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LOCAL Announcement :: Children & Education : Civil & Human Rights : Protest Activity : Urban Development

Englewood Community Protests Potential School Closing

Englewood Teachers, Parents, Community, and Students Oppose the Proposed Closing Of Englewood Highschool at Press Conference and Community Hearing On February 10th.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Jackson Potter and Reverend Robin Hood.
6201 S. Stewart
Chicago, IL 60621
Phone: 312.731.2743 or 312.217.2460

2/09/05

Englewood Teachers, Parents, Community, and Students to Oppose School Closing

After hearing that Chicago Public Schools CEO, Arne Duncan, planned to shut-down Englewood Technical Prep High School (located at 6201 S. Stewart), students, staff, parents, and community members refuse to submit. According to senior Latoya Kimbrough, “We are not a culture of failure; we are students who have been failed by the system.” Bernadette Potts, parent of two juniors, said, “Instead of closing the school,
They [CPS] should make classrooms smaller, provide more individualized attention to the educational program, and offer more activities.”

On Thursday, February 10th members of the Englewood community will take 4 buses from their school to the Board of Education to participate in the community hearing on the school closure. All participants in the protest will put blue ink on their fingers to oppose the lack of democracy in the decision making process.

Hazel Haynes, an ACORN leader in Englewood, suggests that Arne Duncan should listen more to the constituents of Englewood: “It’s a shame that we have no democracy in the Chicago Public Schools and the community has no input, but we have Democracy in Iraq. You should not close the school without letting the parents and the community as a whole have input.” Teachers are asking Arne Duncan to reconsider his decision. First year teacher Stacey Davis said, “If he wants to retain passionate and hard working new teachers, he needs to encourage their efforts instead of stigmatizing them as incompetent.” Second year teacher Charese Edmond insists, “We must remain diligent in our efforts in fostering a culture of success rather than being defined [by Mr. Duncan] as a “culture of failure.”

Student, teacher, community, and parent representatives will be available for comment at a press conference this Thursday, February 10th at 5:30pm in front of Englewood High School, 6201 S. Stewart.
 
 

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