Ultimately parent(s) are responsible for the education and well being of their children. Urban educators and Community Activists in Chicago keep taking their educational grievances to City Hall. They want to persuade the Mayor and CPS to stop school closings and relocating children into different communities when it is dangerous for children to pass through gang turfs to get to their new schools. Mostly urban communities will be affected by the Mayor’s and CPS’s school closings policy. In my opinion, the Harlem Children Zone is a good model to use as an alternative.
Harlem Children Zone
Harlem Children Zone
Parents supported the teachers and took pride helping their children get educated “back in the day” when I attended public school. Parent(s) are the key to success. Teachers and parents were doing a good job in public schools until educators bought into Dr. Benjamin Spock’s philosophy. Incidentally, Dr. Spock admitted his philosophy about teaching children was wrong before he died on March 16, 1998.
Repeated protests, meetings, and marches, have been the agenda of Community Activists to stop CPS and the Mayor from school closings in their community. This effort from Community Activists has yielded no positive results each time…nothing was accomplished or changed. Albert Einstein says, “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is insanity.”
On April 17, 2014 a meeting was held in the North Lawndale Community by Alderman Michael D. Chandler regarding the school closings issue and community usage of the school property. After hearing all the information from the CPS representative, Liza Balistreri, and Lisa Kenner, Principal of Legacy Charter School, Community activist Tonya Hunter said, “You’re wasting our time. You’re going to do what you want to do anyway.”
Getting things changed in schools for children in urban communities is not rocket science. It is really basic civics. If you want things to change in your schools and community, stop putting the same people back in public office. Start with your Aldermen, County Commissioners, State Representatives, Congressmen, and the Mayor.
Who is to blame for conditions in your schools, communities, and streets…..you are! Elect candidates who will give “the people” what they want! Whining and blaming everybody else for your shortcomings is utterly ridiculous. That is my story and I am sticking to it!