Editorial: Inspiration from recent outpouring of support for Chicago Public Schools
Whenever people give up hope for democracy, something happens to remind us why we love so much about what this country stands for.
The massive turnout of parents at the Edison Regional Gifted Center on February on February 8, 2008, showed the activism of the majority of Chicago Public Schools parents, teachers and students in opposition to many of the plans being foisted on Chicago's communities by the school board and Mayor Richard M. Daley. During February 2008, thousands of people protested the attacks on the public schools that resulted in the reconstitution of six schools and the radical changes that were proposed for 12 others. Nevertheless, the Board of Education, on February 27, voted to rubber stamp all but one of the 19 proposals submitted by CEO Arne Duncan. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.
At the national level, the USA is seeing such a repudiation of the cynical politics of media manipulation and tyrannical abuse of power that even cynics begin to wonder if the dream can still be real.
And during February 2008, despite some of the most vicious attacks on public schools behind some of the most vicious lies ever told by public officials, more than 1,000 people turned out to support their schools and denounce those who lies and oppress.
