was certainly not my proudest moment, and I doubt it made Ruiz’s top ten list.
Here’s a long post, where former Chicago CPS CEO Jesse Ruiz—now back to being a CPS Board member who’s now out to fire Troy LaRaviere— makes the incredible comment that he (Ruiz) is so glad there’s no elected school board in Chicago, because then he’d have to actually take into account what the public desires—and all that stress of an angry public— instead of carrying out the marching orders of his corporate privatization masters.
Yeah, he really said that.
Immediately following this—in the latter part of the post—is LaRiviere’s first-hand the confrontation he had with LaRaviere with Ruiz at a principals’ training that was full of privatization propaganda.
Here’s the post:
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HOW PUBLIC SCHOOL GOVERNANCE WORKS IN CHICAGO:
Jesse Ruiz, a current appointee to Chicago’s unelected School Board, appeared at a forum held at the City Club of Chicago last February 2, 2015. It was a discussion about whether Chicago should keep its appointed (by the mayor) school board, or return to the old system of having citizens elect a board. The return to an elected board was overwhelmingly endorsed by Chicago’s citizens in a non-binding vote last spring.
In defending the unelected Chicago School Board upon which he sits, Jesse opened his mouth and made some “WTF-did-he-just-say?!” statements that were, thankfully, captured for posterity on video.
NOTE: Earlier this summer, Jesse was also briefly the interim Chicago Schools CEO (not Superintendent… schools are a business in Chi-town) when the then-CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett had to resign after prosecutors announced an investigation of her conflict-of-interests in spearheading a multi-million-dollar contract to a principals’ training organization that she had ties to… but that’s another story.
Anyway, back to Jesse Ruiz, who, years ago, was also appointed to the Illinois’ State Board of Ed, where he served for several years. At Ruiz’ aforementioned appearance at a City Club of Chicago forum, Jesse started talking about how hundreds of school districts in Illinois had elected boards, and while serving on the Illinois board, he got along well with the members of those elected boards—he calls them his “colleagues”.
However, Ruiz nevertheless argues that Chicago must not have an elected school board, and made the following justification: (here’s the video.. go to about 06:58 – 07:35)
(06:59 – 07:35)
JESSE RUIZ, Chicago Board of Ed.: “But for our city, I honestly do believe that it would be best left as it is, as an appointed school board, because it’s an incredibly complicated and diverse district. There are very difficult decisions to be made, and sometimes they’re not very popular decisions, and I would have to—I WOULD HATE to have to worry about my next election when making a vote.
“I NEVER worry about that. I’ve NEVER HAD TO worry about that, or worry about WHO, WHO… uhhh… I am pleasing, or un-pleasing with my vote. All I worry about is what’s best for the students in the city of Chicago. And so therefore, that’s the system that I prefer.”
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I don’t know about you, but Jesse’s really “un-pleasing” me with his justification for the 20-years-and-counting cancellation of popular democracy in the governance of Chicago’s public schools, and where the corporate reformers and profiteers that bankrolled Rahm Emanuel’s election now drive the policy… and not Chicago’s citizens.
How about you? Are you as “un-pleased” with then-CEO and
But seriously, istn’t that how democracy works?
When some policy implementation is unpopular and “un-pleasing” with the citizen-taxpayers—no matter how much Board Member Ruiz, or any elected official is desirous of such implementation—that fear of being removed from office in an upcoming election is a necessary check-and-balance, one that reins in Ruiz and his fellow Board members from doing something that the voters—his ultimate “bosses” in a democracy—do not want to happen. The will of the people will prevail in this scenario… theoretically, at least.
This was particularly relevant when Ruiz and his un-elected Board closed 50 traditional public schools—with them replaced by privately-run charters—despite overwhelming polling saying that the tax-paying citizens of Chicago would be very “un-pleased” by this. (I know, I’m beating the “un-pleased” joke to death… that was the last one.)
At the very least, these schools being closed had elected Local Schoolsite Councils (LSC’s) made up of parents and community members, with albeit minimal decision-making power. The privately-managed charters that are currently in the process of replacing them, however, have no such LSC’s, and thus, the parents have ZERO input. Parents are barred from the meetings of that board, which are held in secret, and chaired by businessmen who have ZERO experience as teachers and/or administrators.
MORE ON…”Board Member Ruiz” in my next post.
This Hispanic Jimmy Fallon-look-alike Jesse Ruiz is not the pleasant, engaging, and mild mannered politico that he presents himself as in the ABOVE video. Again, here’s the link:
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Wow, Jack. Laraviere is the man. It’s time for these kinds of confrontations since this is how the other side will drop the jargon and talks clear reform bs.
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So Troy speaks out against the Mayor in an ad, and the present CEO is told to can him. I am sure they are ‘creating’ a case against him just like the supposed meeting he was summoned to.
I guess the freedom of speech on his own time is against the CPS rules. I bet all CPS principals are now silenced by the example being made.
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Name it: EVIL!
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I hope that Mr. Laraviere has prepared for this situation. It is not a surprise for bad authority to fire the best principal/educator who opposed him and his gang.
As a result of this loss of his dedicated career to educate children in public school, I would like to know the support from all parents, students, teachers and Chicago Teacher Union organization. Would they stand up and demand principal Troy Laraviere to be back his job at all cost like a long term strike, or fire Jesse Ruiz? Back2basic
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Jesse Ruiz is no longer on the CPS board. He has been appointed to the Chicago Park District Board. Forrest Claypool is the head of CPS now but he was previously at the Park District and the Transit Authority. When you are a friend of the mayor, you never get fired, just moved to another board.
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Keep in mind that Ruiz is also a senior partner at a Chicago law firm where he likely has lifetime job security.
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Troy LaRaviere should launch a real charter school in Chicago.
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Firing Laraviere just makes emotions run higher, strengthening democratic forces—exactly what the Friedmanists don’t want, so now they are screaming at each other behind closed doors.
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We have a statement from Mr. LaRaviere:
https://troylaraviere.net/2016/04/22/thank-you-now-for-step-one/
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“At some point I’m hoping all of us will be obstacles to it.”
We all do hope.
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In the post, LaRaviere asks that CPS identify the charges. I plan to contact CPS, as a concerned citizen of democracy, to request a listing of what “ethics”, the managers at CPS think they have, that would lead them to charge someone else, with lacking them. Ethics are principles that make a person sacrifice for something more important than his/her own selfish interests.
What has Mayor 1% done to show his ethics?
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Thank you Linda for your active participation in this particular case. Hopefully, Dr. Ravitch and NPE will pitch in with CTU leader Karen to help out with Mr. LaRaviere’s family needs. May.
Here is Principal Troy LaRaviere’s request to do on his behalf.
[start paragraph]
…
Again, since we don’t know what the alleged violations are, I believe ANY EFFORTS TO SUPPORT MY CASE SHOULD FOCUS ON FORCING CPS TO TELL ME WHAT THEY’RE CHARGING ME WITH. After they reveal the charges people can then decide what next steps need to be taken.
…
Finally, my message is that we need to stay focused on the corrupt fiscal management and incompetent education policy of our district and our city. That’s what I’ve tried to highlight. This is not about me. This is about corruption, and I am an obstacle to that corruption. At some point I’m hoping all of us will be obstacles to it.
[end paragraph]
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Update: The parents of Blaine Elementary are in an uproar with protests.
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160425/lakeview/rahm-emanuel-says-he-wasnt-involved-ouster-of-principal-troy-laraviere
And the Mayor had something to say about it. Actually he said absolutely nothing:
he said, “I do not get involved with personnel decisions.”
Righhhhht.
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