If you know my work in education organizing in Chicago, a
lot of what Blocks Together has focused on in the last five years is the
complicated but necessary changes needed in how Chicago Public School makes facility decisions that have negatively impacted education and communities, such as school openings, closures, and attendance boundaries to name a few.
BT's work has also addressed the critical capital needs in our local schools, helping to win millions in building repairs. Buildings that are safe, clean, and comfortable, as well as accommodating space for class size, enrichment programming, and programming for students with diverse learning needs, are all important to student success, but at times are not available to many Chicago Public Schools students.
Much of the building condition issues can be blamed on budget cuts, or the misalignment of priorities, but more overarching is the lack of educational planning, or the lack of creating and implementing a facilities plan to stabilize facilities in the system with an educational vision to provide quality educational programming in all buildings. This same facilities long term thinking also creates a plan around school actions such as closures, openings, annexes, and overcrowding relief.
Recent educational controversies show how the district has not implemented an educational vision that has supported financial and educational ingenuity. The debate around the growth of Charter schools is a major one of these controversies. In the last few years I have witnessed critical building needs in local neighborhood schools be unaddressed while renovations at other types of schools proceed despite a dwindling capital budget in the district.
Matter of fact, I have written that after the mass school closures of 2013 a number of Charters were approved including their capital and lease costs, despite the months prior where there was the message of "budget constraints and right sizing the district".
Currently there is the Southwest Side of the City struggling to understand new charter proposals under the financial strain of the district and neighborhood high schools in need of capital and other resources go unmet.
A more prevalent example was the Hunger strike of the Dyett High School community members whose story is one of Charter school proliferation, while an advancing neighborhood high school lost enrollment and resources.
Many of the past facility decisions lacked the critical analysis that the district should have been thinking through:
- What are the current facility needs of our schools?
BT's work has also addressed the critical capital needs in our local schools, helping to win millions in building repairs. Buildings that are safe, clean, and comfortable, as well as accommodating space for class size, enrichment programming, and programming for students with diverse learning needs, are all important to student success, but at times are not available to many Chicago Public Schools students.
Much of the building condition issues can be blamed on budget cuts, or the misalignment of priorities, but more overarching is the lack of educational planning, or the lack of creating and implementing a facilities plan to stabilize facilities in the system with an educational vision to provide quality educational programming in all buildings. This same facilities long term thinking also creates a plan around school actions such as closures, openings, annexes, and overcrowding relief.
Recent educational controversies show how the district has not implemented an educational vision that has supported financial and educational ingenuity. The debate around the growth of Charter schools is a major one of these controversies. In the last few years I have witnessed critical building needs in local neighborhood schools be unaddressed while renovations at other types of schools proceed despite a dwindling capital budget in the district.
Matter of fact, I have written that after the mass school closures of 2013 a number of Charters were approved including their capital and lease costs, despite the months prior where there was the message of "budget constraints and right sizing the district".
Currently there is the Southwest Side of the City struggling to understand new charter proposals under the financial strain of the district and neighborhood high schools in need of capital and other resources go unmet.
A more prevalent example was the Hunger strike of the Dyett High School community members whose story is one of Charter school proliferation, while an advancing neighborhood high school lost enrollment and resources.
Many of the past facility decisions lacked the critical analysis that the district should have been thinking through:
- What are the current facility needs of our schools?
- What curriculum needs be addressed that our buildings need to accommodate?
- Is the average class size in a community being considered, including the space needed for our young people with learning disabilities/diverse learners?
- And are we utilizing any underutilized space to support wrap around services for students and their communities?
In 2013 the hope was that many of these thoughts would be the framework for the mandated 10 Year Master Facility Plan, but it was not entirely considered. While the plan has addressed some of the needed transparency and updated facility assessments for each CPS school, the plan has not addressed things like embedding community needs in the educational planning of communities to avoid the disruption of some closures and school openings that take away from current community school capacity. The current plan has not been explicit about including any Charter school expansion, and it has not analyzed community growth and needs through more rich data that is available. This information can tell the story of vacant schools potential re-purposing, and plans to address capital needs in the district for a more wholistic educational vision, mean while avoid unnecessary facility decisions during such "financially stressful times".
This fall and winter there is an opportunity for changes to be made to the current 10 Year Master Facility Plan, and the Chicago Educational Facilities Task force yet again will be collecting data and hearing from stakeholders around individual issues around facilities and overarching changes to how school planning should be initiated in this city. What should be the districts priorities, how can your school community be engaged in addressing it's capital needs, and what does the district need to know about your community's education needs?
Despite the avenue of the task force provides through its community meetings, community stakeholders should share directly with the district needed changes on how CPS plans for school buildings.
Additionally this Thursday, September 24th the City of Chicago City Council meeting will be considering a resolution being introduced by Ald. Sawyer of the 6th Ward to establish a moratorium on charter school expansion for the 2015-2016 school year, until a comprehensive study of long term facility and school programming needs is completed with significant public input, and CPS’ financial balance sheet demonstrates long term stability. This resolution is to go before the big October board meeting where a number of Charter School proposals are to be voted on to operate next school year.
Please review the following fact sheets to learn more about how to be involved in the issues around facilities and reform and stay tune to Blocks Together's work around Facility Reform on our website or email the taskforce at ceftf.ilga@gmail.com to get more information about upcoming meetings.
Facilities Fact Sheet
QandA_What is the EFMP
Charter School Moratorium Fact Sheet
RYH-CPS.CharterExVote2015-v.F
Despite the avenue of the task force provides through its community meetings, community stakeholders should share directly with the district needed changes on how CPS plans for school buildings.
Additionally this Thursday, September 24th the City of Chicago City Council meeting will be considering a resolution being introduced by Ald. Sawyer of the 6th Ward to establish a moratorium on charter school expansion for the 2015-2016 school year, until a comprehensive study of long term facility and school programming needs is completed with significant public input, and CPS’ financial balance sheet demonstrates long term stability. This resolution is to go before the big October board meeting where a number of Charter School proposals are to be voted on to operate next school year.
Please review the following fact sheets to learn more about how to be involved in the issues around facilities and reform and stay tune to Blocks Together's work around Facility Reform on our website or email the taskforce at ceftf.ilga@gmail.com to get more information about upcoming meetings.
Facilities Fact Sheet
QandA_What is the EFMP
Charter School Moratorium Fact Sheet
RYH-CPS.CharterExVote2015-v.F
