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54: Chicago Public School programs at risk of being removed
61: Chicago Public School buildings at risk of being removed
100+ : Students protesting the closings
April 24, 2013: Date of protest
For many high school students in Illinois, April 24th marks the day of a significant event in their educational career: the Prairie State Achievement Examination. However, this year, hundreds of students from Chicago Public Schools ditched the mandatory testing and chose to protest the proposed closing of CPS schools. This large group of students are working under one, unified group called the “Chicago Students Organizing to Save our Schools” and are hoping that the sea of dozens of picket signs will convince the district to rethink the closing of schools. Students voiced their anger with the situation and the PSAE in general, considering the testing as simply another way to judge their schools unfairly.
While to some it may seem like a far-fetched claim, the numbers associated with this issue are surprising. 54 programs and 61 schools are planned to be removed, as they are currently being considered under-enrolled and underutilized. Looking forward, as many as 129 schools are being considered for removal, particularly 80 in the next two years. Why so many? It seems as though the thought-process revolves around redistributing resources. While it seems brutal, officials look at under-utilized schools and figure that if we combine two under-utilized schools into one school, we can take the funds and resources from both the schools and make one productive and well-functioning school.
It doesn’t seem to be so clear cut to CPS students though. After taking dozens of standardized tests and seeing their scores used as evidence in these debates, the question arises as “What determines how effective or necessary a given school is?” Is it a good school if, for every 10 students, 8 are getting A’s and high test scores? Or is there a more deeper, thorough examination or study that needs to be taken to determine the effectiveness? Along with the students, teachers are also unhappy, calling mayor Rahm Emanuel the “murder mayor” for closing these schools and, therefore, leaving them jobless.
With hundreds of students protesting and dozens of teachers speaking out, will it be enough to get the district and board officials to change their minds? Or are the numbers too telling of the ineffectiveness of these schools?
I think this is one of those situations where it's important to empathize with the other side. Since most of us live in privileged areas, it may not bother us that schools that are not doing as well are being shut down. I always think back to the classic movie Stand and Deliver. A high school teacher in a lower class town has to teach a bunch of students Calculus and get them 5s on the AP or the program would be shut down. "Standardizing" something is a difficult task since people have such a range of intellectual and socioeconomic backgrounds. I definitely think it's unfair to shut down schools for these kids who are genuinely interested in learning. Instead, Ehmanuel should enlist someone with experience to revamp these schools to help with the education process.
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