Update from Teachers for Comprehensive Immigration Reform:

Hello TSJ friends,

We just got back from the 250,000 Immigration Reform March in DC. Needless to say, I'm exhausted. However, I've come back reenergized!

Illinois Teachers and Educators! Here is your opportunity to advocate for your undocumented students. Teachers know first-hand the impact that the broken immigration system has on our students. Undocumented students deserve to have an opportunity at a real future!

We are currently working on a teacher-led action on April 10th to pressure Congress into passing Immigration Reform this year.  Let’s use the momentum from this weekend’s historic march, get yourself and any other teachers you know to the table. Our work isn’t over yet!

Let YOUR actions speak louder than words!

Email us to get involved: teachers4cir@gmail.com

Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=343369922786

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Tourists flock to Jamaica to escape realities as it is known for its sandy beaches, laid back life style, and crystal blue water.  However, the people of Jamaica can't escape the impact of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank in their daily lives.

The feature film Life and Debt tells the story of the day to day struggles of individual Jamaicans whose livelihood is determined by U.S. and other foreign economic agencies.  Unfortunately, this story is not true just for Jamaica; the parallel effects of structural adjustment are astounding and seen in Haiti and beyond.  Read the Full Story

Come to learn about the work of our 5 dynamic ItAGs:

* Education for Liberation Movement
* Art Education & Social Justice
* Hip Hop & Social Justice
* Early Childhood Education & Social Justice
* New Teachers for Social Justice


Saturday, March 13, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Decima Musa
1901 S. Loomis

Be a part of the process for making the ItAGs more sustainable. Feel free to join us for a drink & a conversation. Read the Full Story

There was a huge, defiant protest of parents, students, and teachers at the Board meeting February 27th, 2009. Around 150 students walked out of Orr High School and picketed in front of the Board; buses and vans came from other schools. Some TSJ teachers took off work and some brought students to the protest.

Congratulations! Despite carefully prepared testimony and strong evidence, school protests, door to door organizing, petitions, and courageous stands by families, students, communities, and teachers, the Board went ahead and voted its plan to close, consolidate and reconstitute 18 schools. Abbott Elementary School parents were victorious in stopping CPS's plan to close down their school which is the heart of the Wentworth Gardens housing community. Congratulations to Abbott parents and staff for this important victory!!

Two things are clear:
1) There is a large outpouring of opposition and many strong parent and community leaders with the clarity and will to fight for quality education for all children in their neighborhoods. They are an inspiration and the base of a city-wide movement to take back Chicago public schools.

2) CPS administration has acted with complete disregard for the will of the community and all evidence contesting their plan. The "hearings" were a complete sham. Jobs in "turn-around" schools run by AUSL were already posted and postings closed by Feb. 20, 7 days before the board was supposed to weigh the evidence and make a decision about the schools. Parents at one school were told their school would be phased out even though officials had not looked at the evidence they presented. The board meeting was worse. Although we arrived at 6:30 AM they wouldn't let us sign up to speak until 8AM; they "reserved" exactly half the seats for CPS staff and only opened one overflow room to keep the public out of the public hearing. They kept out the hundreds of others who came to oppose the board's decisions even though there were empty seats in both rooms. They arrogantly disrespected the parents and students who spoke against the board's decision. Neighborhood schools are being replaced with magnet schools, disenfranchising communities of color and handing over their schools to gentrify neighborhoods and/or save the board money.

TSJ is working with an emerging coalition that includes Pilsen Alliance, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Save Senn, Midsouth Education Association, Blocks Together, parent groups at schools, and other community groups. Our common message is: Moratorium on all school closings until there can be an independent study of the effects on students and school communities. School decisions should be determined by the school community.

Next steps:
*Strengthen and expand a principled coalition for equitable and quality education in the hands of communities. Define what this means and develop a protracted plan of unified action.

*Strengthening democratically elected local school councils through a state law and by going all out for the LSC elections. TSJ CALLS ON ALL TSJ TEACHERS TO RUN FOR THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL AND ENCOURAGE ACTIVIST PARENTS IN THEIR SCHOOLS TO RUN. AS TEACHERS, WE NEED TO WORK TO MAKE LSCs PART OF THE BACKBONE OF THIS FIGHT FOR OUR SCHOOLS.

*Build a campaign for an elected school board and the end of running schools as businesses for business. We need schools of social justice. Read the Full Story

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Two studies were released on Tuesday Feb 17th at a GEM press conference. They can be found below at the Collaborative for Equity and Justice in Education website. The first critiques CPS school closing criteria, examines patterns of gentrification and school closings, and has three case studies of schools to be closed (turn-around, phased out). The second analyzes ACT scores of charter and neighborhood high schools, and looks at differences in the student bodies.

February 2008
Paper #1: Examining CPS' plan to close, consolidate 11 schools and turn-around 8 schools
Available for dowload in PDF*

The report provides data that can be used to examine the Chicago Public School district's plan to close, consolidate and turn-around several schools. Announced January 24, 2008, the plan - if approved - is to be implemented following a decision made by the CPS board at its February meeting. CPS announced it would use the turn-around model to address chronic under-performance in 8 elementary and high schools and relocations, phase-outs, consolidations, and closings to address underenrollment in 11 elementary schools. Data in this report show these schools are primarily in communities of color experiencing gentrification or rapidly changing demographics. Read the Full Story