The Chicago Board of Education meeting on August 24, 2023 featured its customary charter school boosters, a group of upset Hispanic parents who accused their high school of racism and outraged parents of magnet and gifted schools protesting the lack of bus services.
Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Stacy Davis Gates first addressed the Board and talked about the problems with heat, promoted sustainable schools, and praised the decision to enact religious paid holidays for its teachers.
The surprise this time was not seeing Principals Association President Troy LaRaviere address the School Board concerning Lindblom High School.
CTU Charter Division Chair Jen Conant said the CTU represents 12 different charter networks and 32 schools out of over 100 charter schools, and they concluded a number of successful negotiations that include staffing guarantees, compensation almost equal to CPS teachers and maximum special ed classloads. This represents a huge victory for CTU to fight against the privatization of public schools and slow the growth of corporate charter schools that paid teachers less and made them work longer hours. The fight for special education services continues, she said, after the whole special ed department at one Southside charter school resigned over the summer. Conant said they they hope this board will hold charter schools accountable.
The charter school boosters then as is their custom at every Board of Education meeeting fired back by listing all the incredible accomplishments they have achieved at their private/public charter schools, including CICS, Legacy, Noble Pritzker, Great Lakes Academy and Acero. They threw out their cusomary corporate lingo - equity, scholars, positivity and claim once again that they have a full wait list. (This was a big lie the charters promoted during the education reform days under Mayors Daley and Emanuel that the charters had long waiting lists until it exposed they the charters like public schools were also underenrolled.) It is interesting that there is usually one Hispanic mom at each Board meeting who praises in Spanish Acero Charter School. Acero was formerly UNO Charters, a corrupt operation started by Juan Rangel who was forced out, after he teamed up to help elect Mayor Richard Daley and Rahm Emanuel, big-time corporate education reform backers. Rangel and UNO boasted that they would provide only all-English instruction.
A bunch of angry Marine High School Hispanic parents claimed that funds were illegally moved in the school budget to close certain positions which showed a disregard for students. They asked where some of the funds went and stated the administration has intimidated and discriminated against the Spanish-speaking parents. They said they asked for a full audit of funds, grades, attendance, and staff punch ins and outs and to stop discrimination against Latino students. This was an alarming accusation because Marine Academy is an Hispanic school. Another parent said she was fired after being a whistleblow. The Board said they will meet with the parents to discuss their concerns more fully.
A group of equally angry parents of gifted students at magnet schools complained that they are not getting the busing services that were promised. One said CPS should allocate money directly to the parents because of the driver shortage. They said 8,000 kids lost busing, but that there are more drivers this years yet half the bus routes were closed. One talked about underperforming neighborhood schools, “and I’m sorry but a Ventra card is not going to get my kid to school.” They said they are upset because they were promised busing when selecting selective schools. One parent said it was not right to pit homeless students busing against the selective school students. “I fear that increasing diversity at these schools is important, but the effect will be the opposite,” said one white parent. They mentioned that the minority parents would have to travel too far and will drop out of these selective schools. At Edison 150 famlies were affected. Restore the promised transportation, they asked the Board. They also said a long bus ride on the CTA is not safe for elementary age students.
A handful of parents at Bateman Elementary School demanded repairs to the school’s 20-year-old playlot that has a sinkhole. They said they got a $800k grant from the state to make the repairs, but CPS needs to match it. They said the playground is dangerous and someone will get hurt if CPS doesn’t act fast enough. They say playlots typically last up to 15 years. “The playground is in constant repair, and the constant money spent to make repairs is a waste of precious school resources,” said a Bateman parent. “Please support this project.”
Hirsch High School LSC member complained that their high school tops 40 percent of students receiving Special Education services. State law mandates that no more than 30 percent should be represented in a classroom. They were assured they would get more funding to hire three more special ed teachers, but those promised funds never came. They want to reinstate those funds that was promised and voted on by the Hirsch LSC.
Rosita Chatonda, who worked at the CTU with Karen Lewis and CORE before she was fired, spoke next at the Board of Ed meeting. She heads a group called Cause that fights for black teacher rights. “I have a lot of history here,” she said. “I was the organizer for Karen Lewis in 2009. We helped get Karen elected. All of them are almost gone, the old guard.” She said they brought resources to South Shore. She said they have a lawsuit about the firing of a lot of black teachers which “has left their community in shambles.” She hopes the new Board will address problems with the Law Department. She asked that they look into teachers on the Do Not Hire list who have no charges against them and still hold state certificates and can pass the background check.
We at Second City Teachers have featured a number of unfair Do Not Hire cases.
A Goethe Elementary School parent wants a turf field because they have poor drainage and it’s a mudpool where kids sometimes can’t play soccer or have recess outdoors.
A parent complained it was ok to help migrant students, but where are the resources for the black kids with their increased transportation costs.
This parent asked why is South Shore International Charter College Prep Academy half full, yet they claim a wait list. The speaker said black children travel the furtherest of any kids in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). “Why do underenrolled high schools have waitlists?”
Dee Perkins, who ran for alderman in the 5th ward, stood next to Rosita Chatonda, said she learned a lot about the city and that “our education system is deeply flawed.” She repeated how do you have half empty schools have waitlists and then force students mostly of color to travel across the school. She said she also didn’t understand all the different schools - selective, gifted, magnet, charter, etc. and that they all get the same funds. “Look at the data, numbers do not lie,” Perkins said. “We’re spending money on newcomers and our kids can’t read. A whole class is 2 levels behind so the whole class needs an IEP. We need to prioritize, not talk.”
IL Network of Charter Schools Allison Jack, who spoke at prior meetings, says there are 119 charter schools in Chicago educating 54,000 Chicago students. She highlighted the corporate lingo of achieving equity and excellence, and positivity. She said the renewal of 48 charter schools coming up, renewal - for accountability and stability, should consider that IL law allows 10 years for charter renewal for high performing schools.
At the end of the public speaking period a CPS official said there are more bus drivers, but there are more requests from diverse learners. A CTA pass allows for companion passes for parents or adult to travel with kids. They applied for a grant for 50 electric buses and will wait until Dec or Jan to hear if they get the grant. The CPS transportation official said Bateman is still working with the State to secure their grant, and that the playground is safe but there is a section that appears to have a sinkhole. They are sending people that day to look at it. He also said CPS Goethe shared concerns with Goethe that their field “don’t look impressive.” He said in 2013 or 2014 they paid $1.9 million to do that field, and “we advised there could be some risks with the drainage.” He said they’re working with the community and they just need some more funding of up to 200k to fix the drainage problems.
At the very end of the meeting the Board of Trustees heard a list of a few teachers who were recommended for dismissal. One of them was tenured teacher Tai Tai Sinkavicus (spelling?) from Bright Elementary School who they voted on to dismiss (fire) because the charges were “true and correct.” Tai Tai was a fiery black female delegate who went to battle against CTU President Stacy Davis Gates. She would bravely stand up at several meetings and demand reparations for black people and call out politics that did not benefit black people. She brought back memories of the old time female black radicals of the 60s. Friends said there was an altercation at her school from last year and she had taught over 20 years in CPS.
I'd like to comment on the statement that I was fired by CTU. That's not true because I was under contract with CTU and not really an employee. Therefore, we agreed that contract would not be renewed. CTU had engaged in helping Rahm and CPS purge 7,000 Black educators by signing away many teacher protections, especially" seniority in economic layoffs" Because of this when Ram closed 50 schools he was able to fired all the veterans on the South and West sides. and I was in total disagreement of CTU's purging of Black teachers. Also, CTU purged almost all the Black veteran who worked at CTU before CORE took over. CTU mistreated veterans, specially those of African American Descent. During my short tenure I was completely disgusted by the racism, age discrimination and implicit bias exercised by the CORE caucus. This letter tells th internals struggle at CTU as the viciously helped purge veteran Blacks. THIS IS THE "WILLIE LYNCH|" THEORY PLAYED OUT IN REAL TIME. https://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=7776