MEDIA WATCH: 'Teacher in the Library' program highlights Mayor's hypocrisy... Rahm's propaganda minions tout 'homework' program after brutally cutting library hours and staff
Less than two years after instituting brutal cuts in Chicago's award-winning public library system and forcing out the former library commissioner, Mary Dempsey, Rahm Emanuel opened the New Year of 2013 with a typical publicity stunt, in probably confidence that none of the city's reporters or corporate media would actually check the facts. This time the publicity stunt is called "Teacher in the Library," a program that supposedly provides children with homework help.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel hosted one of dozens of publicity stunts he held at public expense in the library of Morton Elementary School in Chicago (above) on November 29, 2011. Substance photo by Sharon Schmidt.Trouble is, Rahm has closed many of the library hours that children might use to take advantage of the program he proclaims, and has also cut the number and hours of librarians and other library workers. So now his expensive public relations apparatus proclaims that volunteer college students will be providing "homework help."
Specifically, branch libraries across Chicago, thanks to the orders of Rahm Emanuel, are opening either late in the morning or at noon. And with the Rahm Emanuel "Longer School Day" now in effect, those children who might want to dally at home, perhaps for a snack, before going to their local library for the mayor's latest publicity stunt ("Teacher in the Library") might find they have but a few minutes for meeting these supposed teachers. Of the 75 branch libraries across Chicago, 34, for example, close at six p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, on orders from Rahm Emanuel. (And those are opening at ten a.m. those same days, locking out many senior citizens and others...). All of Chicago's libraries are now closing at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. And the libraries that close at 8:00 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday are closed until noon!
But given that one of Chicago's daily newspapers is now owned by millionaire and billionaire friends of Rahm, and the other doesn't have many reporters who use the city's public libraries, the mayor's propaganda machine will probably get away with this latest publicity stunt.
One of the many press releases that poured out of the various offices of propaganda of Chicago's mayor includes the following:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. January 10, 2012 CONTACT: Mayor�s Press Office. 312.744.3334
press@cityofchicago.org
MAYOR EMANUEL EXPANDS TEACHER IN THE LIBRARY PROGRAM TO ALL CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY LOCATIONS
Partnership with Universities Brings Innovative Homework Program to 21 More Branches
Mayor Emanuel and Library Commissioner Brian Bannon announced today the Chicago Public Library�s popular homework help program, �Teacher in the Library,� will be expanded to all neighborhood branches. Through partnerships with local universities, the Library will bring undergraduate education students into an additional 21 library locations to assist children with their homework during after school hours. �Teacher in the Library is one of the only programs of its kind in public libraries and this expansion solidifies it as the best free after school homework program available to schoolchildren anywhere,� said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. �Parents constantly praise the positive impact their branch�s Teacher in the Library has made on their child�s grades and confidence in school.�
Bannon worked with the University of Illinois at Chicago to craft the expansion, which provides children with more assistance and develops a pipeline for "teachers in training" to gain hands-on learning experiences. �The Library is adding to the extensive resources available to help elementary and high school students understand and complete their homework assignments, and at the same time, is providing college students with the opportunity for hands-on-experience helping children that can be applied towards teacher certification,� said Bannon. To support this goal, the Library will work with local university teacher certification programs, as well as other higher education programs with service learning requirements. University of Illinois at Chicago was the first education school to sign on to this innovative program expansion.
�We have always appreciated the fine programs offered by the Chicago Public Library and are grateful to be given the opportunity to partner with Teacher in the Library. This will offer our students a great opportunity to gain hands-on community service while working with a well-respected institution,� said Cynthia Shanahan, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Executive Director, Council on Teacher Education, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Education.
By establishing partnerships with local universities, the Library is able to offer additional programs and services without any increased cost to taxpayers.
The current Teacher in the Library program is completely privately funded through gifts to the Chicago Public Library Foundation and places certified teachers in high-need neighborhoods to provide after school homework assistance. This program has grown from 10 to 57 library locations since 2005, and is an effective and highly valued way to help children learn for success.
The Teacher in the Library program serves 58,000 kids through 120,000 homework help interactions each year. Students are encouraged to bring their homework from any subject for after school help. Teachers in the Library provide assistance on a variety of topics for students of all ages, including high school students who need help understanding more difficult subjects or writing papers.
