Teachers for Social Justice supports Byron Sigcho for city council in the 25th ward.

We are proud to say that Byron is a longtime active member of TSJ. He is an adult
education teacher with a deep commitment to the families and communities where
he teaches. He has also been a fierce advocate for parents and students against
bullying and racism in schools. Byron is a fighter for high quality public schools in
every neighborhood and against school privatization. His research exposed the UNO
charter school network’s corrupt business practices and their dangerous debt and
financial schemes that are putting children’s education at risk.  As an immigrant to
the U.S. from Ecuador, Byron has a deep understanding of the challenges facing
other immigrants and a deep commitment to immigrant rights and justice.  We need
democracy in Chicago Public Schools, in our neighborhoods, and in the city. We need
living wages, quality affordable housing in our communities, and healthy living
conditions. We know that when Byron is elected he will fight for these things for all
the people in his ward. Go Byron! We are with you. Visit the campaign website at http://teamsigcho.org/ Read the Full Story

Public Forum on Charter Expansion

CPS closed 50 district schools and cut district budgets by $100 million.
Now they want to open up 31 charters in just two years!
Is this right for the children and communities that CPS is supposed to serve? 

Shields Middle School
2611 W. 48th St.
Tuesday, Jan 14th 
6:30 to 8:30 PM 

All are welcome!

Panelists:
Federico Waitoller, UIC College of Education Faculty
Stephanie Farmer, Roosevelt University Faculty
Jean Pierce, League of Women Voters
Byron Sigcho, UIC Graduate Researcher & TSJ

Download flyer here

Co-sponsored by:
Albany Park Neighborhood Council
Blocks Together
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
Parents for Teachers
Pilsen Alliance
Raise Your Hand
Rogers Park Neighbors for Better Schools
Teachers for Social Justice Read the Full Story

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The Chicago Sun Times covered the budget hearing in Englewood where TSJ member Byron Sigcho called out CPS for de-humanizing students and doing absurd things such as shifting art and physical education to online classes: 

“When you yourself refer to our children as seats, it’s hard to believe that you think of our children more than seats and of our communities more than spreadsheets,” he said. Sigcho, a grad student at University of Illinois at Chicago, continued to vent. "You’re really proposing that our children take P.E. and art classes online? To me that’s a joke. That’s not investing in our youth. . . . Why does CPS keep funding corrupt charter networks?” he said, referring to the UNO Charter Schools." 

WBEZ reports that "A top school official at the North Side hearing said at the start of the meeting he didn’t just want to hear complaints about cuts. He wanted solutions for closing the district’s $643 million gap between revenue and expenses."

Parents at the budget hearing at Truman College on the city's north side "railed at CPS": "I'm angry that the mayor sold the idea of a longer school day and only funded it for a year," said Janet Meegan, a parent at Mitchell Elementary in the West Town neighborhood...Meegan said her school has lost a specialized reading teacher [one of the 500 positions Rahm promised as part of the longer day] and a librarian. Parents, she said, will be pitching in with increased student fees to help pay for art and music programs. This was not what we were promised," Meegan said at a hearing at Truman College in Uptown attended by about 200 people.

Progress Illinois reports that at the north side hearing CPS Chief Administrative Officer Tim Cawley (who lives in a north-shore suburb on a waiver of CPS's residency policy) "...really struck a nerve while discussing various investments the district is making for next year, including a $7.7 million expansion of its Safe Passage program. The program is being ramped up with 600 additional Safe Passage workers to cover routes for the 51 welcoming schools.


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