Police state dismays students at April 28 Board meeting... Overcrowding classes at Robeson High School belies 'Culture of Calm' propaganda
April 28, 2010 was supposed to be a lesson in civic engagement for 12 Robeson High School students who used their day off school to attend the Chicago Board of Education meeting. Instead, it became a lesson in how the Board is more concerned with bureaucracy than listening to the public. Board of Education security staff and Chicago police were on orders to treat students, teachers and parents as if they were an enemy invading the Board's land. Substance reporters counted at least 20 security people between the elevators on the fifth floor (where the Board meets) and the various spots in the Board chambers.
Two Chicago police officers were given "CPS Security" jackets and did not display their badges while working inside the Board of Education's fifth floor chambers during the April 28, 2010 meeting. They blocked public access to the more than 40 seats marked "reserved" (see the two seats beside the officer on the left above) while more than 120 people who came to attend the meeting were relegated to a heavily policed "holding room" on the 15th floor of the CPS headquarters building at 125 S. Clark St. CPS sources told Substance that the plan for what many members of the public characterized at the new CPS Police State was approved by Ron Huberman, Chief Executive Officer, and Mary Richardson Lowry, the new President of the Chicago Board of Education. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.This reporter came early to the board meeting to sign up to speak, but the other students from Robeson were coming to attend the press conference and Board meeting. Because of this, they were segregated into the “overflow” room on the 15th floor (where they are supposed to watch the Board meeting on closed circuit TV) while in the fifth floor room where the Board was actually meeting, there were rows and rows of seats “reserved” for guest speakers who left shortly after they spoke.
When it came time for me to speak, my students who wanted to face the Board were told that only five of them could stand with me, and when five came down, a “Facilitator” in a white jacket actually pushed a student out of the way so she could shut the door to the Board room.
The Board’s draconian security tactics in the board room show taught the students, again, how students from magnet and selective enrollment schools were allowed to stand before the Board in full force, but a group of 12 students from Robeson weren’t even allowed to enter the chambers when their teacher was speaking.
Ironically enough, I was speaking this day of the Culture of Calm program that we are developing at Robeson and how all attempts to create a Culture of Calm would be sabotaged by raising class sizes.
At Robeson, students last year (2008 - 2009) were assigned classes without teachers, as was reported by WBEZ, because the Board would not release extra positions to our school until they counted us, even though our staff was well aware that the closing of Calumet High School (which is now Perspectives charter school, which does not take the city's most challenging students or which kicks them out if they misbehave) and the "turn around" of Harper High School (which dumped more than 100 of its most challenging students in the opening year of "turnaround") were going to cause our student numbers to jump.
This year (2009 - 2010), the central office analyzed our predicted numbers with us, supposedly to avoid this situation in the future. The CPS representative told our administration that our Advanced Placement (AP) calculus teacher was really only .7 of a teacher — because her class sizes were "too small." Of course, the AP program mandates smaller class sizes to make sure their program is effective. To give our AP teachers more students would require us to drop our AP programs, which are mandated for us to increase because we are a school on probation. Catch-22!
After CPS analysis, we still had over 80 students in each gym teacher's’ section and even freshman Algebra classes with 52 students. All students in attendance at the April 28, 2010, Board meeting had experienced class sizes over 45 in core subjects during the 2009 - 2010 school year, when Ron Huberman was completely in charge as CEO of the school system. Many students (and parents!) have expressed internalization the difficulty of learning in classes with 50 students — blaming their classmates or themselves for not performing well in crowded classrooms.
Instead of following the AP model that students learn most effectively with smaller classes, the Ron Huberman has gone on record many times threatening to open the Chicago Teachers’ Union contract to raise class sizes. He throws up his hands in desperation, as if there is no other choice. At the same time, there is money locked away in other contracts, such as the unwieldy and difficult IMPACT attendance system or the IDS scripted curriculum program that takes all professionalism away from the craft of teaching. Why is the CTU contract the only mentioned in the discussion of reopening contracts?
While discussing raising class sizes, Mr. Huberman is also attempting to implement what he has proclaimed to be a 'Culture of Calm' in many schools that have been identified as at-risk, ours included.
Our first Culture of Calm liaison, Mr. Chika Okafor, was infrequently seen in the building, arrived late to meetings, and couldn’t even organize an effective meeting with clear objectives and processes to get there, skills that teachers are required to put in every single day’s lesson plans. He is salaried at $80,000 a year, fresh out of college, for this duty.
When it was realized that the program wouldn’t develop itself as the brunt of responsibility fell on overburdened teachers, Ms. Cherie Russ-Chester. Ms. Russ-Chester has organized several meetings that were more efficient, though it seems as if all the teachers are requested to do is theorize ideas based off the six "pillars" of Culture of Calm.
Student participation is sporadic, and no effort is made to get student buy-in to the planning process. Nothing yet has come to fruition.
A Robeson administrator explained to me this morning that CPS wants to see results from their Culture of Calm “investment” next year. Culture of Calm is a program that demands change of the entire community, she explained. Typically, changes take three years — a first year of finding your legs, a second year of working out the kinks, and a third year of finally implementing a polished process.
Instead, the business model of CPS expects Robeson teachers to add “Reforming the Englewood Community in 6 months” to their ever-increasing workload!
Why is the idea of re-allocating Culture of Calm money into keeping class sizes down not an option? Not even Huberman could implement a Culture of Calm with 50 freshmen in a math class over the course of 6 months.
Opening the CTU contract sabotages the Culture of Calm program, which already has bare-bones support. Schools systems are living organisms, interacting with themselves! Can you cut someone’s toes off then ask them to pirouette? Or even walk a straight line? CPS refuses to see the school system as a holistic organization.
My students began to see our struggle in the bigger picture at the Board meeting. Some noted that the security at central office was horrible compared to security in their own building, who so often get a bad rap in the media. The strongest lesson they learned was that students, teachers, and community members are not respected by the Board, and that organized action must be taken to make positive changes in the system for students. Perhaps this is better than any lesson I was intending to teach!
Comments:
By: Danielle from CORE
Politicking...
Mr. Van Over, this is the second time you've followed me with a rude toned note. Please don't associate my mistakes with CORE as an organized caucus. I claim my many mistakes personally. I did not submit this as a CORE propaganda piece.
By: Jose M.
to Danielle
you wear you banner well. You're Danielle form CORE but not when you're wrong. whatever, no one expects you to know the contract. SEA is the expert in contracts, have to be since Ted didn't enforce it.
Question -did I miss a student day off? it wasn't on my calender.
By: Danny
Danielle's (from CORE) confusion
"I did not submit this as a CORE propaganda piece." --Danielle from CORE
If we're not to associate your mistakes with core, why do you sign your post "from core? "
Frankly, Danielle, I don't know you and wouldn't recognize you if you jumped out from behind me and yelled "Boo! " This is not personal; it is based upon the words you write.
The content of my post above is matter-of-fact. If you're bound and determined to find "rude tone" in a piece of prose, you'll probably find it, but that says more about your state of mind than the text.
I suppose you didn't like the title I used: core confusion. But again, if we're not to associate you with core, then why do you sign your posts as you do?
You made another factual error on the First Class system earlier today, which Linda Goff corrected (with no "rude tone").
It bothers me, Danielle, when someone makes assertions that aren't true. It's not as if I believe you were trying intentionally to deceive people, but the effect is the same.
Don't just repeat what you've heard people say; people are often wrong. For example, almost everyone thinks that Agency Fee payers have deductions that are 90 or 95% what members pay (as you repeated on First Class today). But that isn't the case, and it's so easy for you to check out. You're a delegate and are supposed to post the agency fee information on your school's Union bulletin board. Look at the numbers. Agency Fee is 100% of membership dues (and has been for a number of years now). There is no financial benefit at all in NOT being a member of the Union.
Facts are important. Even little ones.
And since you have accused me of politicking, I'll do so. Inexperience--not bad intentions, but inexperience--is a major weakness of the CORE team.
There may be many good people in CORE (including yourself), but I'm backing a team with the experience I trust.
By: xian from CORE
Respect
Jose: She wrote an article, and turned it in to an exceptional editor and yet a mistake made it through. It happens. Yesterday was a non-attendance day for Freshman, Sophomores, and Seniors. Some teachers chose to take a personal day to fight for everyone's jobs and support our students. We've been doing it long before we were running for any office and will continue to win or lose. As a group, we decided to educate people on the budget. Much of the research produced was based on resources and discussions started by George. The sweat and work was all ours and some amazing students'. We are excited to collaborate with CSDU and PACT as well. We hope they have enjoyed their month studying the budget. It's all about education and coalition building and when people are civil and collaborative, it's well worth it.
Danny: Dude, relax. You may want to win the election. Go for it. Just show a little humility and class. Some people may have concerns about your team, but I feel no need to snipe at people on the internet. If you win, I won't have any sour grapes about it. We have far more experience than other caucuses in some areas and less in others. What I do know is that we work extremely hard and I have never felt the to mock or detract from the work the other caucuses have done. I thanked you personally for your testimony and work on PACT's court victory (that every CTU member benefited from) and the executive committee (which we worked hard to put you on).
So if you must turn every piece of work that others do into some magical PACT campaign stop, do what you need to do. But I think we can all agree that the work continues well past May 21st, and personally I intend to reflect that ethic.
Finally, the effect is most certainly not the same when someone makes an honest mistake and intentionally deceives someone.
I've always been more than civil to you as you have attacked mine and my colleagues careers, teaching styles and students themselves. I'm not hurt or offended or moved one inch off of my purpose. But I do think it's fair to ask, why?
By: Jose M.
intentions
my intention was to get you to lighten up.
I can't read minds but erervone else seems to be able to determine the intentions of others.
So I'll try: Danielle -your intention was to bring the extremely dangerous and unprofessional practices CPS employees on 'neighborhood schools. You became defensive when Danny corrected the errors in your article and labeled him as rude.
George's intention was to get the article online fast and r to check her facts.)
Danny's intention was first in a educated way to correct the mistakes in the article. The second time probably in frustration because as a CPS employee he and the rest of us see the same mistakes being made over and over because the central office team has no real experience.
the
Xian gets involved to to defend his caucus (that's honorable).
So now the comments are turning into the goofy stuff at 299.
bottom line for every caucus member: If you're speaking or writing check your facts first, second and third BEFORE you say or write anything because at this juncture 'honest mistakes' turn into 'stupid statements'. And whether you say it or not it reflects on your caucus.
By: George N. Schmidt
Fact checking includes comment checking
Jose. The problem yesterday was that Substance was under a Cyber Attack and I had to spend several hours dealing with it. The problem today is that you're the only person engaging in this particular discussion who is not out front, so I'm asking you to make your comments using full name (first and last name) which is our policy here, when people are addressing specific issues and talking about specific people. I'm going to email this to you as well.
We're all glad that a growing number of people are posting here, but we are not a blog, so anonymous posting is limited, very very limited, and only to generalities.
Recently, we received a major compliment when CPS blocked us for nearly a week from CPS schools. During that time, the 50 percent or more of our readers and users didn't even notice Substance was facing problems. We had hits from many places on the planet (including, I'm told, Hanoi) while people in CPS schools were unable to get to SubstanceNews.
Anyway, Danny, Xian, Danielle and I are in our own names. You too, starting next time you drop by.
By: Danielle from CORE
Respect
Honestly, I write Danielle from CORE on my comments because I don't want all my business to come up with a google search of my name. I apologize for the confusion. As you can see above, from CORE is also easier than typing my whole name. I am a member of CORE when I am right and when I am wrong, but I am not on any decision making bodies for CORE, any representative bodies from CORE, and should CORE win the election, I will still be at 6835 S Normal Blvd trying to hold it down in Robeson while CPS delivers blow after blow.
Xian, from what I know of him, did not get "involved to defend his caucus," he most likely came out in defense of his friend, and I appreciate it.
As for the fact checking, I suppose my confusion about the class size came from article 28 of the contract, which, if it isn't an obligation, what purpose does it serve? As far as the agency fee... well, I researched again to see where I had got that data from and found nothing at all. Is there a cite that says the agency fee is 100%? I am willing to be corrected, but, as a teacher, I am much more comfortable with constructive criticism (preferably face to face) and education to develop everyone rather than taking my mistake as a statement from an entire educated caucus from the safety of the internet.
Mr. Van Over, I call your tone rude because of how you have spoken of so many of my friends, red baiting, picking at details instead of supporting the development of new members. I have sat almost next to you at House of Delegate meetings before and am hesitant but curious to speak to you, to see if you have the same disparaging tone in person. I'm equally curious if this is how you interact with students in your classroom.
Jose... I can't really understand your point, it seems you may be missing words or phrases from your sentences. However, my constituents at my school DO expect me to know the contract as their union delegate and I am making the effort to learn it on my on and from my colleagues in my building as the current leadership offers extremely limited support.
By: Danielle
Mistake..
I missed your note about the agency fee the first time... actually, information is not obviously posted at my school, I'll have to search for it. My previous delegate was suspended and had not kept up with the union work before that. I won as an associate delegate and the union leadership has been most uncooperative with me ever since, sending any information I request to what they call the "main delegate," where it often disappears and I never even know if it arrived at my school or not.
By: Danny
core confusion
CPS doesn't need to open the contract to change class sizes.
The contract reads: "Prior to Board adoption of any amendments to this policy altering the class size provisions contained herein, notice and an opportunity to meet and confer regarding alterations will be provided to the Chicago Teachers Union at least 45 days prior to implementation."
The Board doesn't need the Union's consent. The Amendatory Act of 1995 removed class size as one of the issues for collective bargaining.
The contract provision for "opening up the contract" has to do with district finances. Article 47-2.2 of the Agreement conforms, again, to state law, which allows CPS a loophole in meeting their contractual obligations should they be unable to fund our salary increases.
The two issues are separate.