ILLINOISGENERALASSEMBLY

CHICAGOEDUCATIONALFACILITIESTASKFORCE
RecordofActionfromtheJanuary12,2012Meeting:
UponmotionbyCecileCarroll,BlocksTogetherandsecondedbyNonaBurney,GrandBlvd. Federation,theCEFTFresolvedtoadoptthefollowingFindings regardingChicagoPublicSchoolsimplementationofP.A.970474todate,andtoreportthese FindingsinitsReporttotheGeneralAssembly,Governor,MayorandCPS:

InaccordancewithitsresponsibilitiespursuanttoPublicAct97474toreview[]Chicagopublicschools compliancewiththeprovisionsofSections34200through34235,theCEFTFfindsasfollows:

1. TheguidelinesrequiredtobedevelopedbyCPSpursuanttotheActarerequiredtooutline theacademicandnonacademiccriteriaforschoolaction;(34230)aretobeimplemented accordingtoaclearsystemwidecriteriaandwiththesignificantinvolvementoflocalschool councils,parents,educatorsandthecommunityindecisionmaking.(3418.43)Further,theAct anticipatestheposteddraftguidelineswillberevisedbasedonthatsignificantinvolvement. (34230). 2. TheCEFTFfindsthatthefinalGuidelinesforSchoolActionsissuedNovember29,2011arenotin compliancewiththemandatesof34230: (a) TheGuidelinesarenotclear,inthatthesenonspecificcriteriaaresobroadthatvarious educationexpertsestimatedanywherefrom47schools(ChicagoTeachersUnionanalysis) tomorethan145schools(CatalystMagazineresearchersanalysis,Nov.15,2011)canbe saidtomeettheacademiccriteria.Yetamuchlessernumberofschoolsareproposedfor action.Therefore,thecriteriafailtoprovidetransparencytoexplainclearlytothepublic whyoneschoolisselectedforactionandanotherisnot.Moreover,thepublishedfinal criteriadonotevenattempttoestablishwhyonetypeofactionsuchasclosureissuitable asopposedtoanothertypeofaction:colocation,consolidation,boundarychangesor phaseout,forexample.IndeedCPSincludednocriteriaforattendanceboundarychange actionsinitsGuidelines.AsCPSiswellaware,havingparticipatedinallCEFTFhearingsand meetings,theclearintentofthestatuteistorequireCPStoprovidetransparent,evidence basedcriteriaforeachtypeofschoolaction,soastoanswertheseessentialquestionsfor thepublicandtheaffectedfamilies,schoolsandcommunities.Buttheyarenotansweredin theguidelinespublishedasfinalbyCPS. (b) ThenonacademiccriteriaintheGuidelinesissimilarlyquiteunclear:It(lastparagraph onpage1)recitesanumberoffactorsincludingstudentsafety,schoolcultureandclimate, enrollmentestimates,thequalityofthefacility,familyandcommunityfeedback,etc.which theCEOandBoardwillconsiderwithoutdisclosinghowanyparticularfactorismeasured orhowitaffectsthedecisionmaking.Forexample,doesitweighinfavororagainsta particularschoolactionorinactionandwhy?Othercompletelyunspecifiedinformation 1

willbeconsideredbytheBoardandCEO(theGuidelinesrecitethatfactorsarenot limitedtothoseenumerated).Moreover,eventheenumeratedfactorsareextremely vague:howisstudentsafetymeasured?Schoolclimate?Thefacility?WenotethattheTF haspressedfordataonstudentsafety,inparticular,withnomeaningfulresponsefromthe CEO.1 (c) BasedontheGuidelinescriteriaasitisinfinalform,noindependenthearingofficercan reasonablybeexpectedtoreachafairdeterminationofwhethertheCEOschoolaction proposalssatisfysuchanimprecisecriteria. (d) TheGuidelineswerefinalizedandpublishedwithoutthesignificantinvolvementoflocal schoolcouncils,parents,educatorsandthecommunityindecisionmaking.Inspiteofthe critiqueandrecommendationsprovidedtoCPSofficialsatanOctober28th,2011meeting withCoChairSotoandotherTaskForcerepresentativesandothercomments,CPShasnot revisedinanywaytheproposedguidelinesforschoolactionsannouncedthisyear.Rather, onbothNovember28thandDecember1st,2011CPSindicatedthatitwouldconsidersuch inputinthefuture.SincetheGuidelinesarethetouchstoneoftheschoolactiondecision makingtakingplacenow,andsinceCPSrefusedtoconsiderthepublicsinputandrevise them,ithaseffectivelydeprivedtheLSCs,parents,educatorsandcommunityofthe significantinvolvementindecisionmakingthattheActcallsfor.TheCEFTFsmembers haverepeatedlynotedinopensessionandincorrespondencewithCPStheActsdeclaration thatdecisionsthatimpactschoolfacilitiesshouldincludetheinputoftheschool communitytothegreatestextentpossible.However,despitetheserequests,theCEO chosetomoveforwardsacrificingcarefulcompliancewiththelawfortheexpediencyof movingquickly. (e) NothingintheGuidelinesexpresseshowequitywillbeensuredintakingschoolactions, thoughequitywithrespecttorace,ethnicity,incomeanddisabilityiskeyundertheAct.(34 18.43(4)ItappearstothisTaskForcethatalmostallaffectedschoolsareoverwhelmingin theSouthandWestSideoftheCityandalmostexclusivelybothpoorandAfricanAmerican inschoolpopulation.TheTaskForcefindsthatthecriteriais,therefore,notsystemwideas thebruntoftheschoolactionsarebornebyalimitedsegmentoftheschoolpopulation. 3. PublicAct970474isaprocessorientedstatutewhichgrewoutoftheworkofthisTaskForce andmorethan18monthsofpublichearingsinwhichparents,schoolcommunities,localschool councilmembers,teachers,principalsandstudentswhofacedyearsofthreatsoractual schoolclosures,colocations,consolidations,turnarounds,phaseoutsandconversionto
CPSLetterdatedNovember28,2011,presentedatmeetingatCPSwithCEFTFrepresentatives,statesThe OfficeofSafety&Security,alongwithcityagenciesincludingtheChicagoPoliceDepartment,ChicagoHousing Authority,andtheChicagoTransitAuthority,haveallbeenconsultedtodeterminethepotentialconcernsfor studentsafety....Specificmetricsreviewedincludepotentialsafepassagerequirementsandviolent&drug misconducts.
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chartersreportedtheirfrustrationandconfusionintryingtoascertainhowCPSmakesdecisions forschoolactionsandotherdrasticschoolchanges.Thesestakeholdersexpressedtheir experienceofexclusionanddisenfranchisementoftheircommunitiesandfamilies,educational leadersanddulyelectedLocalSchoolCouncilsfromCPSdecisionmakingprocess.Subsequent toCPSreleaseofthisyearsSchoolActionGuidelines,bothTaskForcemembersand stakeholderstestifyingatCPShearingsandtheDecember1stCEFTFmeetingnotedthe Guidelinesdidnothingtoalleviatetheconfusionabouthowdecisionsweremade,andthatCPS previousSchoolClosingPolicywasmoredetailedthanwhattheCEOpresentsnow.CPShistoric andcontinuinglackoftransparencyandevidencebasedcriteriaforitsdecisionshasresultedin apervasiveclimateofpublicsuspicionaboutwhatdrivesCPStotakeschoolactionsandallocate resourcesofteninwaysperceivedashighlyinequitable.ThenewActisclearlywrittentoensure thattheCEOandBoardofEducationrespondtothepublicsconcernsandthatthelocusof schoolgovernanceandimprovement[is]inthehandsoftheparents,teachersandcommunity residentsateachschool.(3418.43).[S]choolfacilitypolicytheActremindsusmustbe consistentwiththeseprinciples. 4. TheCEFTFfinds,however,thattheprocesstodateforthe20122013proposedschoolactionsis notconsistentwiththeintentandlanguageofthelaw.Specifically: (a) InthecaseoftheproposedclosingofGuggenheimElementarySchool,numerous irregularitieshaveoccurredandhavebeenreportedtotheCEFTFbyparentsandteachers, including: (i)Removaloftheprincipalafterannouncementsofschoolactions. (ii)AnattemptbyGuggenheimsactingprincipalandstafftoencourageorinsiston studentstransferringoutofGuggenheimduringtheholidaybreak.Parentsindicatethey werecontactedbyphone,andurgedbyCPSemployeestotransfertheirstudent immediatelytothedesignatedreceivingschool(Bond)oranotherschool,sinceGuggenheim wouldcloseinFebruary2012beforethelawfullyrequiredpublicinputprocessand timeframebywhichCPSBoardcanrenderafinaldecisionontheproposedclosure.CPS TransferFormsprintedapparentlyfromtheCPSIMPACTsystemwerebroughtto parents/guardiansresidenceswiththeirstudentsnamealreadyfilledintogetherwitha formtobepresentedtoareceivingschool.Insomeinstances,Guggenheimstafftold parentsthatmostoftheteacherswouldnotreturntothebuildingonJanuary9thorthatthe schoolwouldbeclosedinFebruary.Guggenheimsstaffalsotoldsomefamiliestheywould havetopresentproofofresidencyfortheirstudentstoreturntoschoolonJanuary9th. Transferswereattemptedforhomelessstudentsaswell.CPSreversedcourseonthisand agreedonlyaftercomplaintswerereceivedfromthefamiliesandothersandonlyafew daysbeforeschoolresumedtoallowstudentstoreturn.Additionally,someGuggenheim teacherswhoreturnedearlytopreparetheirclassroomsfortheresumptionoftheschool yearweredeniedaccesstothebuilding. 3

(iii)Theseactionslikelycombinetodestabilizetheschoolandundercutthechancesof Guggenheimprovidingcurrentstudentsacomplete,adequateeducationfortheremainder oftheacademicyear.Lossofaprincipalandperhapsmanystudentswouldcertainlyimpact theremainingstudentsandtheschool.Moreover,thetransitionalservicesmandatedby Sec.34225wouldlikelynotbedeliveredtostudentswholeavenowandwillcertainlybe compromisediftheschoolhasbeenweakenedbytheseactions. (iv)AtseveraloftheJanuary6th,2012hearingsonschoolactions,therewereadditional irregularities.Familiesandeducators,journalists,andTaskForcemembersallwitnessed busloadsofpeoplebeingbroughttothehearings.AtthehearingsforReed,Crane, Guggenheim,andDyett(ataminimumbasedoncurrentinformation),thepeoplebrought onbusesreadnearlyidentical,prepreparedtestimony;orindicatedtheywerenotsurewhy theywerethere.AtleastonesuchpersonattheCranehearingidentifiedbynameinthe CatalystarticleofJanuary8th,2012statedthathehadbeenpaidastipendfromCEDA(a taxpayerfundedagency)tocometothehearing.Peoplearrivingonbuseswerequestioned byparentsandlocalcommunitystakeholdersduringatleasttwoofthehearings,and acknowledgedtheycamefromothercommunitiesfarfromtheschool,orfromsubstance abusecenters,andnonewereparentsorguardiansofstudentsinthoseschools. (v)AttheJanuary6thCraneHighSchoolhearing,amemberoftheclergywhobrought peopletotheWestsidehearingfromasfarawayasRoselandandEnglewood, acknowledgedthathehadbeencompensatedtobringinbusloadsofoutsiders. Theseirregularitiessuggestataminimumanattempttoskewtheresultsofthelawfully requiredpublicinputprocess,inclearviolationofboththeletterandtheintentofP.A.97 0474.

(b)Additionally,CPSattemptedtodampenpublicinputbyinitiallyrefusingtoacceptdetailed andempiricalinformationpreparedbytheCraneHSCoalition(eventuallyCPSofficialsrelented); bylimitingparticipationbynotallowingstakeholderswhoarrivedafterthestarttimetoregister totestify(Dyetthearing);andbylimitingtestimonyatsomecommunityhearingsonJanuary6th. ThiscannotbesquaredwiththemandatesoftheAct. TheseFindingsshallbeincludedintheChicagoEducationalFacilitiesTaskForceReporttotheGeneral Assembly,Governor,ChicagoPublicSchoolsBoard,andtheMayorofChicago,onCPSimplementation oftheprovisionsofPublicAct970474.

With9votesinfavor,and1opposed,themotionpasses.