catalyst-chicago.org

A local chapter of the national education reform group Stand For Children, the well-funded, pro-charter organization that helped push through Illinois legislation for a longer school day and teacher evaluations, has been canvassing Chicago neighborhoods most affected by schools closings, according to WBEZ.

The eldest daughter of the famous Olympian Jesse Owens attended the final hearing Tuesday evening in an effort to save the West Pullman school named for her father from the Chicago Public Schools’ closing list, the Sun-Times reports. Jesse Owens Community Academy is one of 54 schools proposed for closing, and at least a dozen schools named for prominent African Americans on the closing list.