PHOTO/SARAH JANE RHEE
CHICAGO, IL—Chicago students are going back to the schools that are still open, under a pall of increased cutbacks. Along with an average cut of 2.3% from last year’s budget, schools are struggling with other cuts. Some schools will be losing all their state funding for before and after-school programs. Parents, teachers and students have been telling their elected officials and their unelected School Board: the violence that plagues the streets of Chicago begins in the mayor’s office, with the official violence done to our children in the schools.
Rahm Emanuel came into office staking his claim to be the education reform mayor. But massive school closings and continued disinvestment in neighborhood schools have sparked outrage across the city. Emanuel claims to have offered parents “choice” about where they can send their children: other neighborhood schools outside the boundaries, or charter schools or magnet schools.
The result, however, is that the traditional neighborhood schools have had declining enrollments. They are left with fewer resources to educate the children that remain. A recent study by the State of Illinois shows that the charter schools on average perform no better than their public counterparts. The choice is illusory at best.
Independent candidates are springing up all over to challenge the Emanuel education agenda. The mayor is a Democrat; all the 50 aldermen are Democrats. All eyes are looking beyond November to Chicago’s aldermanic and mayoral elections, March, 2015. The challenge began with the formation of a “progressive caucus” among the city council, a few aldermen who dared to defy Emanuel openly since the Chicago Teachers Union strike in 2012. Now, however, teachers, parents and community activists are coming forward and declaring their intention to run in 2015, specifically against Rahm’s “alderpuppets.” Some of these represent an open break with the Democratic Party. Others are not so sure. None of them can expect to get support from the Party machine and all of them oppose the machine education agenda.
As we go to press, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis has formed an exploratory committee, will be going on a tour of the Chicago neighborhoods, and is considering running for mayor. Along with this came an announcement of the formation of a new political organization in Chicago called United Working Families. (United Working Families is built out of a union and community organization coalition, but according to organizers is not part of the Working Families Party, well known on the East coast.)
Some have compared a Karen Lewis candidacy to the Harold Washington candidacy 30 years ago. There is a similarity. Then the campaign was against a Party machine representative of the old, industrial Chicago. That election strengthened the Democratic Party in its remake of Chicago. Today, with Democrats representing the corporate interests that are devastating our communities, a Karen Lewis candidacy could represent a challenge to the system itself. The education agenda is front and center as part of this challenge; but make no mistake, the fight is for a new society.
These beautiful children are my grandchildren. They attend public school in Chicago. Have already been displaced once by a school that was turned into a charter. They understand the importance of neighborhood public schools. Thanks for the shout out.