For the past 100 years, Delano Elementary
has been a staple in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, but its
teachers may be fired at the end of the year and the school turned into Melody Elementary as part of the Chicago Public Schools recent round of actions to address school utilization.
Under
CPS’ plan, once Melody students and staff relocate to Delano’s
building, the new school would offer air conditioning in every classroom, a library,
an upgraded computer lab and iPads for students in 3rd through 8th
grades, among other facility and capital improvements.
But West
Side Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) said CPS officials didn’t have the “decency
or courtesy” to offer any additional academic enhancements at the new
school, such as a STEM or fine arts program. The only academic
enhancement, he said, is an iPad.
“An iPad is a dime a dozen,”
Ervin said at the first of three public meetings last night on the
proposed school action. “More kids got iPads than adults
have iPads.” Read more »
Menjiwei Latham said it’s been “horrible” looking for the right
school for her special education student in the Chicago Public Schools
(CPS) system. Her 11 year-old son, Paki, who has been diagnosed with Fragile X
Syndrome (FXS), was placed in two special education programs before he
found his place at 
Residents of the 8th congressional district are terrified that their
Social Security and Medicare benefits are going to be cut, U.S. Rep.
Tammy Duckworth (D, IL-8) said after an hourlong meet and greet with
constituents in Elgin this weekend.
Parents and South Side residents called the Chicago Public Schools’
plan to shut down 54 schools at the end of the year a violent and
disrespectful act during the second and final community meeting
regarding the closure of 
In anticipation of next week’s economic bargaining, members of 
The city’s tax increment financing, or TIF, program is an economic
development tool, but it should really be called a Chicago bailout for
private companies, some Uptown residents said at a town hall meeting Thursday night as part of the CivicLab’s 
Members of Action Now and the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) protested outside of the 
Rogers Park residents gathered for the final installation of the 
As Congress works toward the final stages of an immigration reform plan, a new 