Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty-(Rafflaw)-Guest Blogger
We often hear the term “school reform” used often by politicians of all stripes. Chicago’s politicians are no different when it comes to talking about and taking action on so-called school reform. Recently, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is a big fan of the charter school program and a former investment banker, decided that the best way to “reform” Chicago Public Schools was to close 49 schools and terminate 550 teachers and another 300 school staff employees!
“On June 14, the Chicago Public Schools sent layoff notices to 850 school employees, including 550 teachers. The layoffs will hit hardest at those teachers working in African-American and Latino communities. These are the communities that were targeted in the system’s recent decision to close 49 schools – the largest single school closure in US history.” Truth-out What is interesting to me is that while Mayor Emanuel has hammered the Chicago Public School teachers union and Chicago Public schools, he has made sure that Charter schools will be a big player in the City of Chicago.
“Emanuel, a former Congressman and investment banker, has become a darling of the US education reform lobby by implementing its demands for privatizing the public education system through establishing charter schools – privately owned, for-profit schools that receive public financing – by attacking the CTU, and most recently, by pushing forward the huge school closure.
The number of charter schools – which receive public money while being freed of many work and collective-bargaining rules – has doubled in Chicago since 2005, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. There are now about 100 of them in the city. The Emanuel administration has called for 60 new charter schools by 2017. ” Truth-Out
While no one will argue that the Chicago Public Schools do not need improvements, why is it that politicians insist that educating our children should be done by for-profit corporations? Mayor Emanuel is actually continuing a “reform” program first initiated by Mayor Richard Daley and now Education Secretary, Arne Duncan.
“Daley began the privatization of the school system by closing so-called “underperforming” schools, mostly in black and Latino neighborhoods, and firing large numbers of teachers. Between 2001 and last year, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) district closed about 100 schools. Arne Duncan, the CEO of CPS during many of those years, was appointed Secretary of Education by President Barack Obama, who himself rose out of the Chicago political system.” Truth-Out
Is it just a coincidence that most of the schools closed by the last two Mayoral administration’s were in black and Latino neighborhoods? Are the charter schools a way of attacking the Chicago Teachers Union? The problems that the CTU and Mayor Emanuel had during the last strike were well documented. The Teachers Union now has 550 fewer members and there may be more terminations to come. Round 1 to Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Why are charter schools the latest rage in the education arena? Why would alderman and mayors around the country be sold on the idea of for profit education, paid for by taxpayer money? What facts did the Emanuel administration use to make its claim that Chicago needed to engage in the largest single school closure in history?
“Critics accused the board of using false and misleading claims to justify the closures. They say 46,000 students, not 30,000, will be affected. The board claims public schools had lost 145,000 students. In reality, enrollment had declined by 75,000, and 47,000 of those students had gone to charter schools, making the real figure 28,000. Most of Chicago’s student losses occurred 30-40 years ago at the height of deindustrialization. The school district claimed what it said was a $1 billion deficit made closures necessary, but in fact, since students don’t disappear and other schools will require more funding, there will be no cost savings from the closures.” Truth-Out
If I understand the numbers correctly, the Mayor may have used bogus numbers to make his claim that public schools needed to be closed en mass while Charter schools are increasing in number. Could the lower average teacher salaries at charter schools be part of the reason Emanuel and other politicians are fawning over the alleged promise of charter schools?
At least one study provided numbers that seems to claim that charter school’s promise of improvement is all wet. Especially when you compare apples to apples. “Research on charter schools paints a mixed picture. A number of recent national studies have reached the same conclusion: charter schools do not, on average, show greater levels of student achievement, typically measured by standardized test scores, than public schools, and may even perform worse.
The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University found in a 2009 report that 17% of charter schools outperformed their public school equivalents, while 37% of charter schools performed worse than regular local schools, and the rest were about the same. A 2010 study by Mathematica Policy Research found that, on average, charter middle schools that held lotteries were neither more nor less successful than regular middle schools in improving student achievement, behavior, or school progress. Among the charter schools considered in the study, more had statistically significant negative effects on student achievement than statistically significant positive effects. These findings are echoed in a number of other studies.” Education Justice
If for profit charter schools are not performing better than public schools why would politicians be in favor of them? The best answer I have to that question is to repeat the statement made by the infamous “Deep Throat” of Watergate fame. “Follow the Money”!
Mayor Emanuel, have you no shame?
Additional References: Edudemic.com; Washington Post;
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AY,
Are you arguing against a publicly funded public education for children in this country?
BTW, the federal government doesn’t provide the basic funding for public education–cities and towns do.
Good to hear from you Elaine!
How Chicago’s five-year school plan was dead on arrival
With the latest round of budget cuts, Mayor Emanuel dooms the education polices he forced into place.
By Ben Joravsky
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/mayor-emanuel-kills-school-plans-with-cuts/Content?oid=10131475
Excerpt:
You can be forgiven if you missed the recent release of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s new five-year plan for transforming the Chicago Public Schools.
Or, as the mayor calls it, “The Next Generation: Chicago’s Children / 21st Century preparation for success in college, career and life.” A title that just rolls off the tongue.
I didn’t take much notice of the plan at first myself. It was unveiled a little over two weeks ago, but I was so distracted by the fallout from the mayor’s last major education initiative—the closing of 50 schools—that I wasn’t able to give “The Next Generation” the attention it so richly deserves.
At the June 10 release of the plan, schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett announced that the turmoil and tumult of the last year—highlighted by the first teachers’ strike in 25 years and then the closings—were a thing of the past.
Instead, she said, the five-year plan would usher in an era of peace, love, and understanding between CPS and the teachers, parents, and students under its domain.
Alas, a few days later, principals in schools across the city announced substantial budget cuts to what little art, music, electives, and after-school programs they offered.
Those cuts—at elementary schools like Burley and Jungman and high schools such as Lane Tech, Whitney Young, Roosevelt, Lake View, and Von Steuben—brought howls of protest.
And so the school year ended as it began—with angry protesters in the streets.
By the way, note that I said principals announced the cuts. Mayor Emanuel—who ordered that the budget ax fall—was conveniently on an overseas trip to Israel last week when the bad news broke. Not coincidentally, he was conveniently on a ski trip in Utah when the school closings were announced.
It was also up to principals to decide what exactly to cut after being given thousands and even millions of dollars less to work with.
CPS says that’s part of the mayor’s broader initiative to give principals more autonomy. But as far as I can tell, autonomy means that the mayor gets to announce the good news while someone else—lower on the totem pole—is forced to announce the bad news.
Back to the plan. It’s a gorgeous, 28-page pamphlet, filled with page after page of glossy colored pictures of beaming children who undoubtedly have no idea that they’re being used as props in the mayor’s propaganda campaign. Scattered among the photos are some vague and grandiose goals like “ensuring world-class learning experiences for every child.”
The first three pages are filled with essays written by the figures who run the schools. Appropriately, Mayor Emanuel leads off, followed by school board president David Vitale. Bringing up the rear is Byrd-Bennett, just in case anyone needs to know the hierarchy of shot callers.
In his essay, Mayor Emanuel extols the virtues of his first major educational initiative—the longer school day—which will “not only position our students for success but also help make Chicago a better city.”
Left unmentioned is the fact that the recent cuts mean a reduction in the money many schools were given to help them devote the extra class time to art, gym, computer training, or electives.
As a result, many schools are now forced to have students spend the extra time in study halls with their homeroom teachers, who have no aides thanks to the previous cuts.
Thus, the latest mayoral initiative undoes the previous mayoral initiative. Yet I’ll bet that won’t stop Mayor Emanuel from bragging about the longer day in his upcoming reelection campaign.
A hobby is an activity in which a person engages out of love. They love collecting stamps, carving wood, etc. They never lament about having to do it, they wake up every morning w/ positive energy wanting to work on their hobby. You constantly complain about having to try and control me. But, maybe you do indeed enjoy this quite difficult control project, and this is a control freakish hobby. The joy will be a huge delayed gratification if you’re ever successful. What about coins, chess, Star Wars memorabilia? We would all be happier, but maybe that doesn’t matter. Some people here enjoy my comments and would be unhappy if you’re ever successful in your vendetta. To hell w/ them, eh?
Elaine,
Why should Gene join wise a$$ anonymous when he has this forum….
Elaine,
WA is a good program. Didn’t work a bit for me, but a good program nonetheless.
Elaine,
That’s the point… There is nothing in the US Const. that requires publicly funded education…. It’s all in title IX…. Which can be eliminated by congress….
Hence under Plessey and brown vs the board…. So long as public funds are being used they must be equal…. There is nothing that says tax payer dollars be used…. But if they are used they cannot discriminate….
Elaine,
I think part of the problem with uneven quality of public education in this country is in part caused by the dichotomy of wanting an equal education across the board conflicting with the fact that school districts (and consequently their primary funding and curriculum) operate at a local level and thus have constraints on funding and curriculum that are local in nature. National standardized testing – as you’ve pointed out on many occasions – is a boondoggle. Do you see any other way to close this particular gap either from the local or Federal level?
Gene,
I’ve missed being around…and also keeping up with all the latest news. It’s been difficult going sarcasm-free for weeks! I thought I might have to join Wisea**es Anonymous.
AY,
Elaine,
By understanding in law school was that publicly funded education has to be equal there’s no requirement under the Constitution that education be paid for by the people.
*****
Your comment isn’t clear. Who do you propose pay for a “publicly funded” public education system?
I’ve really missed you, Elaine, not the least of which I’ve missed your sarcasm.
Bron: “People have their own beliefs, why should I fund a school which teaches children something I dont believe is legitimate?”
*
It’s not about you or your beliefs. It’s about what benefits a society in the 21 century. Society isn’t an ala carte menu, or shouldn’t be, of what you would or would not support based on your own beliefs and selfish ‘wants’. Building, conserving and passing on a functioning society doesn’t work that way.
I forget the journalist name… But he had gotten documents under the carter administration…. Which has been marked declassified… Reagan had them reclassified and then tried to charge him under the espionage act…. Court held not…. So congress remedies was to give wide berth to a president … And even if they were unclassified when obtained the president could say they were now… Game over… But it was a post hoc law so it did not pin this journalist….
nick spinelli 1, June 23, 2013 at 10:17 pm
BradS, I agree w/ everything you said. But, please realize there will be some people who will be vehemently opposed to your views. Don’t let them intimidate you. Keep your sense of humor. And feel free to ask me any questions about the folks who come at you. Welcome to the jungle. Otteray Scribe is a reasonable man. But, he is one of those super rich pilots who flies his fancy planes wherever and whenever he wants[this is a ballbust on OS, he is a pilot and we share the incredulity that so many people think private pilots are all billionaires]. Here’s an important rule for you to know. The rich are greedy, evil, bad people, according to a very vocal minority here. I will do anything I can to keep a man of your intellect and philosophy commenting here on a regular basis. “The more the merrier.” and “To each their own.” Buckle up and where a helmet.
*****
Oh my! How terrible that some people might be opposed to your and Brad’s view on this subject. Do you believe that those who disagree with your viewpoint and who express their opinions here are trying to intimidate you? Are you that easily intimidated? Do you suppose Brad is?
BTW, who is the “vocal minority?” Can you be more specific?
There’s are GW Clause and N&P Clause arguments to be made for funding it though.
Elaine,
By understanding in law school was that publicly funded education has to be equal there’s no requirement under the Constitution that education be paid for by the people.
Bron,
You don’t see the inherent contradiction in what you just said?
“the problem is public funding of schools. People have their own beliefs, why should I fund a school which teaches children something I dont believe is legitimate?”
So instead of a secular education paid for by tax dollars, you’d rather a religious education be paid for by tax dollars? Doesn’t that presuppose that everyone has the same religious beliefs? Doesn’t it seem wiser to go with funding a secular education for all and allowing those with a preference to have a religiously based education on their own dime?
Secular doesn’t mean wrong. It just means “non-religious”. The same cannot be said of a religiously based curriculum. If you doubt this, I have one word: creationism. It’s great religious dogma. It’s scientific and factual gibberish. So why not leave the education in the secular realm and the religious teachings for church? That is what people like Jefferson intended in both promoting public education and the Separation of Church and State.
Bron,
You don’t think we should have a publicly funded educational system–one that provides an education to ALL children in this country?
lottakatz:
the problem is public funding of schools. People have their own beliefs, why should I fund a school which teaches children something I dont believe is legitimate?
Robinh, Thanks for the comments, you should comment more often IMO. You hit on a relevant point that is overlooked: “Granted, public funds since the 1950s have been used exclusively to dumb down America, but tax dollars did not go to support ideologically-based schools that were totally inimical to American values.”
I agree. What is in the interest of the nation is no longer a matter of consensus or a matter subject to reflection and articulation by our leaders. I can only imagine what a John Kennedy would think of government subsidizing schools that have an anti-science curriculum but I have faith that he would have had some thoughts about it, he would have clearly articulated those thoughts in memorable speeches and the possibility of so destructive a program happening would be nil.
I’m sure time has colored my view but a little leadership from the top would do me good. There is no effective speaker for the good of the nation. It’s time for this topic to be addressed in the national dialogue and some consensus that acts as a framework for government action to be reached. There seems to me to be a whole lot of flailing around without a plan or purpose or underlying theme.