Why Shut Down Chicago?!... Teachers for Social Justice Teach-In prepares for April 1 and beyond... Fight for elected school board, revenue, and political changes...
On March 26, 2016, Teachers for Social Justice (TSJ) hosted a Teach-In -- "Why Shut Down Chicago, Building for April 1 and Beyond Saturday" to help put the upcoming events in perspective. The Teach-In was held from five p.m. to seven p.m. at the University of Illinois at Chicago Education Building.
According to planners, 85 people signed up for the Teach In, and by the number of people in attendance, most everyone was there. Prudence Browne, one of the Dyett hunger strikers, told the participants that the targets of the shut down on April 1 are Gov. Rauner, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the wealthy who are not paying their faire share for public goods and services.
The demands are:
-- End the predatory bank deals and privatization, corporate welfare, TIF funds, and loopholes in taxes. -- Defund police use, especially in schools. -- Use the money spent on policing schools for programs in the schools. -- Participatory budgeting practiced in all 50 wards. -- Pass a fair budget with good jobs and workers’ rights. -- A greater investment in stabilizing communities by funding and supporting central institutions, such as, schools, colleges and mental health services. Enact community control such as a Representative school board. -- Pass a fair budget that invests in working families and expands public services.
According to the Teach In, there are two bills in the legislature that the leaders hope will pass.
-- HB557, the Elected School Board has passed the House and awaits Senate action.
-- HB456, Distressed School Tax is also before the General Assembly.
TIFS should all come back to our school system, leaders of the Teach In told the participants. A graduated school tax will make people that make over $150,000 a year have to pay more.
After outling the demands, there was more.
A panel spoke next. On the panel were:
-- Anna Jones-parent,Dyett hunger striker and KOCO parent organizer. Jones stated,” The hunger strike showed to the world that it is not the teachers or parents that have failed the education system, it has been the people that make the policies.” Jones stated later “It is not the mainline media that spread the message about the hunger strike; it was the word of mouth and articles by organizations and on line. “
Charles Kotrba, of the Chicago Student Union, said the CPS is cutting to the bare bones so students are just surviving now.”
Malik Alim, of the Black Youth Project 100, encouraged defunding of policing surveillances. Alim continued “that most fines are paid by people in the legal system. We need to divest from policing and mass incarceration. We need to lift up our black women, black queer folk, transgender folk and unions.“
Rebecca Martinez, an organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union, pointed out that the teachers are sacrificing on April 1 to get the message out about the cuts and problems these cuts have caused to schools, colleges and services to communities.
There are several activities happening on April 1. People will be picketing at their nearby schools in the morning. Later in the morning and throughout the day will have several rallies and activities they can attend throughout the city in the afternoon. At 4:00 there will be a large demonstration downtown at the Thompson building.
Participants were told to look up the Teachers for social Justice website or shutdownchi –hashtag. For a listings of activities, which are being updated regularly as April 1 approaches.
