A raft of past programs have failed to substantially improve the reading skills of middle grade and high school students. CPS is trying once again, as part of a federal project that aims to help teens learn how to analyze complex non-fiction.
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What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
By: Alexander Russo / August 10, 2009
There's another gentrification struggle brewing in Chicago Public Schools, this time over Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary.
I don't know all the details, but it sounds like the long-discussed plans to bring in an IB program to replace the fine arts program -- a change supported by the neighborhood association, the principal and the the LSC have suddenly morphed into something with a lot more sharp edges for the kids, teaachers, and administrators at the school.
Update: Comments are now closed. This site is moving. Please find all previous comments here, and feel free to add your own update or opinions at the new site. Thanks!
There's another gentrification battle brewing, this time over Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary. I don't know all the details, but it sounds like the long-discussed plans to bring in an IB program to replace the fine arts program -- a change supported by the neighborhood association, the principal and the the LSC have suddenly morphed into something with a lot more sharp edges for the kids, teaachers, and administrators at the school.
Unlike many schools that falter once neighborhood demographics change and special funding is removed, Pulaski has maintained a strong enrollment (800+) and increased its academic achievement over the past few years. But it hasn't attracted new families, who want something with more enrichment and rigor for their kids. Just 16 percent of Pulaski kids come from the neighborhood.
So bringing in a new program like IB makes sense, and phasing it in over time seems reasonable as well. Rename the school too if that helps -- Bucktown Academy?
What doesn't obviously make sense is making the new program separate from the old school, with its own budget and administration -- essential two schools operating in the same building at the same time. That seems expensive and unnecessary, given that teachers and administrators can always change via hiring and LSC contract renewal. And it seems unfortunately simililar to what CPS does to low-performing schools, which Pulaski isn't.
So too does not allowing younger siblings to go to the same schools if they want to during the transition. You can be sure that siblings will be strongly considered within the IB program, so why not between the new IB program and the old neighborhood program? Seems stingy to me.
I wish that the new parents and neighborhood folks had gotten themselves represented on the LSC and done this internally, working with Principal Karl or replacing her if they thought she was resistant to change. Maybe they tried -- I don't know. But here as in Ravenswood that always seems to be a problem -- change-minded families try to do the work from outside the school, and end up with something more conflicted and controversial than necessary.
I haven't seen anything on paper, or talked to the folks at CPS or the Bucktown Community Organization folks who are apparently pushing this proposal along. There was a community meeting last Tuesday, the 4th, and there's apparently a hearing at the Board a week from Friday, the 21st. The principal and the LSC are opposed to having two schools at Pulaski, as is (I'm told) the AIO, Jim Cosme.
Most of the time, things like this are done deals. Pulaski has no connected parents or friends to reach out to, and its scores and enrollment may not be good enough for CPS to tell white-collar parents to suck it up and give the school a try. But once in a while, schools wriggle free from these kinds of things, and here at least there seems like there's the possibility of preserving the strengths of the existing school community while bringing in new offerings and young families.
What do you think? What do you know? Write in and let us know.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
[i]As a parent, who by the way is not "moneyed" (made up word by you?), I looked for a school that was best for my child and met their needs. You just want my child in your neighborhood school to bring up your test scores! Why don't you stop being ignorant -- just because your child didn't get in![/i]
Just wow. I'm sorry to see that this is an attitude fostered by school segregation. Your kid might have nice scores, but no score eclipses a basic lack of respect for other human beings.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
The board put it off so it seems like they are giving it their full consideration. Now that Pulaski's test scores are out of the bag any hope of things remaining 'as is' are toast.
Pulaski is, by the CPS definition, a failing school. One way or another the current administration's days are numbered.
In light of the poor test scores the LSC is seriously considering not renewing the principal's contract, which is up this year.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
I'm guessing that the Board doesn't want it's fingerprints anywhere near this ugly battle, which is why they won't decide. I smell law suit or shall I predict, many law suits?
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
"Someone should look at "gifted" in Chicago and compare it to any suburban regular ed school. Moneyed parents are being sold a bill of goods. Quit trying to clone little CEOs in Chicago Schools. Send the kids to a neighborhood school, be a parent, and stop looking for designer schools."
As a parent, who by the way is not "moneyed" (made up word by you?), I looked for a school that was best for my child and met their needs. You just want my child in your neighborhood school to bring up your test scores! Why don't you stop being ignorant -- just because your child didn't get in!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Does this make sense to you? The Board is telling Pulaski and the BCO to work it out and THEY should tell the Board what THEY decided? Does this sound weird to anyone else?
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Just found out the Board wants Pulaski and BCO to work it out themselves! Then tell the board what they decide at the meeting in Oct.
It seems that most parents with students at Pulaski have no idea this is going on. I've encouraged Pulaski to activate the Blog on their website.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
The agenda for the next meeting will be posted on Oct 26.
http://www.cps.edu/About_CPS/The_Board_of_Education/Pages/Boardactions.aspx
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
No action has been taken.
It will be on the agenda for the meeeting on Oct. 28th.
For further question call
Mary Kay at (773) 553 1600
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
what was the outcome of the meeting?
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
tomorrow is the big day, cross your fingers that the board does not phase out a successful school!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Someone should look at "gifted" in Chicago and compare it to any suburban regular ed school. Moneyed parents are being sold a bill of goods. Quit trying to clone little CEOs in Chicago Schools. Send the kids to a neighborhood school, be a parent, and stop looking for designer schools.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Bucktown families want the school for themselves. They have been heard saying they don't want to send their kids to a school where their kids are the minority. If they only know all their getting is a phony program to impress the neighborhood. Just look at the new LaSalle II a fancy name with no substance.
How is it that they can get away with treating kids this way? What makes your child better then a minority child? It is so sad.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
POPSG; My daughter took the the for gifted in three grade, so I believe that your daughter will be able to test into the gifted program if she is bilingual, but will not be able to attend the IB PROGRAM since it will start in pre-k and k.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
does anyone have any new information about the situation at Pulaski?
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Is it true that my daughter (2nd grade), now doesnt have a chance to get into the gifted? Gifted program will not be able to enroll any new students into gifted?
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Pulaski partners with NEIU to train student teachers. Five out of ten of this year's Golden Apple Award winners were from NEIU. Thanks to Pulaski and other schools like it, something's happening right!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
because WE ARE AWESOME!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
so your person speaking for you said, Pulaski Administration and Staff does not currently meet Bucktown standards, so why do you have your children enrolled for this current school year
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
George is right.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
A teacher's name and phone number was posted here on Thursday along with the press release by accident. If you do want to ask questions or chat with someone at Pulaski about this issue, please call or email me instead. I will be happy to talk with you.
eparrott@colum.edu
773-534-4998
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Who is the new SPED CAO?
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
"What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
The IB proposal will not be approved. The Board of Education has all the facts. They will not create 2 schools. If, they approve IB at all it will be integrated into the existing school. The BOE knows this is about wealth and race..." (yesterday here at 299).
We've reported the story as part of Jim Vail's summary of the Board meeting August 26, and it's true that one Board member (Norman Bobins) asked a critical question of the Bucktown whatchamacallit spokeslady.
However, I could name a dozen schools in the last six months that were betrayed by the Board in precisely similar circumstances, and with cases as strong and marches as dramatic. Carpenter comes to mind. Despite all the facts, CPS voted to put "Ogden High School" inside Carpenter and to continue to destroy Carpenter because the "Renaissance 2010" office ordered it. And the "Renaissance 2010" office -- "New Schools" -- simply brings the mayor's wishes to the Board each month in the form of Board Reports to continue this massive messing with existing schools.
Schneider Elementary School (now invested with "Alcott High") has been getting the same treatment as Carpenter.
South Chicago Elementary School has been evicted, and the building is now infested with one of those ridiculous and pretentious new schooly thingies.
And, of course, less than 90 days ago De la Cruz Middle School was a top inner city school with local and state recognitions to prove it. And of course CPS had no intention of giving away the De la Cruz building to the UNO charter schools, until one day Michael Scott awakened and realize the only thing to do was give away the De la Cruz building (excuse, me, UNO will pay $1 a year -- so it's not really a giveaway) to UNO.
Don't stop organizing just because one sleazy retired banker asks a couple of questions about IB at a Board of Education meeting. Be ready to march next month -- and as long as it takes.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Thanks to CTDN for documenting the processes of the BOD to vote without public discussion and to withhold documents. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Melissa does not address complaints from parents nor does she respond to correspondence from parents. I can not believe she is getting a raise to do nothing but allow new principals who did not earn amps to intimidate and be rude to students, staff and parents. Once huberman is through cps will be a bigger mess and will need a complete overhaul!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Seems we need a new thread for this topic. Here's CTDN follow-up on CAO/AIO salaries ...
Big raises for some new area officers at CPS
* Peter Sachs
* • Staff Writer
* • about 10 hours ago
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The newly created Chief Area Officer positions at CPS will each earn about $151,000 per year, according to documents from the school district. For the nine previous Area Instructional Officers who will slide into the new roles, that’s no change in salary, but some CPS administrators will get raises of as much as 43 percent.
The new positions replace the existing Area Instructional Officer structure. The new officers will be responsible for geographic clusters of elementary schools or high schools, meeting regularly with principals to share performance data, CPS has said. One officer will be responsible for overseeing all special education programs.
The new positions were approved in a unanimous vote at Wednesday night’s Board of Education meeting and without any public discussion. Though two reporters asked for the list of officers at the end of that meeting, Board Secretary Estela Beltran said she could not immediately hand over that information because the board reports had not been finalized with internal tracking numbers.
Beltran provided the reports this morning, more than 36 hours after the end of the meeting. Beltran did not immediately return a call this morning seeking comment.
The biggest raises for new area officers are those administrators who held very different positions previously.
A senior instruction and assessment manager, Akeshia Craven, is getting a 43 percent raise after previously making $105,000.
Curriculum director Shawn Smith, who made $115,000, is getting a 31 percent raise.
Melissa Megliola, the officer of Autonomous Management and Performance Schools, is getting a 20 percent raise over her previous $125,500 salary, though her title is not changing.
In total, the salaries of the 21 area officers, plus the AMPS officer, will be $3.3 million per year.
Jackson Potter, the co-chair of the Caucus of Rank and File Educators, says the pay is too high for positions that in the past have done too little to help teachers and schools.
“This type of institutional mechanism of CAOs or AIOs, whatever you want to call them, is really insufficient in assisting in creating better models for schooling,†Potter says
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
google chicago public access channel online, clique on satursday schedule its listed there, it looks like in the early afternoon spot, I am not sure, but I will just leave my television on that station when I wake up 2morrow
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
How can I find the Chicago Cable Channel to see the meeting? And what time will it be aired?
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
I am surprised he didn't make the cut. Just surprised.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
For information on the CAO's (formerly AIO's), please read the "Rolling Updates August 24-28" thread, starting from Wednesday, August 26th.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
sorry to be a pain, but what thread? where is the AIO info? thanks
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
CHICAGO PUBLIC ACCESS-BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE ON WED AUGUST 26, 2009. THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR BCO MADE THEIR CASE LOOK AND SOUND UGLY, WATCH IT FOR YOURSELF
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
on the other thread -- were leaked a couple of days ago
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
will not be approved. The Board of Education has all the facts. They will not create 2 schools. If, they approve IB at all it will be integrated into the existing school. The BOE knows this is about wealth and race.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
sorry to be off topic, but has anything been posted about the AIOs -- who's out? who's in? If this has been addressed, please tell me where. Has it been addressed?
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
It is very interested to me that the BCO sold the program as an "Accelerated IB" program. If the program truly is "accelerated," I would think that there should be some testing involved in selecting students for the program. As it is, any IB program is rigorous and challenging. Therefore, I would assume that the "Accelerated IB" program would be even more challenging. Yet, proposal allows ALL neighborhood students to be eligible for the program. I guess that means that all students in the attendance boundary of Pulaski can handle an accelerated program and are all gifted. STATISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
To in the know,
I would like to respond to your comment that Pulaksi "should be doing more community outreach." Here are some facts :
1. The school has a community outreach staff member who has dedicated years of service with great effort to the school.
2. The school has hosted many events and welcomed community members to attend. All the events are free and accessible to community members. Community members without children in the school have showed no interest in attending these events.
3. There is an LSC that is OPEN to community members. None of the LSC members are part of the BCO.
4. On the school website, it clearly states that the school offers tours. The head of the BCO visited the school ONE time last school year. The date he choose was the last Friday of school. Other members are welcome to attend the school whenever they choose.
Do you expect staff members to go door-to-door selling the school as if it were a product? Maybe you should try working in a school for a week and see how much time and energy you would have to prawl the neighborhood for prospective students. Of course, this would be without pay and after you have graded and entered 150 grades, contacted parents, planned for the next day's lesson, and attended to your own family.
Yes, great schools change and should always strive to provide the best education for their students. You want us to mend the fence? The BCO never invited the school to any meetings, nor came into the school to discuss its concerns. I think it is sad that the community thinks the way to improve a school is to give it a fancy name, fire all the teachers, and get rid of non-Caucasians.
This is not a "wake-up call." This is much more than a wake-up call. It is the unfortunate reality that money talks and segregation is alive and well.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
I was at the CBOE and heard the rep from the Bucktown parents group, or whatever they called themselves. I was astonshed at how blatantly racist she was, and how blatantly she bad mouthed the current school. As someone whose children do not even attend Pulaski, she seemed to think she knew an awful lot about how to run it, even suggesting that if a second separate school were formed, then "they" could later determine which administration was really the best one. What an arrogant and elitist person she was!! And she tried so hard to explain why her children should not have to go to school with little brown kids, but failed to give a cogent reason, and only revealed herself as not wanting to go to school with "those" people.
Pulaski-my heart goes out to you. I hope your school wins this one.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
To Michael, the Archangel-
Congratulations on going to law school. That is a huge accomplishment! I'm sure you were/are truly gifted and belonged in a gifted program. Sounds like you graduated from Pulaski around 8 years ago - Mr. Archangel - things change. I won't defend myself to you because I know what I know. I do hope and pray things go the way of the current Pulaski community. With that said, it should also be a wake-up call that they should begin doing more community outreach if they have the opportunity. Fences need to be mended on both sides.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
I am astounded and amazed that CPS would even consider such an obviously racist plan! I am speechless.
Press Release from Pulaski Fine Arts Academy
To clear up much of the confusion expressed in previous posts, here is the text of a recent press release issued by Pulaski Fine Arts Academy.
Date: August 24, 2009
PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS TO MARCH IN PROTEST
OF CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS (CPS) CLOSING DOWN SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL
PULASKI UNITED MARCH: WEDNESDAY, August 26, 2009
Depart: Pulaski Fine Arts Academy, 2230 W. McLean 12:30 PM
Arrive: CPS 125 S. Clark St., 3:00 PM
Route will follow Milwaukee Avenue from Leavitt to Kinzie, then down Madison to Clark.
Pulaski stake holders will march to the CPS board meeting to rally support for keeping the school alive. The proposal is being forced forward during the summer vacation and at an unusually expedited rate.
Pulaski 2nd Grade Teacher Carol Navarro says: “What is being proposed means two racially and economically segregated schools. We don’t want that, and we don’t think our neighbors want that. Unfortunately, we just found out about the two-school idea less than a month ago, and it’s being jet-propelled when school’s not in session and before everyone really knows the consequences.â€
The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is currently considering a proposal to phase out Pulaski Fine Arts Academy and to use the facility to house a new International Baccalaureate School meant to serve the Bucktown neighborhood. During the phase-out, the two schools would operate completely segregated from one another in the same facility, with separate unit numbers, budgets, cultures, and administrative staffs.
In its proposed plan, CPS would eliminate one grade each year, starting with pre-school and kindergarten in 2010; all that would remain of the current Pulaski would be its Regional Gifted Bilingual Center for English Language Learners, which serves 100% Hispanic families. This program makes up approximately 25% of the current 827-student population. In addition to the gifted program, Pulaski houses a Fine Arts Magnet Program, a 21st Century Community Learning Center, and an Illinois Parent Information Resource Center; all of these programs would be phased out with the school.
Parents, teachers, and students at Pulaski have expressed outrage and sorrow over the thought of losing their school, saying that the move is unfair and unnecessary. Some consequences of the two-school structure include lost jobs for highly qualified teachers, families having to split siblings between different schools, and setting a dangerous precedent for CPS.
Principal Leonor Karl states, “This is what they do with failing schools. We’re not a failing school. We are succeeding, despite a range of obstacles.†Families, teachers, and external partners view Pulaski as a unique success story in a city known for its challenges with public education for low income, minority students. With high enrollment rates of children from low-income (92%) and Hispanic (91%) families, with 25% English Language Learners, Pulaski’s test scores have risen dramatically over the past decade (from 40.5% to 75.9% ISAT composite).
Students, parents, and teachers say that the success of the school has to do with the unique culture of learning created by committed students and parents and by talented, dedicated staff members, all of whom were initially in favor of the prospect of getting the IB program at their school. “The program sounds great. We think it’s a good fit for our school, and we support the neighborhood’s desire to implement it at Pulaski,†says Lorraine Cruz, parent and CPS Local Schools Councils (LSC) president, “but we don’t want it like this.â€
Pulaski has been under-utilized by the neighborhood in recent years, and 77% of students live outside the enrollment area. Bucktown is a gentrifying community, with an estimated average household income of $92,344. Its population is comprised of 27.5% Hispanic and 68.5% Caucasian individuals.
School officials are eager for neighborhood parents to enroll their children at Pulaski, but they want one school where all children learn together. Below are the concerns inherent in the proposal:
There is no known precedent wherein a non-failing school has been phased out in order to start a new school. Pulaski has been performing well academically and was not at risk of being closed, yet the school is being treated as a failing school. Usually, the new program is integrated into the existing school.
Pulaski families who live outside the attendance area will not be guaranteed admittance of their children into Pulaski’s pre-school program or kindergarten after 2010. This will force many parents to choose between splitting their family between two schools versus disrupting their child’s learning to move him/her to a neighborhood school.
Highly qualified teachers will lose their jobs as the school is phased out. These are the same educators who are not only responsible for Pulaski’s gains but also excited about the prospect of being a part of IB. In schools where the program has been integrated into the existing school, teachers who demonstrate their commitment to IB have largely retained their positions.
As the number of students decreases, Pulaski will lose necessary support staff positions which are funded based on enrollment numbers. This includes social workers, counselors, and physical education teachers. Sharing space with an IB would enable Pulaski to accommodate a much smaller number of students.
By separating the Regional Gifted Bilingual Center (which serves 100 % Hispanic students) from the neighborhood IB school (in a community that is approximately 70% Caucasian), CPS runs the risk of operating de facto racially segregated schools side-by-side, a prospect that is not favored by the neighborhood or the school.
On August 21, a representative from the Board of Education heard public opinions about the proposal. Outraged Pulaski teachers, administrators, families, students, partners, and neighbors will attended the public hearing and demanded a change in the proposal that would keep Pulaski a united school, open to underserved students from afar in addition to Bucktown families. In an unusually fast-track timeline, the Board of Education will vote on this proposed new school on September 23rd.
###
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
One of the PreK teachers at Pualski priniciples of teaching are based on the Reggio Emilia Approach to early childhood education, I have read over and over again that this approach is best practice in THE WORLD. "Reggio Emilia Approach to preschool education as the best in the world."
Reggio Schools, "hailed as the best preschools in the world"
"The Reggio Emilia Approach worlds best practice"
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
guess what...you showed yourself yesterday, The Board of Education clearly saw what your real issue is...race, and class.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Oophs! I wrote that before I had any caffeine I should have written the area between the Stevenson to 65th street not 87th -the area between 73rd and 87th west of Pulaski is also extremely overdrowded-by the way for the North Siders reading this blog I did not include the area beween 65th and 73rd west of Pulaski to Harlem because it is a suburb-also aren't Bogan and Kennedy which are the two general high schools for this are also overcrowded?
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
... did 150 teachers, students, parents, and partners gather outside CPS headquarters-- they walked the 4.3 MILES from Pulaski to 125 S. Clark St. Democracy in motion!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Curie is on Pulaski. Pulaski is east of Cicero.
The original statement was,"The schools west of Cicero from the Stevenson to 87th (the city border) are extremely overcrowded but no new schools have been built since the 1950's".
Where are these new schools? NOT WEST OF CICERO! The population is moving west to escape the gangs in the east section of the 8th district. They have been moving west for the last ten years-anyone in CPS know how to analyze that data? Obviously, a map would help show that the schools west of Cicero are in dire straits and our parents are too stressed paying their mortages and city taxes to take off from work to picket etc. We have very overcrowded classrooms irregardless of CPS spin regarding occupancy.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
An hour before the Board meeting, at about 3:00, more than 150 people from Pulaski (adults and children) picketed outside CPS. After some picketing, they were joined by GEM, which held a press conference. I assume some of that must have gotten on TV, although I wasn't anywhere to see it. There were many cameras filming. All of the people on the sidewalk -- not only the people from Pulaski -- opposed the proposal to create a new Pulaski for the IB program.
At the very end of the public participation portion of the Board meeting (roughly 6:30 p.m.), there were three speakers from Pulaski. In the usual CPS Solomonnic method, two "sides" were represented. Two speakers were "against" establishing a special school for the IB program at Pulaski.
One was "for."
You'll be able to see that on Saturday when the Cable TV version of this reality airs Saturday on Chicago Cable.
The presentation on behalf of establishing the separate IB "school" was eloquently incoherent because it ignored the simplest fact: IB exists all over Chicago inside existing schools, so why should CPS establish a separate "school" at Pulaski for a program that has been doing quite well everywhere else without this double principal kind of thing.
Interestingly, one of the Board members (Bobins) asked the most pointed question of the young mother who claimed to be representing "500 residents" in support of creating the separate IB school inside the walls of Pulaski.
After pointing out that all the other IB programs in CPS were inside other schools, Bobins asked why the Pulaski IB program supporters were clamoring for a separate school within a school (which would have resulted in a separate principal, etc., in this era of supposed budget crisis). The answer was that the 500 person "community organization" (is it called "Bucktown Neighbors"?) wants their own school for their own IB program because they have very very very high "standards" and the present principal and teachers at Pulaski simply don't meet those "standards."
Bobins repeated his question: why not put IB inside Pulaski, which is what everyone else is doing?
The question= basically boils down to why if IB has been working at Steinmetz HS and Wildwood Elementary School (and all the other place where IB is in operation, including the grandmother of them all, Lincoln Park High School, which had IB for years before anyone else wanted it) are the "Bucktown Neighbors" (if that's what they're calling their "500-member" self) are demanding a separate school-within-a-school until they can evict the Pulaski people.
The young lady answered that only by creating a new "IB" school could the "Bucktown" people get to fire the current principal and teachers and bring in "their" people.
Hence, the Pulaski struggle is not an isolated aberration in the annals of affluent entitlement claims. It's a continuation of the trend that Arne Duncan began with all his nonsense about "underserved communities." In this context, "underserved communities" are places where wealthy people have gentrified and wanted to rid "their" community of the last vestiges of the lower classes -- including principals and teachers who have been teaching the lower classes proudly for years (and who hence must be polluted with values that don't include those rarified "highest possible standards" being pushed by those 500 families in "Bucktown Neighbors."
It's that racist, that elitist, and that silly, and you can see it all when you watch the video Saturday. The final speaker during public participation was the Bucktown Neighbors speaker. (A dozen people were cut off from speaking when Michael Scott declared participation over after that little offering).
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
Construction on the "southwest side" since the 1950s is pretty obvious to anyone who drives across that piece of Chicago. New schools include Curie High School, for crissakes. Trouble is, CPS churns its facilities people so often that nobody even has a chance to put together a complete inventory of all "public" schools (which has to include those UNO charter thingies that have been spread around out that way). CPS used to publish a useful annual review called "Selected School Characteristics" which include a lot of those "data" that are so much in the news nowadays. One bit of those "data" included the year(s) the schools were built and/or opened, capacity, and other stuff.
When Paul Vallas and Richard M. Daley moved CPS from Pershing Road to 125 S. Clark St., Vallas ordered the people moving to take a minimum amount of information (usually, four boxes the size of those storage boxes you can get at Office Max), deliberately destroying a lot of the official records. That was not an accident, since it became easier to give away large amounts of public land and play word games with even larger amounts once the institutiional memory was wiped out. From the point of view of George Orwell's "1984," since Richard M. Daley took over CPS in 1995 there has been a concerted effort to dump enormous amounts of information down the "Memory Hole."
This is one result. People say stupid things ("no new schools on the southwest side since the 1950s..." blah blah blah) and then other people repeat those stupid things until they form the basis for a set of beliefs.
I spoke about this last Wednesday (August 19) at the budget hearing at Robert A. Black Magnet, after people from the "Southwest Side" and "South Side" had spoken about facilities planning discrimination against "their" communities in favor of the "north side." I tried to point out (with much else to deal with that night regarding the budget) that there was fierce overcrowding on the "northwest side", too, and it was simply a bit of silly divide and conquer to continue to promote that myth.
At yesterday's Board meeting, anyone paying attention could have seen a brutal example. Once again, the LSC president and parents from Reinberg Elementary came to protest against the overcrowding of their school (1,400 and rising). They were accompanied by their Alderman (Tom Allen) who spoke to the Board about the problem. Reinberg is at Roscoe and Central -- definitely as "northwest side" as Cicero and Archer is "southwest side." And Reinberg is part of a cluster of huge elementary schools, all of which, on the "northwest side", have more than 1,100 children in them this year.
A bit later in the same meeting, parents and the principal from Edgebrook Elementary School (definitely "north side" although you could argue it's "northwest side") stood up to ask the Board to deal with the overcrowding at their elementary school (roughly Pratt and Central, four miles north of Reinberg), which has now gone over 400 children in a building with a capacity for fewer than 300 (let's admit that "overcrowding" is a relative term: relative to the space in the facility.
Edgebrook, which is in one of the city's most affluent communities, has almost as many mobile classrooms west of its main building as Reinberg has them east of its building. The "communities" couldn't be more different except for one thing: both have schools that are fiercely overcrowded. Today.
Back to the "Selected School Characteristics."
I don't expect that the publication of a common book of "data" such as CPS used to publish as a matter of routine would end these silly statements about whether the "south side," "southwest side," or "north side" gets more of the facilities pie, but some data standardization might help. Since the miracle management team took over, the facts have all been going in the opposite direction, as noted above with reference to Paul Vallas's destruction of much of the written record of Chicago's public schools as part of that politically connected move from 1819 W. Pershing Road to 125 S Clark St.
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
I want to thank all the organizers of Wednesday's march, I feel honored to have been a part of it! As an outsider, I'm inspired by your tenacity and drive. I hope your dreams come true and that Pulaski will stay one school! Beyond what those children learn within the walls of Pulaski, they got to see an example of real democracy in action, I hope they never forget it! Great job today everyone!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
I want to thank all the organizers of Wednesday's march, I feel honored to have been a part of it! As an outsider, I'm inspired by your tenacity and drive. I hope your dreams come true and that Pulaski will stay one school! Beyond what those children learn within the walls of Pulaski, they got to see an example of real democracy in action, I hope they never forget it! Great job today everyone!
What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?
I've been wondering many of the same things. If these parents were truly interested in diversity, they would work with the current Pulaski staff and parents and find a way to merge the two schools. Can you imagine, children of all skin tones, income levels, and abilities in one school? That would be diverse.
I would love to send my kids to a place like that!