Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Thursday edition.
January 26, 2012
Rahm doesn’t think pay-for-protesters is a problem.
And his hand-picked board of education seems to have skipped a step. They’re budgeting for turnarounds before all the public hearings and before actually taking a vote. Very Chicago.
The mayor was not concerned.
“The ministers have a right — who have been long involved in school reform, longer school day, turnaround schools, who don’t accept the status quo — to speak up,” Emanuel said Wednesday. “And I’m proud that people are having a discussion about the school system.”
Pressed repeatedly if he had a problem with what critics have called “rent-a-protesters,” Emanuel said “I’m not speaking [about that]. I’m speaking about the fact that ministers care about their schools and care about their community.”
Regarding the turnaround vote:
Jackson Potter, chief of staff to Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, questioned why the board was scheduled Wednesday to approve millions in renovation funds promised as part of the fresh start of targeted schools, even though those schools’ shakeups aren’t up for a vote for a month. “It gives the appearance they already made up their minds’’ about school shakeups, Potter said.
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Fred, it is interesting that an e-mail is going around from a group calling itself Parents for Teachers. They are urging people to call Jean-Claude Brizard to tell him that the people want the turnarounds to stop. I note that their intentions are good–however, we don’t seem to be seeing/hearing much from Mr. Brizard. Does anyone else notice how he seems to be in the background, while Mayor Emanuel constantly speaks out? I think a campaign of this nature might be more effective if everyone contacted–called/e-mailed–the mayor directly.
And, also, inundating the media w/letters, e-mails & calls might help tremendously. (At least the Sun-Times got something out of the mayor re:paid protestors–then WGN put it up as the lead story.)