For the last 10 years I have watched the data of the Englewood schools enrollment declined drastically and resources be stripped. I decided to join the LSC as a community rep to help at Robeson, served as the President of the Black Star Project Community PTA to impact the selective enrollment policies and fight for education equity, I was appointed as the Chair of the Englewood Education Task Force in 2009, served as the Co-chair of the Englewood CAC in 2010-2012, created a strategic plan to examine and create solutions for the inequity of resources in our neighborhood schools. Been in meetings to help create strategies to market these neighborhood schools, looked for partners, faith-based leaders, organizations, concern citizens, elected officials, and most importantly parents to join the efforts to increase enrollment, investments, and high school morale at these schools....
No one came to the table, no one was willing to help, no one cared enough that these schools were slowly deteriorating before our eyes...No one protest the influx of charter/options schools in Englewood, no one presented viable solutions to correct this problem.....Was my voice not strong enough? Did our efforts fall on deaf ears or would people just prefer to organize in a reactive way? Well....In 2012, we was faced with this same dilemma when 6 (yes 6) of our elementary schools closed and again it was an emotional and reactionary response like I have seen this past week....
Now fast forward to Dec. 1st, 2017, many of these HS are on the chopping block and now you care? Now you upset, now you want to protest, now you care about the young people who have been left behind in this god forsaken educational system? Give me a break. I just hope one day while I am still living that we as a community would be more strategic in presenting solutions and tactics way in advance before an issue reaches this point. Whose to blame? All of us....Trump? CPS? Rahm? The community? Parents? Elected officials? Faith based leaders? ALL OF US!! Now are we going to be mad or strategized towards a better solutions for our black and brown students especially for the young people in these underserved communities? As a member of the New Englewood HS Steering Committee, I am just as emotional as the next person but I have to ensure these students have the BEST and SAFEST transition because as a resident, a parent, and concern citizen that is my duty and we owe this to them. I want to leave this table, but if I do, who will have input on how we can support these students, who will have input on the curriculum, who will have input on who build and design this school? Again, it is my obligation and it should be yours to ensure that this BS doesn't continue to happen....This is the #TheLifeofMrsEnglewood and I know Englewood will still rise!
Read all the notes from the steering committee here -http://cps.edu/About_CPS/Policies_and_guidelines/Pages/transitionsandguidelines.aspx
