Multi-Ethnic Coalition of Parents from around Chicago to launch campaign for a representative, elected school board

Group will take message to legislators in Springfield

 

Chicago, IL – Today, a multi-ethnic coalition of parents and activists from neighborhoods across Chicago will announce a citywide campaign for a representative elected school board. A news conference will be held by the Coalition to Organize Democracy to Education (CODE) at the Board of Education today at 125 S. Clark, 9:30 a.m.

In a news release, CODE stated that years of failed, top-down education policy has moved parents and community residents from around the City of Chicago to form a new coalition calling for a representative, elected school board. CODE believes that the tactic of blaming parents, students and teachers for a dysfunctional school system has passed. Communities are truly fed up with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) status quo.

Becky Malone from the 19th Ward Parents states, “Whether our issue is over a longer school day, destabilizing school closings,, demonizing teachers, ending harsh discipline policies or social-emotional supports for students the common denominator is a school board that does not listen to the public. The time for democracy is now; an elected school board makes the school system accountable to the taxpayers who fund it.”

Enacted by the Illinois State Legislature in 1995, Chicago is the second major city in the United States to have “Mayoral Control” of their schools. CODE noted that there are some facts that can no longer be ignored:

* Chicago is the only city in the state of Illinois with an appointed school board

* A recent poll indicated that 77% of Chicagoans favor an elected school board

* Since Mayoral Control, the achievement gap between African-American and

  White students has increased.

* The appointed school board has approved CPS proposals that are the direct cause for the destabilizing of neighborhood schools, where schools that were once performing well are now on probation.

CODE is launching a campaign for a representative, elected school board and will use a legislative, legal and direct action strategy to achieve this goal. At every school board meeting they will engage the public; signing them up to expand their coalition. CODE has already received support from Local School Councils and organizations in neighborhoods as far south as Altgeld Gardens and as far north as Ravenswood. CODE will present a report titled, “Should Chicago Have a Representative Elected School Board?” authored by Dr. Pauline Lipman and Rico Gutstein from the University of Illinois at Chicago.