And what about that charter school Arne Duncan gave your buddy Jeremiah Wright, Reverend? Brizard continues dodging reality during doublespeaking appearance with Rev. Otis Moss at Trinity United Church of Christ
Where has the school chief, Jean Claude Brizard, been during the CTU strike? He wasn’t seen in the negotiating meetings and never spoke on the news. But in a spacious church hall, the day the strike ended on September 19, 2012, I could hear his voice. He was the scheduled speaker in the large Trinity United Church of Christ worship hall on 95th St. deep in the heart of Chicago's South Side. He was sitting in a chair answering the first question from Rev. Otis Moss III, but the way the questions were rigged, Brizard never really had to answer real questions.
The doubletalk of the quarter million dollar a year "Chief Executive Officer" of Chicago Public Schools, Jean-Claude Brizard, was not only on display inside Trinity Church on September 19, 2012, but on the sign outside advertising "Brizzard's" visit. Nobody was allowed to mention that CPS was subsidizing a charter school founded by Trinity's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, either. Substance photo by David Vance.The church's leaders made sure that Brizard got an easy time of it. Dozens of teachers and supporters wearing "CTU red" came to the event and were segregated. The seating section the teachers were assigned gave us only a view of the backs of Rev. Moss and Brizard. There were about 40 teachers dressed in CTU red shirts, and half were scattered throughout the audience, even in the balcony. Some were mistakenly told to sit in an undesignated section.
I thought Brizard was going to give a statement representing CPS and the direction forward after the strike. I thought I was going to hear all the good things CPS promises every student and their parents even when they turnaround and close schools. I thought I was going to hear praises for the teachers who work with our Chicago children even when CPS tries to make union busting its unwritten program.
This didn't happen. I was bending my neck to see him at floor level answering the first question. It was a good question from Rev. Moss about how a dedicated teacher helped a difficult student move from 1st grade reading to 3rd grade reading in one year. However, though this was an amazing feat, since it was a 5th grade class, the teacher was called a failure in the evaluation process.
Brizard answered that the evaluation system is being massaged or finessed to work out such problems. He did a lot of an academician's double speak in all of his answers.
The second question was about support-based funding for schools to improve the schools.
In Brizard's answer, I started hearing words and talking points with slippery meanings; “equity doesn’t mean equality” or poor schools taking from other schools--nonsense that I couldn't understand.
The third question was about how turnarounds adversely affect the students and do not make better schools. Rev. Moss cited Dunne School and two other well performing schools which could be used as models. "Why use turnarounds as the only model?" Rev. Moss asked.
Brizard said he wants to provide access to good schools for all children. He wants to use all models for replication. And personally he went on to speak about his three children. His oldest stays in New York and goes to public school there. He assured the audience that his youngest two children would be going to public schools.
The fourth question was about someone who wants to volunteer to support our schools, and where he could go to offer help.
The fifth question was about the state of our schools after the strike with more privatization coming; the effects on Black children with schools in turmoil; how does the school system move forward?
The only phrase that made sense in Brizard's answers was that for the schools to move in same direction, everyone has to “buy into the philosophy.” Unfortunately, he was never asked to explain what the “philosophy” was all about.
Other questions were about the process of closing schools, funding for Head Start, and why Charter schools limit class size to twenty students, but public school classrooms are overcrowded.
Rev. Moss came back after these questions and asked a second time what is the “criteria for closing schools” Brizard gave an answer about low test scores and lack of achievement in the school; how the school compares to others in the area. Brizard gave the example that if there are ten schools in one area, but only eight are needed, closings will now be done in a slower and more responsible manner.
In conclusion, I felt reality was nowhere to be found in CEO Brizard’s answers. While the questions were well made, the maker Rev. Moss never argued or questioned the CEO’s statements. Of course this is just what the $250,000 per year CEO wanted. He wanted no direct questions from the audience. The Church did not permit photos or media recording of any kind. It was a perfect stage for the CEO who couldn’t be found in the historic seven day strike of the Chicago Teachers Union.