Progress Illinois

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and parents of neighborhood school students filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Board of Education Wednesday to stop 10 schools from shutting down that independent hearing officers previously recommended the district not to close.

Independent hearing officers ruled earlier this month that Chicago Public Schools' (CPS) CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett failed to comply with the board's own school closing guidelines for 10 of the 50 schools approved for closure last week.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to issue an injunction, which would bar CPS from closing the 10 schools for the upcoming school year, said CTU lead attorney Robert Bloch.

“The board of education is now taking an approach that many believe it has been following all along, the public hearings on school closings were just for show," Bloch said. "The board does not view itself as obligated to respect the rulings of its own handpicked hearing officers." 

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West Side parents and activists have pledged to vote out Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his “rubber stamp” aldermen who have not stood with the community against school closings.

“Aldermen, you have committed political murder upon yourselves,” said West Side activist Windy Pearson outside Edward C. Delano Elementary School Friday morning. “We have decided that it is time for all of you that have not stood strongly and firmly with us to go.”

The Chicago Board of Education unanimously approved the Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) plan to close 49 elementary schools and one high school at its monthly meeting Wednesday.

“The city of Chicago, CPS, Rahm Emanuel, non-elected school board, Mr. Vitale, this message is for you,” Pearson said. “We are the community. We are the stakeholders. We are the parents, the activists, the teachers, the voters, and we are registering individuals to become deputy registrars.” Read more »

Although the Chicago Board of Ed voted to close 50 schools among other school actions yesterday, education activists say the fight against the Chicago Public Schools' plan will continue.

Tonight, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is holding an education session to train individuals on how to be deputy registrars and get people the voter rolls. This is part of a CTU initiative to get 100,000 new voters registered as a means to change the leadership in city hall.

And earlier today, hearing dates for the two lawsuits filed last week against the school closings were set, with the first date being July 18.

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