A new video -- 'Military Coup at Ames School' -- begins New Year at Chicago's famous Labor Beat
Labor Beat begins 2014 on January 2, 2014 with a major video continuing Labor Beat's ongoing coverage of the undemocratic ways in which Chicago's public schools are being run. Military Coup at Ames School continues the tradition. The raids against public neighborhood schools in Chicago continue...beyond the 50 closings announced last spring. On December 18, 2013 Chicago Public Schools voted to convert Ames Middle School into a "Marine military high school", a decision already made months before through a process hidden from the Ames parents and community. Parents, teachers students and the community were frozen out of important meetings and consultations by 26th Ward Alderman Roberto Maldonado and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, as well as by CPS officials.
Christina Torres was one of many activists who helped lead the overwhelming opposition to the Marine Military Academy takeover of Ames Middle School in Logan Square. Substance photo by Larry Duncan.Chicago CAN TV Channel 19:
Thurs., Jan. 2, 9:30 pm
Fri., Jan. 3, 4:30 pm
Thurs., Jan. 9, 9:30 pm
Fri., Jan. 10, 4:30 pm
Although the charade of last year's "hearings" on school closings was entirely cynical, CPS has now darkened this travesty with new forms of contempt for democracy, as a new Labor Beat video shows.
Despite this, the Ames school community (and the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, which played an important role in mobilizing the fightback) carried out a protracted campaign to try to derail CPS's, Mayor Emanuel's, and one Alderman Maldonado's 'military coup' plot. The pro-neighborhood school coalition even conducted a scientific survey in the school community which showed that 87% did not want the school to go military. A push poll cited by the alderman was quickly show to be fraudulent by vigilant members of the community, despite its being credited by members of the Chicago Board of Education before they rubber stamped the conversion of Ames.
The video is detailed. LSNA Education Organizer Leticia Barrera said, "We really don't know what is behind their plans, but we are thinking more and more since they are not paying attention to the results of the surveys and those meetings that they didn't attend--we think that it is more like a favor that Alderman Maldonado owns something on the Mayor or vice versa. This not about children's education, this is more about a political game."
Critical lessons have been learned about how CPS cannot be trusted as it continues its aggression against public education (here in the form of school militarization). Many of those active in the campaign have also been involved in efforts to bring about an elected school board for Chicago (now appointed by the Mayor).
The push to make Chicago's public schools the most militarized in the United States of America began during the administration of "Chief Executive Officer" Paul G. Vallas, who was appointed by former Mayor Richard M. Daley and served as CEO from July 1995 through June 2001. The militarization continued under Vallas's successor, Arne Duncan, who served as CPS CEO from July 2001 through December 2008, when he was appointed United States Secretary of Education by President Barack Obama. The military expansions have continued under Duncan's successors -- Ron Huberman (a former police officer, 2009 - 2010), Terry Mazany ('Interim CEO from late 2010 through April 2011), Jean-Claud Brizard (May 2011 through October 2012) and the current CEO, Barbara Byrd Bennett (who has been in the position since October 2012). During his time as a U.S. Congressman, Emanuel bragged that he had gotten earmarks of more than one million dollars to establish the "Marine Military Academy" -- the school that is now evicting Ames despite community protest.
Speeches and interviews also from Anna Espinosa, parent mentor at Ames School; Christina Torres, President of Logan Square Schools Facilities Council; Jesse Sharkey, Vice President of Chicago Teachers Union; Emma Segura, Ames School parent; Jennifer Velazquez, recent Kelvyn Park HS graduate. This segment can also be viewed at: http://youtu.be/5uFNC9wPWI8
Labor Beat is also featuring a video on Great Britain
