Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's War on Teachers and Children

[marmar]

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's War on Teachers and Children

Thursday, 20 June 2013 14:37
By David Bacon, Truthout | Report


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.

Many view the layoffs and closures as payback by Mayor Rahm Emanuel for a bitter but successful nine-day strike by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) last September. But it is also a blow not just to the public school system but to the city's schoolchildren themselves.

The district is implementing massive budget cuts rather than look for the funding schools and children need. The union has proposed "redirecting tax increment financing (TIF) surpluses back to public schools, ending tax loopholes or raising a new tax levy for pensions that would stabilize the CPS budget."

Instead, at Kennedy High School, for instance, a reduction from $15 to $13 million will cause the elimination of four of its five counselors, the school librarian, a clerk and special education personnel. Blair Elementary, which focuses on special education, is getting a 75 percent budget cut and will lose seven special ed teachers, one general education instructor, and up to eight paraprofessionals. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/17091-chicago-mayor-rahm-emanuels-war-on-teachers-and-children

[xchrom]

1. du rec.

[Buzz Clik]

2. I don't see it that way.

Rahm, in his mind, is being the uber responsible budget guy and cutting out fat and dead wood. He's not attacking teachers and children, he's just not concerned about those consequences.

[liberal_at_heart]

3. K&R. Unfortunately this is happening all over the country. Instead of fighting for more funding,

cities, school boards, and school districts simply find ways of cutting services and wages. We have an education crisis in this country. We cannot ignore it or pretend that everything is okay. And requiring better performance out of teachers and students without giving them proper funding will only hasten the demise of our public school system.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. It's a fucking disgrace...Rahm's newest scheme is actually reducing per child funding

by transforming principal's budgets into lump sum. This move is represented as giving principals more budget and personnel "discretion," when it will in fact only have one notable result: cutting teachers and increasing class sizes. My daughter attends one of the top public schools in the city, and if I'm mad as hell, then Rahm's in actual trouble.

[AngryAmish]

5. This is not a war on teachers and students, it is a war on black peole

In Chicago it has been decided that there are too many black people in the city. Just like NYC and DC.

The point is to make life uncomfortable for African-Americans and get them to leave. It is many things large and small. For example there are more traffic light cameras in black neighborhoods. What was formally free parking is now very expensive meters.

Closing these schools and forcing kids to cross into other gang territory is the next, significant step. Stop and frisk is next if they can get away with it.

Oh, the renewed targeting of black political leaders (Beavers, Jackson x 2, et al.) will reduce dissent.

Also, lookee here [link:http://www.mccafferyinterests.com/content.cfm/lakeside_1|

[datasuspect]

8. I move around all over the city of chicago

there are fewer red light cameras and parking meters in the various african american neighborhoods.

[rhett o rick]

6. Look at his choices. Either try to squeeze more money out of the depleted working class or

or, well it looks like that's the only choice. Penny Pritzker isnt going to donate.

[datasuspect]

7. the CHA ethnic/economic cleansing made so much sense to them:

i guess they figured shutting down the schools (which very often are neighborhood anchors) would help Chicago's money machine export even MORE impoverished blacks and latinos out of the city proper.