One thing that Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s massive school closings did: They hastened the exodus of African American families from Chicago.
“Chicago was once a major destination for African-Americans during the Great Migration, but experts say today the city is pushing out poor black families. In less than two decades, Chicago lost one-quarter of its black population, or more than 250,000 people.
“In the past decade, Chicago’s public schools lost more than 52,000 black students. Now, the school district, which was majority black for half a century, is on pace to become majority Latino. Black neighborhoods like Austin have experienced some of the steepest student declines and most of the school closures and budget cuts.
“A common refrain is that Chicago’s black families are “reverse migrating” to Southern cities with greater opportunities, like Atlanta and Dallas. But many of the families fleeing the poorest pockets of Chicago venture no farther than the south suburbs or northwest Indiana. And their children end up in cash-strapped segregated schools like the ones they left behind, a Chicago Reporter investigation found.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I have no doubt that black children and families are being pushed out of Chicago. School closings are one reason.
At the same time, there is a national change in public school demographics, with enrollments of Hispanic students exceeding black students.
Here are some national statistics.
Nomenclature is from National Bureau of Education Statistics. Data is from 2015-2016 with private and charter school enrollments noted separately.
24.4 million white students in public schools
26.3 million students are the new majority
13.6 million Hispanic students
8.0 million Black students
2.8 million Asian/Pacific Islander students
1.5 million students of two or more races
0.5 million American Indian/Alaska Native students
34,600 private schools enroll 5.2 million students
6,900 charter schools enroll 3.1 million students
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That’s how choice works. One group chooses to be separate and becomes the wedge that drives out another group, or just causes both groups to distrust each other instead of the ruling class. Here in Los Angeles, there are predominantly Black charters in predominantly Latino neighborhoods. (A bad idea for both.)
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Well explained: charters can be used in multiple ways to increase segregation.
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These statistics are the real reason for education reform. Washington DC looks at these stats and the future is right there. Hispanic and black students will take over the population of schools and most of these kids are from other countries.
DC says we cannot afford to educate the world with tax payer monies. Plain and simple and this is the real reason for education reform it is to combat the influx of other people from other countries leaching onto american soil for just about everything.
The world continues to look at the US for everything while the rest of the world does nothing, lets be real here. And the haters who will attest this post remember the US from the 70s, or 80s or even 90s but once the internet broke ground the US was doomed as the now the entire world wants to be american because “everything is free in america”.
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I don’t hate your post at all, World. I’ve heard those points from many people…some of whom are good friends of mine. On the surface and in some ways, I have to say that I agree with you. There are definitely those who are looking for and getting a free ride. They are a drain on our economy.
But it’s a little more complicated than that, to my way of thinking:
1) Not all of the people who are coming into our country are lazy and demanding something for nothing. Many are TAX PAYING individuals and families who want to work hard in order to better their lot in life. There wasn’t much in the way of opportunity in the countries they left behind. That’s one of the reasons why you see so many legal and illegal aliens working in kitchens, construction, etc; they work their tails off for less money than others might…so they get hired.
2) Not all of the people who are lazy and demanding are streaming into our country from outside of our borders. I know and have met plenty of lazy and demanding lifelong US citizens who expect something for nothing. Some of them just don’t want to work. Period. But many of them who DO work just don’t want to pay the taxes that are necessary to build and maintain a sound infrastructure; from highways to education to health care, etc. They don’t see a connection between their paycheck and the taxes that are withdrawn. This starts with the lower to middle income voter who cheers on the “NO TAXES” speeches made by politicians to the upper 1% who have helped put those politicians into office.
The system only works if we pay into it.
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“And their children end up in cash-strapped segregated schools like the ones they left behind.” Everything is moving backwards. I should worry my little nieces will one day end up in cash-strapped shtetls with periodic pogroms like the ones my grandparents left behind.
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Congratulations, Rahm! Fait accompli
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I suspect there is gentrification as well . Perhaps the school closings playing into those changes . But rising rents in gentrifying neighborhoods drive blacks and even working class whites out.
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