elected school board town hall meeting presentation

7/31/2019 Elected School Board Town Hall Meeting Presentation

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In Search of Democracy in Education:Should Chicago Public Schools Have an Elected Board?

TOWN HALL MEETINGSOctober 2, 2012

Sankofa Cultural Art Center5820 West Chicago Ave6:00 pm- 8:00 pm

October 8, 2012

Legler Library115 South Pulaski6:00 pm- 8:00 pm

October 29, 2012

Carey Tercentenary AMEC1448 South Homan6:00 pm- 8:00 pm

PACEProgressive ActionCoalition for Education

LA SHAWN K. FORDSTATE REPRESENTATIVE-EIGHTH DISTRICT


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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following organizations for making

this town hall meeting a success:

CODE

Raise Your Hand Coalition CCC4ESB

Chicago Teachers Union

CAUSE

Mayoral Tutorial

PACEProgressive ActionCoalition for Education LA SHAWN K. FORDSTATE REPRESENTATIVE-EIGHTH DISTRICT


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What We Will Cover

Pros and cons of an elected school board

The roles of LSCs and the City Council Education

Committee in public education

Update on referendum to ask voters if CPS should

have an elected school board

HB5727, a bill to study the best board structure forCPS



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Agenda

Opening Remarks

Prayer

Scripture

Timeline/Issues

Update on Advisory Referendum Efforts

Overview of HB 5727

Panel Discussion

Closing Remarks



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Chicago Public Schools at a Glance

Annual operating budget of $5.1 billion (FY2012) 40,678 employees (2009-2010) 404,151 students

87% of students qualify for free lunch Student makeup:

African-American: 41.6%

Latino: 44.1%

White: 8.8%

Asian/Pacific Islander: 3.4%

Native American: 0.4%

681 public schools (CPS, 2012) Elementary: 472 Charter schools: 96 Campuses High schools: 106 Contract schools: 7



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Chicago Board of Education Timeline


1872 1980 1988 1995

State Legislature

establishes Chicago

Board of Education.

-Board membersselected by Mayor

Chicago School

Finance Authority

mandated by state

to exercisefinancial

control over CPS

Chicago School Reform Act of 1988-Created elected LSCs to govern individual schools

-Disbanded 11-member Board of Education

-Created new 15-member Board of Education

-Created School Board Nominating Commission

-23 members from LSCs around the City of Chicago- 5 members appointed by Mayor

- Screened candidates and slated 3 members for each of

the 15 slots

-Mayor given 30 days to choose-Mayors choices approved by City Council

2012

Chicago School Reform Amendatory Act of 1995-Eliminated the School Finance Authority (SFA) and the School

Board Nominating Commission

-Mayoral appointment of Board members and topadministrators.

-Mayor, rather than the Board, selects the Board president

-Eliminated Superintendent. Created position of Chief Executive

Officer (CEO) to oversee CPS administration.

-Mayor given sole power to appoint 5-member Reform Board of

Trustees 1995-1999

-1999-Present-Mayor appoints 7-member board with staggered

4-year terms.

- Representative LaShawn Ford introduced HB5727 to createa task force to study the CPS board structure

-Some community groups, parents, CTU want an elected CPS

board

-Mayor, CPS and certain civic groups want CPS board to

remain under Mayoral control

-CODE, CCC4ESB, PACE, Lawndale Alliance havecirculated petitions to get referenda on November 2012

ballot asking voters to weigh in on the issue

-15,000 voters from over 250 precincts in 26 wards have

signed petitions. Petitions circulated ward-wide in 24th Ward.

- Under the new map, this increased to 327 precincts in 35

Wards. Voters in 40 of 41 precincts in 24th Ward will have option.



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Key Players in CPS Governance

Chicago Public Schools Board of Education

Responsible for the governance, organizational and financial oversight of

Chicago Public Schools (CPS)

Establishes policies, standards, goals and initiatives to ensure accountability and

provide education for students Local School Councils

Select and evaluate the principal

Approve an annual school improvement plan

Help develop and approve a school budget, with major control over an

average of $500,000 per year in flexible funds from the state.



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Key Players in CPS Governance

Chicago City Council

Committee on Education and Child Development

Committee on Education and Child Development has jurisdiction

over matters generally related to the City's Department of

Children and Youth Services, the development of children andadolescents, the education of the residents of the City of Chicago

and matters generally affecting the Chicago Board of Educationand Community College District Number 508

This committee is advisory only

Source: City of Chicago Office of the City Clerk



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Should Chicago have an elected

school board?

Opponents say No, because The Mayor is accountable for the educational outcomes and

he should be able to pick his team

The citizens of Chicago elected the Mayor, and should trusthis judgment to do whats in the best interests of the City and

students

CPS will be able to attract the best and brightest board

members through an appointment process

Having an elected school board will further politicizeeducation



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Should Chicago have an elected

school board?


Supporters say Yes, and heres why Over the years, Chicago mayors have tended to appoint political insiders, regardless

of whether they have a background in education.

The board members appear to be a rubber stamp of the Mayor, with almost no

diversity of ideas or philosophy. A number of board decisions have put some members in perceived conflicts of interest.

Board members are appointed by the Mayor and not elected by the people. As such

they answer to the Mayor and not voters. They have authority over a $5.1 billion

annual operating budget, an $813.6 million 5-year capital budget and the ability to

tax citizens.

The current board members do not seem to give serious consideration to input from

parents and tax payers in their decision making process.



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HB 5727

Synopsis As Introduced

Amends the School Code.

Creates the Chicago Educational Governance Task Forcefor the purpose of recommending the best structure and

procedure for the governance of City of Chicago SchoolDistrict 299.

Sets forth the composition of the Task Force and the dutiesof the Task Force.

Requires the Task Force to report its recommendation to the

General Assembly on or before May 30, 2013 as to whichgovernance structure is best designed to serve the studentsof the City of Chicago.

PACEProgressive ActionCoalition for EducationLA SHAWN K. FORD

STATE REPRESENTATIVE-EIGHTH DISTRICT


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Chicago Educational Governance Task Force


Chicago Educational Governance Task Force

IL House ofRepresentatives

IL Senate Community CPS CTU CPAA

Speaker, MinorityLeader each picks

2 members of the

House

President, MinorityLeader each picks

2 members of the

Senate

Speaker of the House,Senate President each

picks 2 members from

community

organizations

-CPS Board President

-CPS CEO

-CPS Board of Ed.

Student Rep.

Chicago Teachers

Union President

Chicago Principals

and Administrators

Association President

Proposed Structure



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Sources

Lipman, Pauline, PhD, A Brief History of the Chicago Board of Education (2012).

Joravsky, Ben. (1990, August 16). Thankless task: how the mayor misused theSchool Board Nominating Commission. Chicago Reader.http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175

Herrick, Mary J. (1971). The Chicago Schools: A Social and Political History.Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Wong, Kenneth L. Encyclopedia of Chicago.http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1122.html

City of Chicago, Office of the City Clerk

Chicago Public Schools Ilga.gov


http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1122.htmlhttp://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1122.htmlhttp://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/thanklesstask-how-the-mayor-misused-the-school-board-nominating-commission/Content?oid=876175


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For Further Information, Contact:

Representative La Shawn K. Ford at 378-5902

[email protected];

Dwayne Truss at 773-879-5216

[email protected] or

Valerie F. Leonard at [email protected].


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