Tonight, Feb 22, 2012, at about 6:15 PM, the appointed Board of Education of the city of Chicago closed, phased out, and turned around all 17 schools on their chopping block without a dissenting vote and hardly a blink of an eye. Despite protests ranging from the sleepover on the sidewalk and mic-check takeover of the Board meeting in December, the 4-day sit-in at the mayor's office, the occupation of Piccolo school, the 500-plus person candlelight vigil to the mayor's house Monday night and the dozens of hearings, speakouts, and organizing meetings around the city where parents, students, teachers and community member poured out their hearts, developed plans, and were deeply involved in our children's education--this Board callously ignored the wisdom and love of Chicago's people. Even though we knew it was coming, we were deeply hurt and angered. They gave six schools to the very politically connected AUSL, rapidly on its way to building its empire in Chicago (now 25 schools) and soon to go national.

As Jitu Brown of KOCO told the press immediately after the so-called vote, "only in Black and Brown communities would this happen, not in Winnetka or Oak Park." This is a deeply racist city, where the 1% ignores the knowledge and experience of its residents about the education of their children, overwhelmingly of color in Chicago public schools (92%).

We need an elected and representative school board, elections with spending limits, and bottom-up, community-driven plans for real school transformation and community control of schools. And we need real popular political education, as to the nature of what we're up against. This is a business plan, hatched by the 1%, for the 1%--not an education plan. We have much work to do, in educating and organizing ourselves. This fight is far from over, and we will continue to fight it in the streets, courts, legislature, board rooms, classrooms, schools, media, and everywhere else.

To quote our brother in the struggle, Adourthus McDowell (look at the mic-check video!), "THESE ARE OUR CHILDREN! NOT CORPORATE PRODUCT!"



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Next Wednesday, February 22nd, the Board of Education will vote whether to close, phase-out or "turnaround" 16 Chicago Public Schools. This is a really important time...

*from the December 3rd King HS Teach-In (400 teachers, parents, students, community members, union members)

*to the December 13 candlelight vigil (several hundred) and sleepover on the cold wet sidewalk before the December Board meeting,

*to the now-famous Mic Check takeover of the Dec 14 Board Meeting,

*to KOCO's 4-day sit-in at the Mayor's City Hall Office, where, on Day #2, the Mayor ordered "no chairs," forcing seniors to sit on the floor!

*to the exposé of the "rent-a-protestors,"

*to the rally against Noble St. Charter's draconian discipline policies and outrageously punitive fee schedule,

*to all the resistance at the school closing "hearings" and parent meetings around the city--

This year is not like others. People are pushed to the brink and are willing to do more to fight for the neighborhood schools--and their neighborhoods. Enough!

These are our children! NOT corporate product!

ACTIONS CALENDAR:

Thurs, Feb 16 6PM - 8PM
RALLY to SUPPORT
IL House Bill 4487: Moratorium on School Closings, Turnarounds and Phase-Outs
Pleasant Gift Baptist Church
4526 S. Greenwood
(3 blocks east of Cottage Grove Ave.)

Mon, Feb 20, 4PM
Rally to Support Schools
Lakeview High School
4015 N. Ashland

Wed, Feb 22, 6AM - 8AM
Rally before Board of Ed Mtg
CPS Headquarters
125 S. Clark St.

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Statement of Solidarity with Tucson's Mexican American Studies (MAS) Program by TAG:

As a network of Teacher Activist Groups (TAG) we believe that education is essential to the preservation of civil and human rights and is a tool of human liberation. In alignment with these beliefs we are are proud to coordinate a month of solidarity work in support of Tucson’s Mexican American Studies (MAS) Program. In January, 2011 state attorney general Tom Horne declared that the TUSD MAS program is illegal. Over the past year, teachers, students, and administrators have come together to challenge Horne’s ruling, but on January 10, 2012, the Tuscon Unified School District school board voted 4-1 to cease all MAS classes immediately for fear of losing state aid.

In the month of February we invite you to strike back against this attack on our history by teaching lessons from and about the banned MAS program. On this website you will find a guide that includes sample lesson plans from the MAS curriculum as well as creative ideas and resources for exploring this issue with students. Whatever happens in Arizona, we can keep the ideas and values of MAS alive by teaching about them in our classrooms, our community centers, our houses of worship, our homes.

February 1 is the first day on which TUSD must be in compliance this law. It is also the first day of African American History Month. And as Dr. King warned us, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” What is happening in Arizona is not only a threat to Mexican American Studies, it is a threat to our right to teach the experiences of all people of color, LGBT people, poor and working people, the undocumented, people with disabilities and all those who are least powerful in this country.

Our history is not illegal. Please join us by pledging your support at http://www.teacheractivistgroups.org/tucson/pledge

Tell your story: http://www.teacheractivistgroups.org/tucson/tell-your-story

Download the curriculum: http://www.teacheractivistgroups.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/NoHistoryIsIllegal.pdf

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(from Rethinking Schools blog:) On Jan. 10, the governing board of Tucson schools voted to terminate the popular and enormously successful Mexican American Studies program, under pressure from the Arizona state superintendent of education. Follow this link to a letter from Tucsan Mexican American studies teacher Curtis Acosta posted on the Rethinking Schools blog: http://rethinkingschoolsblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/behind-the-curtain-in-tucson-a-letter-from-curtis-acosta/



(By Jeff Biggers on Huffington Post):

What happens in Arizona doesn't stay in Arizona.

As Tea Party state education chief John Huppenthal retreats into his office after an embarrassing national media tour on Arizona's extremist Ethnic Studies crackdown, and Tucson Unified School District administrators continue their slide into a public relations disaster over banishing Mexican American Studies curricula and books, a remarkably diverse array of librarians, educators, writers, civil rights activists and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is mounting a series of national actions to call attention to educational and civil rights violations and to support local Tucson efforts...

...On February 1st, teachers and schools around the country have been encouraged by Rethinking Schools, whose nationally acclaimed textbook Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years was confiscated and banished from Tucson schools, to follow the suggestion of former Tucson Mexican American Studies literature teacher Curtis Acosta for a "national day of solidarity where teachers would teach our curriculum all over the nation."~ from Arizona Unbound: National Actions on Mexican American Studies Banishment by Jeff Biggers

TSJ is part of TAG (Teacher Activist Groups national network). Watch the TSJ and the TAG website for coming national action to teach the Mexican American studies curriculum Read the Full Story

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On Dec 14th, parents, teachers, community members, and the CTU Community Board (Coalition of the CTU and community groups, including TSJ), w/ support from Occupy Chicago, shut down the Board of Education meeting. A big shout out to TSJ members who attended the vigil in front the Board on Dec. 13, slept out on the sidewalk in front of CPS Headquarters in the rain, brought the campers food and coffee, showed up before 6 Am with more coffee and spirit, and attended the Board meeting.



At the meeting itself, the people did a mic-check on the Board and shut down the meeting. Then, we held our own public participation session. This is a new day. People had enough, finally.

Quoting from a message from the CTU:

"Congratulations to each of you for your work which culminated in today's historic walk-out of the Board of Ed members and CPS officials. They cannot ignore us any longer. Because of our unified efforts we have successfully amplified the voices of justice-parents, teachers, students, and community leaders who love and support our children and are fighting for the world class education they deserve.

Because of you, more than 300 people turned out Tuesday night for the candlelight vigil in front of the Board. Kudos to the brave souls who battled inclement weather and sat-in overnight at the Board. The City has not seen this level of protest in many years. This is the spark of a pure, social justice movement in this town. We must sustain it and continue our organizing and public education efforts until we break down the walls of education apartheid."

There is a long road ahead. Check out the TSJ website and the CTU website for school rallies, meetings, upcoming events, and what you can do.

Here is a link to the people's "mic check speech."

Check out good print media, and there is much TV footage on the web:

http://www.wbez.org/story/protesters-disrupt-chicago-board-education-meeting-94896#

http://www.suntimes.com/news/9440216-418/protesters-take-over-chicago-school-board-meeting.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-crowds-gather-to-protest-cps-school-closures-and-turnaround-projects-20111214,0,10496.story

Shut Down at Board Meeting Dec. 14 (Labor Beat)

Dec. 13 Save our Schools Rally (CTU)



Mic check shuts down School Bd. Mtg Dec. 14

Stop the Hit list! Teach in at King HS, Dec. 3

We Do NOT need schools turnaround in West Humbold park Read the Full Story