Learn about the Consent Decree and take action
Drummond Families Together is encouraging people to learn about the desegregation consent decree that Chicago Public Schools has been under since 1980 and then take action to preserve it. This is an important issue for your children and their education. Please take some time to learn more and take action by submitting comments to the court.
1. Learn about the consent decree:
A recent story on WBEZ about the consent decree and featuring a Drummond Parent is at this link:
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=30324
Drummond Families Together hosted an informational event on the consent decree that was recorded by Chicago Public Radio in its entirety:
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=29346.
The ChiTown Daily News also did a good overview: http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chicago_news/Court_to_weigh_in_on_city_schools_deseg_efforts,17180.
2. Then take action: Submit comments in writing to Judge Kokoras, postmarked no later than December 1, 2008. Scroll down for complete instructions for submitting comments to the court. If you need assistance please email .
Visit our website http://www.drummondfamiliestogether.org for more detailed information and breaking news. Don’t forget to scroll down for info on how to submit comments.
Many thanks,
Drummond Families Together
Submitting Comments in Writing to Judge Korkoras about the Second Amended Consent Decree
Below are some questions to help identify the type of information the court is seeking deciding whether to release CPS from the desegregation consent decree.
Do you believe that Chicago Public Schools should be released from the existing desegregation consent decree and Federal court supervision?
Do you have reason to believe that Chicago is still discriminating on the basis of race, or operating a dual school system — i.e., one for whites and one form racial minorities?
Do you have examples of CPS actions or policies at a system-wide or school-level that indicate discriminatory or racially disparate results (including, but not limited to examples such as, knowledge of student assignment policies that deviate from the standard magnet admissions policies that appear to favor the racially or economically privileged families–such as policies that set-aside more than 30% of the slots for a proximity lottery in a predominantly white or gentrifying neighborhood; detecting a racial pattern in recent school closures or the siting of magnet schools; failure of a school to remedy magnet admissions where students of color are less than 65% of the student population or non-minorities are more than 35% of the student population; failure to accept majority-to-minority transfers of students of color in a year when white students are granted transfer, etc.)?
Do you have reason to believe that Chicago is not living up to its commitments to provide English Language Learning (ELL) students with an educationally appropriate setting (I deleted education) (including, but not limited to examples such as, failure to identify and place ELL students into an English language acquisition program in a timely manner; class sizes that are substantially higher for ELL students vs. general education students in the same grade or level or comparatively unfavorable learning facilities provided for ELL students vs. general education students; lack of certified teachers for ELL students, or offering disproportionately fewer certified teachers for ELL vs. general education students; failure to provide ELL students with meaningful access to kindergarten, tutoring, after-school programs, magnet, gifted and special education programs; lack of educationally sound textbooks or sufficient library materials for ELL students, etc.)?
You can use the template below to compose your message if you choose. Comments must include: 1) Name, Address, and phone number; 2) Whether you are a student, parent of a CPS student, member of a group, or a concerned citizen; 3) Whether you would like to make a statement in person at the January 22,2009 hearing at 10:30 a.m. at 219 S. Dearborn; and 4) Your signature. Comments MAY NOT EXCEED TWO PAGES AND must be postmarked by the court by December 1, 2008.
SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE MAILED TO:
Clerk of the Court
U.S. District Court, N. Dist. Of Ill.
Written Objection /Comment
RE: Case Number 80 C5124
United States of America vs. Board of Education of the City of Chicago
1. Name:
Phone:
Address:
2. Choose one: ____ student ____ parent of a student ____ concerned citizen
____ representative of a group (If you select “representative of a group”, only one member may comment for the group).
3. Do you wish to make an oral statement at the hearing? ____ Yes ____ No
4. Please state your objections or comments about whether the Chicago Public Schools’ system should be declared “unitary,” i.e., no longer in need of federal court supervision. Granting unitary status means ending the federal desegregation consent decree.
5. Signature _______________________________________________
