Letter to the Editor...Alderman Pat Dowell

The Third Ward was hit disproportionately hard this year with actions that would have impacted five schools with a combined attendance of over 1800 students. As I met with and listened to parents, teachers, students, and other community stakeholders, it became apparent to me that because of the lack of community involvement, transparency, and public accountability in the process, CPS was making decisions that were not in full consideration of variables that can not be quantified by performance metrics alone.

Although the Chicago City Council has been relatively silent in the past, this year’s announcements of school actions sparked outrage among many of my colleagues. The fact that some of these issues posed a significant threat to the stability of our schools and communities seemed to spark a call to action. But what can be done among officials who have no binding authority over the educational policies that affect their constituents?

I wrote numerous letters to CPS and the Board of Education, which were read aloud at each Third Ward school’s hearings and highlighted specific concerns and oversights relative to each school. Additionally, two Resolutions were introduced by Sixth Ward Alderman Freddrenna Lyle and I; one calling for a moratorium on school closings and one calling for a public hearing. These actions resulted in senior CPS officials having to appear before the Council’s Education Committee and the public to explain their closing process and how they were going fix the problems as they moved forward.

Although City Council has no formal authority over educational policy and Resolutions are non-binding, it was my hope that in hearing additional testimony from State Senators, Aldermen, parents, teachers, and community organizations at this hearing that CPS and the Board of Education would recognize that continuing to impose a mistake-ridden process upon our schoolchildren posed a greater threat to them than taking the time to ensure that the process was inclusive and effective towards increasing academic success. This could have been accomplished by simply waiting for a few months until the release of the recommendations by the Chicago Educational Facilities Committee that was mandated under House Bill 363 to specifically address the lack of community engagement that has plagued CPS’s school closing policies. At the end of the meeting, there were not enough committee members present to hold a vote, but I received a commitment from Education Committee Chair, Alderman Thomas that the committee would reconvene within a month to hear CPS’s responses to the concerns presented during the public comment portion.

Despite letters to the Board of Education, we were unable to use years of disinvestment and the need for neighborhood schools along State Street as arguments to keep McCorkle open because CPS believes the facilities-related issues they cited as their reason for closing McCorkle would be cost-prohibitive. Even though the Board of Education unanimously approved all of CPS’s proposals at their February 24th meeting, it would be incorrect to assume that Aldermen and communities are totally powerless and that CPS is not listening at all. Partly because of grassroots organizing on behalf of the affected communities, particularly those of Principal Kenan and her staff and partly due to the actions I took, Mollison Elementary and Wells Preparatory Schools will be unaffected.

In regards to Phillips High School, I demanded that CPS officials and administrators from the Academy of Urban School Leadership (AUSL) come before the community so that concerns could be raised and addressed before AUSL was awarded a contract. As a result, Ron Huberman agreed to a number of conditions that will maximize community input and accountability. Specifically, an oversight committee that will have Phillips alumni, educators and members of the Third Ward community vet the new principal, new teachers, current teachers and staff that will be part of the new school. The committee will also have an ongoing role regarding the governance of the school. In addition, AUSL’s usual five year contract has been shortened to three years and there is a commitment to retaining current and developing new initiatives to promote place and race based learning. It is also important to realize there will be no name change and Wendell Phillips High School will continue to be a neighborhood school.

So although Aldermen may not have binding authority, we can find ways to effectively represent the educational needs of our communities. I believe that Ron Huberman and his staff know that this is something we must do. Despite the actions I took this year, I have a good working relationship with CPS officials and feel positive about my ability to intervene on behalf of Third Ward parents, teachers, and students. As such, I encourage communities to stay vigilant and organized because we are listening and responding in whatever ways we can.

Pat Dowell
Alderman, 3rd Ward

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