Chicago joins South Africa

Likening the closing of under-performing schools in Chicago to apartheid is gross hyperbole and does little to advance what will be done to improve the education of the nearly 7500 students impacted. Will they be moved to high performing schools? What metrics are being used to determine performance levels of the schools themselves? Is funding being shifted with them or to some for-profits that will operate the schools? This debate is political and to suggest that education and politics are not necessarily intertwined is naive.

STORY: CPS Board Approves 17 School Closings, Overhauls, Teachers Union Calls Vote 'Education Apartheid' (VIDEO)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQJ_XhDYGwB1P5fpWfXkWCA2TBwOoOKFlR83coCym9fZMYM1MQw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQJ_XhDYGwB1P5fpWfXkWCA2TBwOoOKFlR83coCym9fZMYM1MQw" width="278" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Likening the closing of under-performing schools in Chicago to apartheid is gross hyperbole and does little to advance what will be done to improve the education of the nearly 7500 students impacted. Will they be moved to high performing schools? What metrics are being used to determine performance levels of the schools themselves? Is funding being shifted with them or to some for-profits that will operate the schools? This debate is political and to suggest that education and politics are not necessarily intertwined is naive.<br /> <br /> STORY: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/23/cps-board-approves-17-sch_n_1296300.html?ir=Education">CPS Board Approves 17 School Closings, Overhauls, Teachers Union Calls Vote 'Education Apartheid' (VIDEO)</a><br /> <h1 class="title-news" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 32px; line-height: 36px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"> </h1>

Play/protest for pay in the windy city

Recent demonstrations supporting the closure of "under-performing" schools have drawn scrutiny from the teacher's union membership and others. The Rev. Roosevelt Watkins III, leader of Englewood's HOPE organization advocates these closing and has allegedly paid folks a "training stipend"  of $25 to hop on the bus and get out there and support shuttin' em' down. We don't recall any such tactics from Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, nor do we remember cashing in on Civil Rights and Vietnam War protests during our college years. Perhaps the good reverend is trying to stimulate the economy in Chicago. Some protesters didn't have any idea as to why they were there or what they were protesting!

STORY: Paid To Protest? Chicago Schools Watchdog Investigating After Needy Residents Paid To Support Closures

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRlR-Ro7K3_or82fNZkI3gvqiOu4UtKhbJTbZDK1okQrzXxmClv6A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRlR-Ro7K3_or82fNZkI3gvqiOu4UtKhbJTbZDK1okQrzXxmClv6A" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> Recent demonstrations supporting the closure of "under-performing" schools have drawn scrutiny from the teacher's union membership and others. The Rev. Roosevelt Watkins III, leader of Englewood's HOPE organization advocates these closing and has allegedly paid folks a "training stipend"  of $25 to hop on the bus and get out there and support shuttin' em' down. We don't recall any such tactics from Saul Alinsky's <i><b>Rules for Radicals</b></i>, nor do we remember cashing in on Civil Rights and Vietnam War protests during our college years. Perhaps the good reverend is trying to stimulate the economy in Chicago. Some protesters didn't have any idea as to why they were there or what they were protesting!<br /> <br /> STORY: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/paid-to-protest-chicago-s_n_1233571.html?ref=education&ir=Education">Paid To Protest? Chicago Schools Watchdog Investigating After Needy Residents Paid To Support Closures</a>