Kelly High School Students and Community March to Alderman Ed Burke's Office in massive 'No to Noble Charter Expansion' demonstration... Massive march protests CPS expansion of the 'Noble Network of Charter Schools' on the Southwest Side...
Some of the more than 400 protesters who marched on October 26, 2015 against the expansion of the "Noble Network of Charter Schools" into Chicago's Southwest Side. The protesters noted the money ripped away from the area's real public schools on posters in the shape of tombstones. They also noted that Alderman Burke is one of the few aldermen in the City Council who has not joined the aldermanic demand (currently, signed by 42 aldermen out of 50) that Mayor Rahm Emanuel stop the expansion of Chicago's charter schools. Substance photo by David Vance.With youthful energy and spirit, hundreds of Kelly High School students led a protest march to 14th Ward office of Alderman Ed Burke. Parents, students and community organizations held the protest Monday, October 26th because Alderman Burke is giving a green light to a new Noble Charter school expansion into the Kelly High School neighborhood.
Ed Burke and 7 other aldermen are standing with Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. The Mayor�s hand picked new Board of Education plans to vote on 12 new charter school permits on Wednesday. The CPS agenda for October 28 includes a vote for the charter school expansions for Noble and KIPP.
In opposition to Ed Burke are 42 aldermen who are calling for a charter school moratorium. But only the mayor's seven hand-picked Board of Education members will vote. For the public, the 60-piece Kelly High School Band that led the march was very impressive.
The march was titled, �Day of the Dead� to protest Alderman Burke�s support of Noble and the cuts in funding at neighborhood high schools. Charter schools take public funding dollars into their system, and this directly cuts the public school funding.
Demonstrating their precise knowledge of how CPS is destroying their community's real public schools, and with a nod to Halloween, students from Kelly High School and other schools on the Southwest Side noted what had been ripped away from the area's real public schools by the CPS policy of "student-based budgeting." The protesters also noted that Alderman Ed Burke, one of the few members of the City Council who still supports charter school expansion, received more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from people affiliated with the so-called "Noble Network of Charter Schools." Substance photo by David Vance.While Noble administrators may brag that they are better than the public schools, they do not tell the public that they have the highest expulsion rate in Illinois. According to one study, Chicago's charter schools dumpe 12 times the number of their students out than the city's real public schools. This amount is so much higher than public schools that it is almost unimaginable. While many of those students wind up back in the city's real public high schools (like Kelly) a large number probably have their education careers (and possibly their lives) ruined by the self-serving policies of the charter schools.
It is also well known that Noble Charter officials will "counsel out" students who need more help and have problems. For the "Noble Network," this policy began when Michael Milkie, the current head of Noble, left Chicago's Wells High School to found the first "Noble Street Charter School" more than 13 years ago. Milkie immediately began kicking out students who posed challenges to the numbers he was determined to provide the public. Anyone who faced problems was simply kicked out of the charters.
Do they teach better or is it propaganda?
The Noble Street "Network" is now the largest charter school operator in Chicago. They have 16 "campuses" and more expansion is their plan.
While no one expects the new Board of Educatioin to listen to the Kelly High School students and parents, the march for defending Kelly High School was large -- approximately 400 students and staff.
Also important was at least 3 feeder schools from the Kelly neighborhood added to the numbers. Approximately 100 students and parents came from Shields, Davis and Brighten Park elementary schools.
Alderman Burke was not in his office and the doors were locked as the students marched south from 41st and California to 51st Street. One of the prominent contingents in the march was the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC). They brought with them �over 7,000 letters from students and parents in the community who are opposed to Noble�s expansion� their press release stated.
They further explained that the �opening of a Noble campus just blocks from both Kelly HS and Back of the Yards College Prep would further cut the funding to these schools and others on the Southwest Side at a time of fiscal crisis and decreased enrollment.�
Alex Nava a Case Manager at Kelly HS and a member of BPNC made a comment that for him it was not �just a fight to defend Kelly but public schools all over Chicago.� He also explained that the crisis and fight doesn�t apply just to Brighton Park schools, but the more we cut funding, our existing public schools become diminished. So as a city he stated, �I think we should unite and fight back for what we need; more resources to improve all of our public schools.�
Lastly, one of the student made posters in the march hit the bulls eye. It read, �Burke Listen To Us, Not the Money.� The press release packet included a detailed study on campaign contributions to Gov. Rauner, Mayor Emanuel and Burke.
Many people do not know that the �Burke family has received $134,850 in campaign contributions from Noble Board members and their family.�
As the march returned and headed north on California, the students, parents and teachers were all encouraged that the October 26 march helped to get their message out. But they cautioned it is not over. Kelly High School and the neighborhood will have to keep organizing to defend their school.
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL PRESS RELEASE, October 26, 2015...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Olivia Abrecht
DATE: 10/26/15 PHONE: 202-374-5794
E-MAIL: oabrecht@bpncchicago.org
Day of the Dead March for Our Schools: Thousands to march to Ald. Burke�s office against Noble Street Charter expansion at the expense of neighborhood high schools
WHO: Brighton Park Neighborhood Council(BPNC), the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), and students and parents of surrounding neighborhood schools.
WHEN: Monday, October 26th at 3:00pm
WHERE: Start at Kelly Park, across from Kelly High School(4136 S California Ave), and end at Alderman Burke�s office(2650 W. 51st Street)
WHAT: The Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC) is organizing a Day of the Dead mass rally and march with 1,000 students, parents and teachers on Monday, October 26th to the office of Alderman Ed Burke to demonstrate that the community stands united with our community schools. The Day of the Dead march will begin with testimonies from students, parents, and Jesse Sharkey, Vice President of CTU, who demand that Alderman Burke support community schools, oppose charter expansion and champion progressive revenue solutions to the ongoing budget crisis. The students have created an altar representing all of the budget cuts and will be marching with this altar to the Office of Alderman Burke. �We have requested to meet with Alderman Burke four times since June to discuss our concerns about charter expansion and about the need for progressive revenue solutions to solve CPS�s budget crisis and fully fund our schools and he has refused. So, today, we are bringing the meeting to him,� explains Anita Caballero, BPNC Board President.
Opposition to Noble�s proposal has only increased as the imminent threat of thousands of teacher layoffs has grown. Kelly High School�s budget has already been cut by over $800,000 this year alone. The opening of a Noble campus just blocks from both Kelly High School and Back of the Yards College Prep would further cut the funding to these schools and others on the Southwest Side at a time of fiscal crisis and decreased enrollment. Across the city, CPS enrollment has declined by 14,000 students over the past 3 years, and according to recent research conducted by Raise Your Hand, there are many open seats at at least 5 Noble campuses in Chicago. Kelly High School Student, Stephanie De Leon, says, �There is no need for a new school in this neighborhood. We already have amazing options and we want the schools we already have to be able to thrive.�
Jesse Sharkey explains, �The reckless spending on new charters must stop. The school district is facing a catastrophic budget crisis that has already resulted in millions in cuts at our local schools. Rather than working against the community and opening this school, elected officials like Ald. Burke and the Mayor should work with us to find progressive revenue solutions that would truly solve our budget crisis."
