Good to see Alderman O'Connor making good on a campaign promise. This was a great first step. Lets see what happens next. If anyone attended today's forum, please send in a comment.
From Alderman O'Connor's Website: A 41st Ward Listening Tour with CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard, Septmeber 21, 2011. http://www.ward41.com/ Check out the photos.
Alderman O’Connor organized the event as part of an effort to strengthen the relationship between our schools and the new administration at CPS.
Parents, teachers, administrators, Local School Council members and principals from every public school in the 41st Ward were on hand to discuss the many challenges facing our schools.
Representatives from our local schools discussed the following issues at great length:
- What Makes our Schools Unique
- Our Shared Concerns
- Inadequate Funding
- The Need for Greater Program Equity
- Selective Enrollment
- Early Childhood Education
- Special Education & Transportation
- Facilities and the Need for Capital Improvements
- A Parents Perspective on the Challenges We Face
- The Proposed Longer School Day
Which alderman on the city council will have the guts to fund education by proposing a securities transaction tax in Chicago (Chicago Merc, Chicago Board of Trade etc...)
ReplyDeleteWill it be Alderman O'Connor?
It's so great to have an alderman that actually takes an interest in our schools. This is a welcomed change.
ReplyDeleteTo 9:12pm
ReplyDeleteomg, I just laughed so hard, I spit out my guiness all over my computer.
Imposing a securities transaction tax on the Chicago Merc? City of Chicago gives them tax payer money:
The Mercantile Exchange received $15 million in TIF subsides for renovations to the Chicago Board of Trade building, including its restrooms, despite making $457 million in profits in the first three months of 2011..
And the real irony to this story is TIF dollars should be going to education to begin with!
I just have to say one more thing (I am 9:27pm). If Alderman O'Connor would introduce a proposal for a city securities transaction tax, which is about 0.025cent/share, she would become a home town hero. Rahm would probably have a stroke, but this kind of tax would only effect stock brokers, traders (Rahms main campaign contributers) not the average city dwelling tax payer. Securities transaction tax law isn't new, has been done in Europe,and throughout the globe for a few years.
ReplyDeleteIf the mayor won't go along with a securities tax, maybe he can ask the Chicago Merc to pay back the 15 million in Tif subsides
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable
9:45pm:
ReplyDeleteWhy would Rahm want to levy a securities tax on his trader, broker and the mega-rich friends when he can raise your property taxes to fund education?
Is Mary O'Connor for real?!!! I am SO let down. The pictures from what I can tell only show administration. Where are the parents and teachers - the people really effected by this. I can't believe this! This looks like a very contolled situation - put out there to make it look like she is doing something. These principals don't need Mary O'Connor to organize a "listening tour". They SHOULD be talking to Jean Claude on their own. Where is the substance. Forget the photo op and tell us what completely what was discussed and what the Alderman and CPS is going to do. Until we here what will come of this, I will not be impressed at all.
ReplyDeleteLet's hear from today's participants... I heard there were parents and teachers present.
ReplyDelete10:21 PM....Must be a drinking buddy of Doherty's
ReplyDeleteI wasn't there, but am relieved the alderman is addressing education concerns.
ReplyDeleteI believe establishing a relationship with CPS administration via Brizard is important, but also to be able ultimately reach the CPS Board of Directors (all appointed by the mayor) and the Mayor directly regarding some of the budget irregularities I have read about concerning Taft High School and some of the local grade schools.
Why have other high schools in Chicago received millions of dollars for extra support, infastructure and technology, and Taft hasn't? This has gone on for two decades.
It will be important to establish a mechanism in the 41st ward to be able to reach the people who can actually make these changes, and that is the Board themselves. Brizard, thus far, has had little, if any input into the budget.
We need to give the alderman room and support to establish a diplomatic relationship, but be vigilant everyone. Lets make sure we apply the right amount of pressure to the CPS school board when it comes to funding our schools.
The listening tour sounds like a good beginning, and I am especially interested in the follow up, next steps and creating a ward-wide education excellence plan for all of the schools in the ward
So, let me ask the alderman: will you post next steps on your website?
After years of disappointment, I have to admit, I am guarded. But, it this seems like a new beginning to a new relationship with the city and I will be hopeful.
ReplyDeleteTeacher and Mom
10:21-
ReplyDeleteI attended and the principals were the speakers at the event--not CPS officials. Brizard spoke for the last 30 minutes. Just about every major issue facing our schools was openly discussed. The Alderman organized the entire event and planned the agenda directly with officials from our schools weeks before the actual event. I for one am grateful that dopes like you were not invited. There was no time for fake outrage or people who wanted to hear the sound of their own voice.
Parent and LSC Rep.
I love how anyone who has any inkling of criticism against O'Connor is all of a sudden "a drinking buddy of Dohertys" or some other crazy accusation.
ReplyDeleteWe've all heard for years how the Chicago Chamber of Commerce hates the Chicago Employee Head Tax. They whine that it, or any taxation, keeps the "job creators" from hiring more workers blah blah blah. So why not ask one of our cowardly lion alderman to stand before the great Oz/Rahm and stamer out a swap - Drop the head tax in exchange for taxing all securities exchanges at the above mentioned trading houses?
ReplyDeleteWho better to tax than those bastards? Most of the profits that escape those trading houses wind up in off-shore accounts anyway. No one knows this better than Rahm, who made 16 million in 4 short years while "investment banking."
The Chicago Chamber would go balistic. When they do, we can remind Chicagoans that the U.S. Chamber is the driving force behind 5 million American manufactoring jobs being shipped to China.
It is time for the City Council to tax all securties transactions at all Chicago Trading houses.
I was there. Overall positive. Proof will be in the pudding, and seeing follow up or outcomes from yesterday's meeting will help with "buy in". I saw the effort the alderman put into bringing everyone together and she should be thanked. So thank you.
ReplyDelete10:43am,
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that "dopes" shouldn't be invited, there are many parents like me that would have liked to have been present to listen to the dicussion.
I am not a dope, pay taxes and try to support my son's school (Onahan). Next time around, how about a public forum, with an opportunity for parents to sign in and ask questions or have a parent representative read questions submitted.
Next time, please invite me.
I get the best ideas from small off the beaten track blogs like this one. Mainstream media is terrified of Rahm and we have had a void in professional reporting since he has taken office. Carol Marin and John Kass are both scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for anything but Rahm to write about. Neither one of these ace reporters wants to be a victim of the Wrath of Rahm or Genghus Rahm as we news folk like to call him
ReplyDeletesure its easy to hold a forum with a controlled, scripted crowd. We all get it. But could you fare well with a public forum of real tax payers? that's the political test.
ReplyDeleteAlderman O'Conner is going the way of the Mayor with the choreographed events. Be assured, the public gets what you are doing, and would respect you more for a genuine public forum where really discuss the issues. Having the principals speak to their boss Brizard, in a scripted forum, doesn't impress me, and I was there.
10:43
ReplyDeleteI am no dope. My child goes to Beard School. I hope to God you are not one of our LSC members. You should be an advocate for parents, first and foremost. I can see why the community is so disregarded. Note to self: vote for parents who support other parents, we are not all dopes.
scripted event, scripted principals and no community parents invited (LSC parents invited only if invited by principal). Sounds very controlled.
ReplyDeleteone scripted voice...from the 41st Ward
ReplyDeleteI am a teacher in the 41st ward and I believe that the most important people that are not getting the chance to speak publicly are the parents. Ultimately, decisions about their children are being made, let me repeat their children - not the teachers, the administrators and of course not our mayors'. The fact that the alderman gets the principals and the CEO together to discuss issues, looks good for her- But shouldn't they be doing this anyway? What's wrong with CPS that they could not do this without the mayor involved. Most principals will do whatever the CEO says -with very little push back anyway. The schools in the 41st ward have been re-grouped already under the new title of the O'Hare region. The principals and the head of the O'Hare region have meetings with the board to discuss the issues above. If the 41st ward really wants to do something, the Alderman and the CPS CEO should be meeting with the most important group - the parents! I hope that the Alderman took notes and will follow up on concerns that were raised. Hopefully she will be posting this on her website so that parents can see it, and follow up with her.
ReplyDeleteWell said, 9:31pm. I thought CPS was suppose to be supporting community and parent involvement? This was a glorified principals meeting, and CPS parents weren't invited (just a few cherry picked LSC members who suck up to admin like 10:43am who don't properly represent parents)?
ReplyDeleteBetween Rahm's tight control of the media and now this alderman's tight control of local meetings, the taxpayers and parents are completely left out of the picture.
But, Rahm and O'Connor sure feel free to raise our property taxes and cram a longer day down our throats. Start calling the 41st Ward - Stalag 41.
Tax each transaction. Great idea if you want to see great Chicago institutions and jobs move South or worse over seas. Cullerton is already trying to work some thing out with the Board and Merc after the huge income tax increase because they are thinking about leaving. How about we start teaching our kids about Liberty snd American History.
ReplyDeleteSo according to 8:34am we aren't suppose to tax shares of stock so multimillionaires pay a quarter of a cent on a share of traded stock, but rather, tax me the middle class homeowner who has been taxed to death by this city...yeah that's liberty.
ReplyDeletethe shares of stock are mostly foreign shares anyway and they impact us not at all... they don't contribute to the city like I do...they just use our city. A securities transation tax is the best possible thing for Chicagoans, unless you are like Rahm and have millions.
No one will need to move to the south...that logic makes no sense since its only the share that is being taxed.. Shares can originate from all over the world. That is why the tax works in Europe and all over the globe - it relieves local people of another tax burden.
BTW commodities in the City of Chicago earned over 3 billion in profits last year - cry them a river if they have to give the city a few million. Beats a stupid casino
ReplyDeleteWhile I am glad the Alderman is addressing administrative dysfunction within CPS, hosting a forum of principals speaking for teachers and parents is a let down.
ReplyDeleteParents and teachers voted for you. Many of the principals don't live around here, and thus, how could they be as vested as we are.
I realize there was much to talk about and as one LSC member so elequently wrote on this blog, that parent "dopes" weren't invited, I do think the answers are owed the taxpayers and not the paid principals who have a boss and a person they are accountable to.
You, Alderman O'Connor are accountable, first and foremost, to the taxpayers, not the mayor, not Brizard and certainly not principals.
Take the time to listen us (parents). These issues are about our children.
by keeping us out of the conversations, the divide widens
ReplyDelete~ CPS parent
When does the "Listening Tour" stop and listen to the parent/taxpayer/voter?
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't get, is why publicize an event no one could go to?
ReplyDeleteYou say the 41st ward raised their concerns as one voice - not true. That one voice didn't represent the 41st ward without genuine representation from everyday, parents.
ReplyDeletethis whole 90 extra minutes thing gets thrown at us, no say, then the tax increase,no say, now we are excluded from meetings involving our kids education...and you leave that to bureacrats at CPS, alderman? We are so doomed.
ReplyDeleteHaving principals report neighborhood school problems would have been ok if all parents were invited to at least listen. This could have generated further conversation at the individual schools, giving parent a feeling of partnership. By cutting out community parents, lets us know we are not a part of even listening to the conversation.
ReplyDeletethis stunt disempowered parents
ReplyDeleteFYI: I have requested to see a copy of transcripts, notes or a video of the meeting. Also, requested to see the follow up action plan, and/or next steps.
ReplyDeleteParents were never meant to be in the equation. Pay your property taxes (increased property taxes) and be quiet!
ReplyDeleteso, no transcripts or next steps from the covert meeting the community wasn't invited to?
ReplyDeleteWhy am I not surprised. The lack of open transparent government continues.