Dyett hearing postponed until September 15... Protests still on as scheduled at CPS headquarters on Monday, August 10 at four in the afternoon...
Protests about Dyett High School have been taking place for two years.The scheduled hearing on the future of Dyett High School has been postponed again by the Chicago Board of Education. In a press release issued late on Friday, August 7, 2015, the CPS Office of Communications stated that the hearing, which had originally been scheduled to take place on Monday, August 10, would instead take place on September 15, 2015. More information will be published as it becomes available.
The protest against the treatment of Dyett and the Bronzeville community scheduled for four o'clock in the afternoon on Monday, August 10, was still scheduled as of the morning of August 9. "Monday, August 10, 4 PM, CPS Headquarters, 42 W. Madison St, Chicago," is what the press release told the world.
CPS PRESS RELEASE...
Dyett RFP Process Extended to Provide Adequate Time to Review Community Feedback and Proposals
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, August 7, 2015. For more information, contact: CPS Office of Communications. Phone: 773-553-1620
CHICAGO � Chicago Public Schools today announced the request for proposal process to identify a new open enrollment, neighborhood high school at the current site of Dyett High School is being extended to provide adequate time to review community feedback and proposals.
CPS is also moving the public hearing on the proposals to 6 p.m. on September 15, 2015 inside the Board of Education Chambers at 42 West Madison.
�Chicago Public Schools is committed to a community driven process that will identify a high-quality education option for the former Dyett site,� said Forrest Claypool, CEO of CPS. �We continue to review the applications by the 2014 RFP, but with the budget and financial crisis dominating the focus of the new CPS administration, more time is necessary to make an informed recommendation to the Board of Education. We look forward to receiving further feedback at the upcoming community hearing.�
The Board of Education recently seated several new members, including a new president. The additional time for the RFP will also allow board members to remain focused on the fiscal year 16 budget before voting on it during the board meeting on August 26.
The RFP for the new school model seeks to identify an education option that offers an innovative program which engages its students and also meets the needs of the local community. In 2012, the Chicago Board of Education voted to phase out Dyett High School following years of poor performance and declining enrollment. Pending approval from the Board of Education in fall 2015, a new open enrollment neighborhood high school would open at the Dyett High School site in time for SY 16-17.
Chicago Public Schools serves 396,000 students in 664 schools. It is the nation�s third-largest school district.
DYETT PROTEST PRESS RELEASE FROM TEACHERS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE....
Rally for Dyett HS-Monday Aug 10 at CPS HQ, 4 PM CPS Headquarters
42 W. Madison St
Chicago, IL
DYETT GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AND GREEN TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL Dear TSJers-
This important email is about the ongoing community struggle to reclaim a neighborhood HS in Bronzeville, an historic Black community on Chicago's Southside.
Brief Chronology (chronology, brochure, and fact sheet attached):
� 2010-Organizers in Bronzeville (KOCO) initiate process to have a sustainable village of six community schools with Dyett HS as hub. Hundreds of parents, teachers, community residents, students, administrators, community organizations, friends, and education professionals work (volunteer) over tens of thousands of hours to develop a vision and concrete plan. CPS is well informed.
� 2012-CPS Board votes to phase out Dyett (as of June 2015), close one feeder school, and privatize another.
� 2013-Coalition to Revitalize Dyett is formed, to refocus efforts to save Dyett.
� 2014, April-Coalition gives CPS Board an unsolicited, full proposal for the Dyett Global Leadership and Green Technology HS, which emerged directly from parents, etc., in Bronzeville
� 2014, Dec-CPS decides to NOT permanently close Dyett but to open up an "RFP" process and accept proposals through April 2015.
� 2015, April-Coalition and two other groups submit proposals (one is late but CPS still accepts it). The other groups did almost no community outreach, townhall meetings, etc., while the Coalition engaged thousands of Bronzeville residents.
� 2015, June-CPS hold community forum in Bronzeville, 34 of 45 community speakers (75%) strongly support Coalition plan. President of the Hyde Park Community Action Council (a CPS initiative) publically states that only the Coalition came to them and the CAC endorses the Coalition.
� Monday, August 10-CPS is supposed to hold a "public hearing"-but the Coalition has heard NOTHING despite repeated phone calls, about the time, place, format, staff in charge, etc. WILL CPS HOLD THE HEARING OR NOT?
The Coalition is asking everyone who is concerned with education justice and the right of a community to determine the education of its children to come out to a rally in support of the Dyett Global Leadership and Green Technology HS. A fact sheet, chronology, and brochure are attached.
Monday, August 10, 4 PM, CPS Headquarters, 42 W. Madison St, Chicago
And mark your calendar for the CPS Board meeting which is supposed to vote on which proposal to accept-That is August 26th, Wednesday, at 10:30 AM. But to attend (or to speak), you MUST sign up either by phone (773-553-1600) OR online (http://www.cpsboe.org) though there will likely be a rally in front of the Board that day. Board signup starts at 8:00 AM sharp on August 17th and goes extremely quickly (i.e., they do not have enough seats for all-they will put you in an "overflow" room where you can watch on video and come into the Board chambers to stand with the people who you support).
PLEASE COME SUPPORT THE BRONZEVILLE COMMUNITY.
SAVE DYETT HIGH SCHOOL!!
