Members of "Chicago Students Organizing to Save Our Schools" speak out at a school board meeting on Wednesday against unjust and illegal school closures and draconic budget cuts. At 1:57 into the video, all hell breaks loose.
"The Board of Education continues to sabotage public education and divert money to their political allies," said student union members. "We stood up as the only unscripted student voices at the meeting. We were forcibly removed. The Board continues to destroy our educations, but we will keep fighting!"
Nearly 850 Chicago Public Schools employees received pink slips last Friday, just hours after officials said they had identified $52 million in administrative and operational cuts to help close an estimated $1 billion deficit in the upcoming fiscal year.
"With a giant budget deficit looming and uncertainty around how many teachers will be invited to follow their kids to new schools from closing schools, the 855 layoffs could be just the beginning of wider unemployment in the district.
At the 48 closing schools, 420 teachers of 1,005 lost their jobs, plus 110 paraprofessionals and 133 bus aides and part-timers. At the five schools confirmed for “turnaround,” where the children remain in the building but all the adults are replaced, 192 staffers were laid off: 125 teachers, 20 paraprofessionals, 20 bus aides and part-timers and 27 clerks, custodians and security staffers."
Keep in mind, the fall of Apartheid started with students. They are the untapped power in the fight to save public education.
To sign a petition supporting the students, click here.
