The purpose of this blog is to organize documentation of the hearings that the appointed Chicago Board of Education is holding to hear public response to the proposed closings, consolidations, phase-outs and turnarounds.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Hamilton 2.3 Tues.
Hamilton is a Magnet Cluster school on the city's North Side (East Lakeview) that is accused of underenrollment.
We arrived at the meeting around 3:30 and were the 104th and 105th people to sign in. The hearing officer, Fred Bates, said their were 48 speakers on the list and he would get to as many of them as he could.
In summary many parents, teachers, and students on the great things happening at Hamilton: their rising test scores, the sense of community, fundraising, etc. Many quoted Rahm Emanuel, who stated "Hamilton is a model school". The speakers also made a strong connection between how Hamilton fits the model for the 'small school' structure that CPS is going for. Parents and teachers spoke of the magnet program, how it allowed their students to grow in areas other than academics and the different programs they have to teach and support students with special needs.
There were several parents, who are CPS teachers, who spoke about their positive experience their children have had at Hamilton.
There was also some testimony from the teachers and parents at what would be the receiving schools if Hamilton is phased out. The higher enrollment rates would cause the schools to become overcrowded and programs to suffer.
It is also important to note that a couple of parents spoke in favor of the new boundaries purposed by the board that would phaseout Hamilton. They lived on a street were the boundaries are cut by the street, one side goes to Blaine and the other side of the street to Hamilton. Under the new boundaries, all would go to Blaine. They were encouraged to voice their opinions at the hearing by their Alderman, Gene Schulter (I believe that was the alderman).
One last thing, it is important to note that Hamilton is about 70% of color but the crowd & speakers were white. There were two student speakers of color and one parent who is on their LSC during the time we were there.
The first report is accurate except for the demographic data toward the end. Hamilton is (as of 2008) 22.6% white, 32.1% African American, 0.9% Native American, and 3.6% Asian.
However, Hamilton is 71.5% low income.
Data from: http://research.cps.k12.il.us/resweb/DownLoader?dir=files/school&unit=3730&file=ceo_unit3730.pdf
First Report:
ReplyDeleteWe arrived at the meeting around 3:30 and were the 104th and 105th people to sign in. The hearing officer, Fred Bates, said their were 48 speakers on the list and he would get to as many of them as he could.
In summary many parents, teachers, and students on the great things happening at Hamilton: their rising test scores, the sense of community, fundraising, etc. Many quoted Rahm Emanuel, who stated "Hamilton is a model school". The speakers also made a strong connection between how Hamilton fits the model for the 'small school' structure that CPS is going for.
Parents and teachers spoke of the magnet program, how it allowed their students to grow in areas other than academics and the different programs they have to teach and support students with special needs.
There were several parents, who are CPS teachers, who spoke about their positive experience their children have had at Hamilton.
There was also some testimony from the teachers and parents at what would be the receiving schools if Hamilton is phased out. The higher enrollment rates would cause the schools to become overcrowded and programs to suffer.
It is also important to note that a couple of parents spoke in favor of the new boundaries purposed by the board that would phaseout Hamilton. They lived on a street were the boundaries are cut by the street, one side goes to Blaine and the other side of the street to Hamilton. Under the new boundaries, all would go to Blaine. They were encouraged to voice their opinions at the hearing by their Alderman, Gene Schulter (I believe that was the alderman).
One last thing, it is important to note that Hamilton is about 70% of color but the crowd & speakers were white. There were two student speakers of color and one parent who is on their LSC during the time we were there.
Re: First Report:
ReplyDeleteThe first report is accurate except for the demographic data toward the end. Hamilton is (as of 2008) 22.6% white, 32.1% African American, 0.9% Native American, and 3.6% Asian.
However, Hamilton is 71.5% low income.
Data from: http://research.cps.k12.il.us/resweb/DownLoader?dir=files/school&unit=3730&file=ceo_unit3730.pdf
- Hamilton Parent.