This just in--
At tonight's LSC meeting 48th ward alderman Mary Ann Smith sent a proposal to close Senn HS--with the community high school no longer taking freshman as of September of 2008. In place of the northside school, which has been in existence since 1913, Smith is proposing to house four smaller programs in the building--a college prep school, a selective enrollment humanities school, and a theatre arts school, in addition to the (selective enrollment) Naval Academy which already exists there. This is Mary Ann Smith's second attempt to close the school--she tried in 2003 as part of her efforts to bring the Rickover Naval Academy to Senn.

Smith's plan would radically change the nature of what we do at Senn. We are currently a community high school--most of our students are Black, Latino, and overwhelmingly working class. Many go to Truman College or enter the workforce. The selective enrollment and college prep schools that will replace Senn High School are not intended for the kids who currently go to Senn--they are intended for the children of the middle class home and condo owners who are gentrifying Edgewater and Uptown. In addition, Senn is a school with a strong tradition of faculty and community involvement. There is an active Local School Council, a strong teachers union chapter, and many community groups work out of the building. Although it is not specified, it is likely that the new schools in Smith's plan would be charter schools, as the vast majority of schools opened under Renaissance 2010 have been charters. Charters operate without LSC's and without unions.

In addition, the timing of Smith's plan couldn't be more inappropriate. Senn High School has been involved in a rigorous strategic planning process that involved dozens of community members, teachers, parents and students. This group met twice a month over the course of a year to produce a plan for Senn. This committee's plan (our plan) was just released last week. Now we find it preempted by a hostile, gentrifying alderman intent on closing our school. Help us stop her!

Senn's strategic planning committee is meeting at Senn HS (5900 N. Glenwood) in room 115 on Saturday, November 17th at 9 AM. Please come voice your support for our school!