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It's a big day for Chicago's school board, which will decide whether to keep uniformed police officers in 55 high schools or listen to Black students who don't feel safe learning amid a police presence. The board meeting is underway. Follow it with me here https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/8/26/21402246/school-police-officers-cps-public-schools-cops
Before the meeting, a hearing was held this morning about holding classes on Veterans Day instead of Election Day to follow a new state law that requires schools to be closed on Election Day. A board member questioned whether vet groups were consulted https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2020/8/25/21401846/veterans-day-election-day-cps-public-schools
A reminder: CPS students at a high school that has a police officer stationed inside are four times more likely to have the police called on them than kids at high schools that don’t have in-house cops, my analysis published last week found. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/8/21/21372784/chicago-public-schools-cps-high-school-cops-racial-disparities-schurz-roberto-clemente-john-marshall
I also found that among high schools with police officers inside, cops intervene more frequently at schools with majority-Black student populations than those where Black students are a minority. That's among many disparities. Read more here: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/8/21/21372784/chicago-public-schools-cps-high-school-cops-racial-disparities-schurz-roberto-clemente-john-marshall
The public comment portion of today's school board meeting is about to start. There are 30 public speaking slots today after only 15 each month since the pandemic started. Pre-COVID, there were 60 speaking slots every month.
The first speaker is Natasha Erskine, a parent with @ILRaiseYourHand. She says CPS needs to invest in transformative justice instead of cops. She's concerned about the set of reforms CPS announced because it "just doesn't meet the need."
The next few speakers:
— Epic charter school director says Epic has worked hard to be prepared for remote learning
— Two parents advocate for the $40M annex for Sauganash elementary that's in the capital budget up for approval today. They discuss NW Side school overcrowding
— Epic charter school director says Epic has worked hard to be prepared for remote learning
— Two parents advocate for the $40M annex for Sauganash elementary that's in the capital budget up for approval today. They discuss NW Side school overcrowding
Four more parents emotionally appeal for the board to approve Sauganash's proposed annex.
CPS is 10.8% white, 46.6% Latino, 4.2% Asian American and 35.9% Black.
Sauganash is 52.8% white, 19.2% Latino, 21.4% Asian American and 1.9% Black
CPS is 10.8% white, 46.6% Latino, 4.2% Asian American and 35.9% Black.
Sauganash is 52.8% white, 19.2% Latino, 21.4% Asian American and 1.9% Black
The parents say Sauganash is at 123% of its capacity, and the only solution is an annex, not an adjustment of school boundaries
Annexes have long been used at CPS to grow schools with disproportionately white students so parents can avoid nearby Black/Latino schools that have plenty of space. Annexes deepen school segregation. They were built quite often by Rahm Emanuel's administration
This would be the first annex under Mayor Lightfoot. Here's a really good story from @SSKedreporter and @beckyvevea from four years ago that covers this issue quite well https://www.wbez.org/stories/how-chicago-school-construction-furthers-race-and-class-segregation/92305e1d-2888-46e3-9e6c-de3a3a7f01de
