Capital budget hearing began early so media missed much of it...
I was late, apparently very late, for the August 17, 2016 Chicago Board of Education "hearing" on the proposed 2016 - 2017 capital budget. The hearing had been listed on the CPS website as starting at 6:00 p.m. -- after registration (which was supposed to be from five to six). But apparently someone in authority at CPS decided there was no reason to wait until the official starting time, and by six o'clock a lot of the hearing was over.
I was not the only one; I followed a news station and a CPS teacher into the room at the "National Teachers Academy," a public school. It didn’t help that my camera was not working. I was surprised that attendance was very sparse and there were plenty of places to sit.
I walked in as a Hearing Board Officer was explaining that South Loop was the fastest growing community "in the United Sates" and that such growth warrants a new school. We were also told that" Skinner West" is overcrowded, so they were going to get an annex. Although new construction for both projects is being questioned, CPS officials have never stopped building when wealthy areas are complaining. (See Lincoln Elementary School's "annex" from last year).
There were speakers. Next a community member explained that he had been in special education classes throughout school and felt that the Special Education classes needed more funding.
Rod Estvan, Education policy analyst for Access Living of Chicago, reported that there were many CPS buildings that need to be made ADA accessible. Estvan commented that building ADA accessible annexes unattached to the other buildings needs more thought because it still leaves the main building inaccessible.
Martin Ritter, CTU organizer stated that he liked the capital Plan, but felt that most people wanted to talk about the 1,000 school staff that were laid off and how this action would affect the students and schools. Ritter spoke in favor of passage of the Chicago Revitalization Ordinance which needs to be voted on by the City Council, then TIF monies would be sent back to the schools. Ritter recommended passage of progressive taxes as a way to raise more money for the schools. He reiterated that most schools have lost teachers and there is a need for new schools but we also need after school programs and resources.
Sara Hainds, CTU Research Dept., stated” that CPS could save $300 million by not building new buildings or adding "annexes" but by making boundary changes and sending students to underutilized buildings throughout the system. Hainds also stated that CPS needs an updated facilities plan and they are supposed to have one by law. if they do not have a plan, they can look at plans from other cities and use them, but they need a plan.
Later I talked to Hainds and she told me that Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis had talked earlier in the meeting about the possibility of moving Skinner West students, who are supposedly overcrowded, to Brown Elementary School, a few blocks to the west, by changing the boundaries.
Hainds felt that the response of the hearing officers that we must look at the demographics and that moving students to Brown would be “emotionally detrimental to Skinner Students” was all about race and social class.
A speaker for Raise Your hand reiterated that a 10-year-old Facilities master plan needs to be updated. This should be used to engage community impute throughout the city. CPS needs to be more transparent. She also said that CPS needs to cancel Obama Prep, which would save 60 million dollars.
Neil Jackson, a CPS parent, praised the reopening of Dyett High School as a school with high quality curriculum options. Other Bronzville parents and community members noted they were” looking forward to seeing students hired because of what they learned at Dyett High, he said. The new principal, Beulah McLoyd, was introduced.
Alderman Pat Dowel (3rd Ward) thanked CPS for recognizing that the South Loop School is overcrowded and for giving $1.6 million to neighborhood schools. Dowell noted that additional revenue is needed to fund the operations of our schools.
Gerald Morrow, principal of Dunbar High School, thanked CPS for a $4 million program given to revitalize the school’s career trades, visual media, welding, electricity, advanced carpentry and air conditioning. In all the school will get five "new programs", he said. Dunbar is a school that is 97% African American and these programs will allow students to start their own small businesses and it will increase enrollment with hands-on education classes.
Kenneth Neuman, of the Hyde Park CAP, stated that violence is our number one problem and until there are more athletic facilities built in each school that does not have one, both indoor and out, there will be violence. We have Title 9 violations, he said. They are still investigating CPS for federal Title 9 violations.
Substitute Teacher, Hollis Beecher stated she has substituted all over the city and does not understand CPS priorities. “Why do we spend so much time on buildings when so many students are suffering because they do not have teachers and resources?" she asked. "There are classes without a teacher all year long. I am a physical Education teacher but many schools do not have Physical Education so I teach other classes, we don’t spend enough on teachers and students.”
Neosha. Thomas, whose daughter attended Dyett High, added: ”Why spend money on new schools when there are three abandoned schools between South Shore and Dyett High that could be repurposed?”
Bill Iacullo, has worked for CPS 43 years, President, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 143-143-B stated that CPS has great needs in existing buildings. "We have 150 buildings, older buildings that can be restored, instead of building new ones,"he said. He added that the schools are filthy with Armark doing the privatized custodial work. One of the members on stage stated to Iacullo that if repairs “stayed in house, CPS would have $300 million more in capital."
Iacullo continued to challenge CPS: "We have 100-year-old buildings still operating, why build new ones?" he demanded. "We’ve kept these buildings running all we have to do is fix them up. We are licensed and we know what we are doing.”
Martha, an audience member said to the Hearing Officers that “Parents and students are too nice. We need to stop being too nice. Students are suffering. We need to make a citizen’s arrest of our Mayor. We need a debate between Karen Lewis and our Mayor.
Karen Lewis told reporters when asked about a strike and if school will start on time, “Teachers will be in school the first day of school in September.”
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By: Jean Schwab
Clarify
I would like to clarify what Bill Iacullo, President of Operating Engineers, said about "in house custodial work." He said that someone told him that CPS could save $300 million meaning that if everything was not privatized and custodians and engineers were still in charge of the buildings,instead of Armark, then $300 million could be saved. I only wish that one of the officers on stage or from CPS could acknowledge that fact, but, sadly they couldn't.