Save North Lawndale Schools

Compiled by Valerie F. Leonard

An update on North Lawndale school closings. Published by the Committee to Save North Lawndale Schools Compiled by Valerie F. Leonard
Save Our Schools Volume 1 | Issue 5 | August 5, 2013

The Last Days of Pope School

Welcome!
Welcome to Save North Lawndale Schools, a newsletter to provide updates on school closings. If you would like to unsubscribe, submit material, or make general comments, you may contact me at valeriefleonard@msn.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Valerie F. Leonard, Editor

Pope School alumni and family gather one last time before the school closes on August 13, 2013.

Links to Blogs and Other Resources to Follow Education Issues

http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/ http://www.substancenews.net/ http://progressillinois.com/ http://www.ctunet.com/ http://pureparents.org/

I had a chance to catch the tail end of the Pope alumni celebration on Friday (August 2, 2013). I was touched by the number of success stories and camaraderie in the room. Truly, this institution has made a tremendous impact on our community for 100 years. The building is a well-maintained architectural masterpiece and provided a great learning atmosphere, and supportive services for the children. It is a sin (in the literal sense) and a shame to see the institution go. In any other community, this school would be considered a community treasure, and deemed almost sacred and untouchable. As I looked at the pictures, I couldn't help but wonder if CPS deems the children of North Lawndale unworthy of such an asset. (More)

Pictures of Leontyne Price and Paul Robeson, installed in panels of the Pope auditorium.

Pope auditorium.

Federal Lawsuits Filed Against CPS

The Board of Education voted to close 50 schools at its May board meeting. Of that number, 4 are located in the North Lawndale community. Bethune will be closed and the building given to Kellman. Paderewski, Pope and Henson will close with no publicly disclosed plans for the buildings.

Lawyering up at CPS... No 'Billion Dollar Deficit!' when Board hired a million dollars worth of new lawyers and paid one outside law firm another million dollars in eight months The next time Mayor Rahm Emanuel or his hand-picked schools Chief Executive Officer Barbara Byrd Bennett tells you that sacrifices have to be made and that Chicago Public Schools has cut its budgets to the . . . Board of Education's star-studded cast back in federal court Wednesday, August 7, for hearing on Trumbull special ed lawsuit While the public awaits the decision of federal judge Lee after last month's three days of hearings, the public can return to court on Wednesday, August 7, to see the Board's starstudded case of outsiders . . . Why Substance has published more than 100 pages of trial reporting from the federal lawsuit against Chicago Public Schools for the violation of the rights of children with disabilities While there has been a lot going on in Chicago and with Chicago's public schools during the last weeks of July and the first week of August 2013, Substance reporters and editors have devoted more . MEDIA WATCH: Chicago taxpayers pay more than $2 million per year to provide daily propaganda on behalf of Rahm Emanuel... Synthetic News straight from City Hall, Chicago style Once again, on August 1, 2013, the taxpayers of Chicago paid for a complete media package from the city's mayor, mediagenic Rahm Emanuel. Once again, at taxpayer expense, the mayor's media team issued a press . . . Illinois judge rules that CPS can close schools even when a hearing officer rules 'No' Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas Allen ruled on July 31 that the Chicago Board of Education has the right to close schools even if a hearing officer finds that the schools shouldn't closed. The ruling, . . .

School Closings in Court

I thank Substance News for providing the following detailed accounts. Illinois judge rules that CPS can close schools even when a hearing officer rules 'No' Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas Allen ruled on July 31 that the Chicago Board of Education has the right to close schools even if a hearing officer finds that the schools shouldn't closed. The ruling, . . . EDITORIAL: Lawsuit exposed not only violations of the rights of students, but the incompetence of Chicago's out of town administrators The ongoing lawsuit against Chicago Public Schools for rushing the closing of the largest number of schools in U.S. history has revealed the indifference of CPS officials as well as their out-of-town incompetence. . . . Plaintiff's case Three days of detailed testimony about the Chicago Board of Education's plans to close more than 50 of the city's real elementary schools took place in federal court in Chicago between July 16 and July . . . Defense case: How the Board of Education explained itself This is the story the Board of Education presented to the court in defense of what it did to more than 2,000 students with disabilities.

Three days of detailed testimony about the Chicago Board of Education's plans to close more than 50 of the city's real elementary schools took place in federal court in Chicago between July 16 and July 18. Photo courtesy of Substance News.

ISAT Scores Are Back

CPS has posted preliminary ISAT scores. A review of the scores of schools that were closed or turned around in North Lawndale indicate that the school closing ordeal, combined with changes to the test to conform with national standards, has impacted school performance. Moreover, in some cases the performance of the receiving schools is not much better than the closing schools or the schools to be turned around. School closings have been disruptive to the entire community. Clearly, the 9 months spent on school closings would have been better spent focusing on classroom instruction and preparing for the new test. (As if we really need to focus more on tests as opposed to education. Here is a link to the test scores for North Lawndale schools that were closed or turned around, as well as the official and unofficial receiving school scores.

West Siders Against All School Closings is looking for people interested in training for Deputy Registrars. If youre interested in participating in the class, call Carolina Gaete at 773 276-2194 (Blocks Together), or 312 221-6423 (cell)

West Siders Against All School Closings is takin it to the streets. Todays Meeting/Cookout will be August 5, 2013 in Franklin Park, 5:30 to 7:30,4230 W. 15th (please bring a park chair) Questions? Call Carolina Gaete at 773 276-2194 (Blocks Together)

CPS Preliminary Budget is Complete

The CPS preliminary budget is now complete. You may download copies of the CPS budget presentation and other documents of interest from the CPS website. It should be noted that at the beginning of FY 2013, CPS claimed they would have to spend all of their reserves from FY 2012 to pay for teacher salary increases in FY 2013. They ended 2012 with a fund balance of $1.026 billion, according to the official statement from CPS' May 2013 bond issue. CPS has been telling the media that they faced a $1 billion budget deficit for FY 2013 due to the teachers strike. They repeated this mantra for nearly the entire FY 2012. The financial statement from the official statement of the May 2013 bond issue indicates that CPS has estimated that after adjusting for a $431.8 million deficit they will have finished FY 2013 with a $636 million fund balance. CPS is now saying that they will have an "historic" $1 billion budget deficit for FY 2014, and will have to deplete their reserves to cover pension payments that are coming due. There is no doubt in my mind that CPS faces financial challenges. These challenges are not of the catastrophic magnitude that are portrayed in the media. If they were, CPS would not be able to sell or refinance their bonds. Furthermore, there would be an outcry from civic groups demanding that a financial oversight board be put in place over the Chicago Board of Education. I urge you to pay attention, and not to believe everything you hear or read in the news. Do your own research.

Check out this slide from the CPS budget presentation. This is further proof that CPS never had a $1 billion deficit. This crisis is being manufactured to provide a rationale for closing 50 schools in mostly African American communities for the eventual turnover to charter operators with an inside track.

Letter from Barbara Byrd Bennett, CEO CPS Budget Overview CPS Summary Budget Slides CPS 2014 Budget Book Official Statement May 2013 Bond Issue Readers Guide to the Budget