CTU protests proposed NW side charter school... Christopher House is back for another charter school grab
Chicago Teachers Union organizers jointed parents, community residents, and students to protest another attempt by Christopher House to grab a charter school contract from the Chicago Public Schools and continue to raid northwest side public schools that long supported the outfit. The CTU press release announcing the protest follows:
Chicago Teachers Union to join angry parents in fight against Board’s decision support new charter school in Belmont Cragin neighborhood
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Stephanie Gadlin
October 27, 2011, 312/329-6250 (office)
StephanieGadlin@ctulocal1.com
Who: Northwest Middle School (NWMS) parents, including members of the Local School Council and No Child Left Behind Committee, and the Chicago Teachers Union. They will be joined by teachers and other school staff, parents and other supporters from NWMS and other neighborhood schools.
What: Rally and press conference calling on Board of Education to reject Christopher House charter school proposal.
Where: 2250 N. Latrobe under the bridge connecting Northwest Middle School and the site of the proposed Christopher House charter school.
When: Thursday, October 27th, 4:00 pm.
Why: The Board of Education is considering a proposal to grant a new charter school to Christopher House in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood. At an October 12th CPS organized “Community Forum” on the proposal, hundreds attended to protest the lack of community outreach by Christopher House. Parents, students, teachers, and principals from local schools addressed the lack of concern Christopher House has shown about the potential impact of their proposal on thousands of students being served by existing neighborhood schools.
Last year, Christopher House advanced the same request for a new CPS funded charter school. After initially being recommended to the Board of Education, the charter proposal was withdrawn when protests, parents, teachers and elected officials raised questions about community input, student safety, construction and the potential impact on the many schools already in the neighborhood.
“The Board of Education says they want to provide choice to parents. Our community has chosen that we would rather see these resources go to smaller classes and improving our schools. Shouldn’t we have some say?” said Luis Roman, a parent and volunteer at Northwest Middle School.
NWMS has lost five teachers and funding for its art program in the past year while students have watched class sizes grow.
