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Huge outpouring of opposition to 'turnaround' at Dvorak Elementary School

Jean Schwab - April 11, 2014

Angry parents, staff, community members and students greeted Chicago Public Schools officials at the hearing on the proposed reconstitution of Dvorak School of Technology, on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. at 125 North Clark. The hearing was held at 5:30 p.m. Although CPS officials discuss these actions as "turnarounds," using the corporate jargon, the actual legal action proposed against the three schools facing the action this year is reconstitution.

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis spoke against the proposal to "turnaround" Dvorak. Substance photo by Jean Schwab.The Dvorak school community wanted to convince the CPS board not to fire the Dvorak staff and turn it over to the Academy for Urban School Leadership Charter School (AUSL).

Ryan Crosby, identified this year as the CPS "Director of Performance" (CPS Office of Accountability), showed Power Points showing the varying scores and data from tests using the latest CPS metrics. Crosby stated that the school had low academic scores and attendance and that 14 separate "metrics" were used to determine that Dvorak should be subjected to "turnaround".

Wanda Washington -- "Chief of Schools" for Network 5 since November, 2013 -- claimed that plenty of guidance was given, but the school has not shown improvement after one year.

Tamara L. Davis, Principal of Herzel Community School (a nearby elementary school that was recently subjected to "turnaround") show data purporting to demonstrate that AUSL has increased scores in as little as one year and that all AUSL schools turnarounds have been successful.

Alderman Michael Chandier (24th Ward) stated that turning Dvorak around would �destabilize it.� Chandier stated that Cheryl White, the new principal, has not been there long enough to increase scores and improve the school. Chandier also stated, "to inform me by phone call (about the turn around) makes me think the decision is already made.� Chandier requested that Dvorak be on what he called the "transformation list" instead of turn around. Under "turnaround," the Board fires everyone on a school's staff (from the principals to the lunchroom ladies) and replaces them with staff supposedly trained in superior methods by AUSL.

Karen Lewis, President of the Chicago Teachers Union, spoke next. Lewis stated that as she watched the presentation, she realized �that the sores and data [in the Power Point presentations and narratives] were wrong."

She began with the claims that AUSL "turnaround" schools were superior to other elementary schools. Lewis stated that if all AUSL were all put into one Chicago "Network", it would be dead last in scores. But, she added, AUSL would score first in expulsions and suspensions.

Lewis commented on the varying scores. �We don�t know why we see these changes; it could be because of the increases of homeless students or decrease in resources. When AUSL takes over a school, resources come with them. If Dvorak got these resources, they wouldn�t need to be turned around.�

JoJohn Green, a former parent and resident of the community, stated that he �had a problem with statistics..."

"When you are talking about numbers, it�s like the students aren�t important," he went on. "just numbers. Our children are more than numbers. It is sinful to objectify our children."

Bradford Colman asked: �If you are worried about money, why aren�t the resources going to the school? What happens to those teachers? You trained all these teachers, now you have to train new teachers. Don�t displace those teachers because they won�t have any job security.�

Kim Walls, a science teacher in CPS, used to work at a AUSL school. She told the hearing that "there is no magic fairy dust associated with AUSL. The have the resources, the computers, white boards -- and a high suspension rate." Walls said that a student that is suspended three times is kicked out.

Several AUSL parents spoke at the hearing about how much smarter their students are now that their schools are run by AUSL.

Others responded: Parents your child was always smart before they were in ASUL.

Tracie Worthy of President of North Lawndale Community Council mentioned that Dvorak works with the council on several valuable programs and hopes they will continue. Keep Ms. White as principal because she has been there only a few years. Dvorak is an open enrollment school and takes in students that other schools may not enroll, such as students with emotional problems.

Andrea Parker, parent of a Dvorak student noted that African American teachers, staff, and clerks are being fired. "Why are we firing teachers with excellent ratings?" she demanded. "We get rid of teachers who are close to retirement... I�m against firing the whole staff." She charged that AUSL hires people under 40 who are non African American.

Windy Pearson, community activist and former student of Dvorak, told the hearing she had worked with Herzel before it was turned around. Pearson stated that Hertzel was given a lot more money after it went to AUSL. That does not mean that Herzel is turned around because they are not. Their scores are not that much better.

Then we have the CPS who would rather spend $6 million on new furniture [for central office] when they don�t want to put it back in the schools.

Renee Criswell a life long resident observed that Lawndale is becoming gentrified.

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