West Side parents and activists have pledged to vote out Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his “rubber stamp” aldermen who have not stood with the community against school closings.
“Aldermen, you have committed political murder upon yourselves,” said West Side activist Windy Pearson outside Edward C. Delano Elementary School Friday morning. “We have decided that it is time for all of you that have not stood strongly and firmly with us to go.”
The Chicago Board of Education unanimously approved the Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) plan to close 49 elementary schools and one high school at its monthly meeting Wednesday.
“The city of Chicago, CPS, Rahm Emanuel, non-elected school board, Mr. Vitale, this message is for you,” Pearson said. “We are the community. We are the stakeholders. We are the parents, the activists, the teachers, the voters, and we are registering individuals to become deputy registrars.” Read more »
Education activists headed to Springfield early Wednesday morning to lobby for a moratorium on school closings. Their campaign for legislative action comes on the same day as the Chicago Board of Education votes on a
proposal to close a record-breaking number of public schools in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Illinois General Assembly has less than one month left in the spring session, which ends May 31.
Chicago-based community groups, parents and advocates for the
state's most vulnerable children called on Illinois lawmakers to restore
$25 million in funding for early childhood education at a gathering in Pilsen Tuesday morning.