In Chicago, local student activists support federal civil rights complaints
by Benjamin Herold on Jun 21 2012 Posted in Latest news
by Benjamin Herold
for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks
Students and organizers from local groups Youth United for Change and the Philadelphia Student Union joined grassroots activist groups from across the country Thursday in decrying “top-down” school closings and school turnarounds as a violation of students’ civil rights.
“We are letting the School Reform Commission know that they are closing the schools which serve communities of color, including Black and Latino youth,” said YUC member Tone Elliot, 18, speaking at a press event in Chicago.
“If [the SRC] denies these kids their constitutional rights, we will mobilize,” added Elliot, a recent graduate of Mastbaum High.
In April, District leadership released a “transformation blueprint” calling for the closure of 40 schools in 2013-14 and 24 more schools over the following four years. Should the SRC move forward with that plan, Elliot said, YUC will join groups from at least half a dozen other cities in filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.
District officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Representatives from Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, and other cities have either filed or plan to file similar civil rights complaints, said Jitu Brown, a Chicago-based community organizer with the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization who helped coordinate Thursday’s press event.
“The goal was to demonstrate national outrage over a philosophy of school reform that is time-tested and has failed,” said Brown, citing Chicago’s recent history of school closings, school turnarounds, and school phase-outs.
“We want sustainable school reform, and we want communities involved in their own schools.”
The groups involved in Thursday’s event demanded a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Assistant Secretary of the Office of Civil Rights Russlynn Ali.
YUC’s Elliot said the similarities of the reform efforts taking place across the country struck a chord.
“We have so much in common,” Elliot said. “We’re recognizing that there is a national agenda to privatize education.”
Thursday’s threatened action comes on the heels of a federal lawsuit filed earlier this month by parents and District 1199C Union of Health Care Employees hoping to halt the planned closure of Harrison Elementary, one of eight schools the SRC has already approved closing for the 2012-13 school year.
Comments (8)
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 18:55.
The chidren are not asked to go to another city,state or country. They are asked to attend a school where they can receive a better education with less crime, less bullying and a dedicated staff so let's ask the teachers union to stop trolling and admit It's Better For The Children.
Submitted by Chris H. (not verified) on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 19:51.
You might be the dumbest poster ever----is this you bleat again??
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/22/2012 - 14:15.
As one of the activists present at this press conference, and working on national education reform, I can assure you that school closings do NOT benefit students of color. The statement that "[students] can receive a better education with less crime, less bullying and a dedicated staff" is a wild assumption about the quality of education and the schools the students are being rerouted to. I'm not sure where you got the idea that the schools being closed are full of crime and bullying, but again a wrong assumption. Closing a community school doesn't address issues of crime and/or bullying, it's a bit like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound then pretending that the problem has been solved. The issues of quality of staff are less about the environment and more about how particular teachers deal with and teach students of color. Finally, this press conference was overwhelming youth, not teachers or adults, so who are you to say that these young people, coming from the communities that are dealing with school closings, don't know what they need?
Submitted by Mark G. (not verified) on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 20:13.
Finally, activists are beginning to speak up. Jerry ????
Submitted by Ken Derstine on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 22:14.
The nurses demonstrated for 22 straight weeks. Jerry was no where to be found.
Submitted by Annonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 22:32.
Thank you, nurses, and students! Jerry shows up for photo ops!
Submitted by Mark G. (not verified) on Fri, 06/22/2012 - 09:52.
AND THAT should tell you all you need to know about Jerry Jordan. Game, Set, Match !!
Submitted by Thelma (not verified) on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 13:11.
If the students are taking to the streets "It must be Horrible" especially if they are reaching out to adults that are willing to help them. We should all be willing to help them out. We owe it to them to at least listen to what they are saying.
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