South Chicago community opposes the phase out of J. N. Thorp Elementary School
November 9, 2009
Hello Hearing officer, and audience who came tonight.
Above, South Chicago community activist and Thorp TAC member David Vance speaks in opposition to the proposal to move a charter school into the Thorp building at the November 9, 2009 hearing at the Chicago Board of Education. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.My name is Dave Vance. I want to change course for a minute and talk about J. N. Thorp Elementary School in South Chicago. With critical views, I served on the South Chicago TAC.
I was prepared and waiting to speak at the recent Oct. 28 Board of Education meeting. There were 25 or 30 parents and children with me. I wanted to give the Board a minority report, because I was the only one on the TAC to say, “No Charter, No Sharing Space” at Thorp with a new school.
It’s a bad idea because it would disrupt the existing school. It would also cause the phased closing of Thorp. This is the truth. The Board of Ed won’t admit their real plan is to charter/privatize the whole school. Sharing space we think is a trick to get inside and get the school.
So I think this is really a majority report, not a minority report. The parents at Thorp are worried. Our school, like every school is the bedrock of our neighborhood. We are also a poor community, with empty lots, and boarded up homes but we value our school. We value our children.
How can I get the Board of Ed to understand our children are not commodities in their big business plan of Renaissance 2010? We don’t want the disruption or phased closing of our school.
We urge the Board to postpone their Nov. 18th vote. But, postponing is not enough. The Board of Ed. needs to stop what they are doing.
The public doesn’t trust the Board’s decisions. There is no confidence in the Board.
Their policies have failed. It’s time to stop.
