Even as CPS opens more new schools, children with special needs have a tougher time finding options. Placements in private therapeutic schools are scarce, and some charters are reluctant to enroll them.
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Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
By: Sarah Karp / June 20, 2011
Facing a strong undercurrent of tension between traditional schools that feel threatened by new ones, Chicago High School for the Arts is once
again at the center of a controversy over space. Facing a strong undercurrent of tension between traditional schools that feel threatened by new ones, Chicago High School for the Arts is once again at the center of a controversy over space.
For the past two years, the city’s only public high school for the arts has been temporarily located at the old Pershing School at 3200 S. Calumet Ave. But, adding a class a year, it has outgrown that space and has spent the past year in limbo.
Now, CPS officials want Doolittle West, less than a mile from Chi Arts' current location, to become the school’s new home. On Wednesday’s board agenda, members are scheduled to vote on the issue. Renovating the old elementary school to get it ready to house a specialty high school will cost $4.6 million, according to the board report.
The new plan has drawn the ire of local community groups and parents. The Bronzeville Community Council, comprised of clergy and representatives from community organizations, voted not to support it. Some are suspicious, believing that CPS’ grand plan is to hand over Doolittle East. Others are worried because there’s no definitive plan for where the two programs—a child parent center and a citywide parent resource center—currently housed in Doolittle East will relocate.
Still others, such as the Grand Boulevard Federation, are against it because they feel as though CPS officials rammed the decision through without properly consulting or making the case to the community and parents.
Jitu Brown from the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization says that he cannot understand how CPS can commit to renovating a building for Chi Arts when it is the midst of a budget crisis. Last Wednesday, CPS’ Board of Education voted to rescind the 4 percent raises due to teachers and other staff on the premise that the district is facing a $712 million budget deficit.
“How can there be an investment in charter schools, an investment in turnaround schools, an investment in new schools and then a budget deficit?” he says. “It is questionable at best.”
CPS board members have already committed to spending $9 million for renovations for Urban Prep Charter School.
Calls to Chi Arts Principal Terri Milsap went unreturned. CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll, via e-mail, said that Doolittle West is a school and should be used as one. She also said
CPS officials are actively looking for a new space for the child parent center.
Doolittle West used to house a primary center, which fed into Doolittle East for the upper grades. A few years ago, Doolittle West students were moved into Doolittle East, making a comprehensive K - 8 elementary school.
Doolittle West was then handed over to a child parent center, which had been displaced from Donoghue Elementary when it was turned over to the University of Chicago for a charter school. The parent resource center also had been relocated twice previously.
Matt Johnson, a parent and community activist, says that when the preschool moved over to Doolittle West, the building was in bad condition. The principal and parents solicited donations and found money in other places to make the center a warm, inviting place.
Meanwhile, the parent-resource center has a brand-new technology center. Johnson says some 650 parents use the center on average each month, using the computers, coming to workshops and attending meetings.
Johnson says that CPS officials only include the numbers from the preschool in their figures on the school’s utilization and discount the use of the parent center.
He also says that CPS officials won’t rule out taking Doolittle East and that he believes plans drawn up by an architect already include the elementary school and an underground path leading to it. Chi Arts officials have said that they will outgrow Doolittle West also in a matter of a few years, Johnson says.
Brown notes that Doolittle has been a receiving school for other schools closed down by CPS. And some parents have had children displaced in the past.
“There has been enough harm in the mid-South region,” he says.
Brown’s understanding is that Ald. Pat Dowell has offered Chi Arts vacant land or an empty school building. He suspects that people at Chi Arts don’t want to move too deep into the neighborhood and would rather be at Doolittle, which is close to King Drive.
“They can quickly jump on the King [Avenue] bus and be out of the community,” he says.
Earlean Green, a Marshall High School local school council member who frequents the parent resource center, says she feels as though it was a done deal by the time it was presented to parents. She went to a community meeting two weeks ago, which she was only told about the day before.
The late notice, she suspects, was deliberate to keep the community from organizing.
Chicago High School for the Arts has been dealing with this turmoil for a while. Originally, Chi Arts was to move to Lafayette Elementary School in Humboldt Park. Then, there was some talk of it going to Wells High School in West Town. Wells, a struggling neighborhood high school, has lost 45 percent of its student population since 2005.
But that also fell through at least partly because parents of Chi Arts students were worried about their children mixing with the Wells High School crowd.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
It will cost much to convert this school that was for little children,to a HS.--How'Where is the money found for this? Shame on mazany- this was planned and paid for an architect while he was CEO and he is on the ChiArts board-right?
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Where are you getting your information? I am a voting member of the Bronzeville CAC and can attest to the fact that voting was cast on the subject of writing a letter of objection to CPS regarding ChiArts moving to Doolittle West and the vote died on the floor. Then near the end of the meeting when many of the members had gone, Jitu Brown kept pressuring the Chairman to vote again. Keep in mind that many of the members had gone for the evening and will be very surprised about what happened when they left. Jitu Brown is associated with Kenwood Oakland Community Organization and his agenda is to overwhelm the homeowners in the community with CHA and he doesn’t seem to care about the crime that will also follow or the impact that the social services that they need will have on taxpayers. He also doesn’t seem to grasp what it really takes to develop a thriving prosperous community.
As far as Pat Dowell offering ChiArts a building in the 3rd Ward. Let it be known that Pat Dowell and her minions have been trying to hijack ChiArts from the 2nd Ward and this is why they are opposed to it being at Doolittle West about ½ mile from its current location. Pat Dowell could make the same offer to the Parent Resource Center that she made to ChiArts (Give them a vacant building) and resolve this issue, but this is not her agenda.
Furthermore, Pat Dowell advocated having Urban Prep move to her Ward before checking their track record for success. When she found out that they had a track record for failure, she then made a blanket statement that “we have too many high schools within a 3 mile radius. “ It isn’t that we have too many high schools in a 3 mile radius. The fact is, we have too many failing high schools within a 3 mile radius and now Urban Prep is in her ward, a school that she initially advocated for, then back tracked at the last CPS Board meeting. Pat Dowell is trying to hijack ChiArts because she does not have a viable plan to turn Phillips around. Maybe if Pat Dowell was more interested in attracting more homeowners to her ward instead of 3000 more CHA units, perhaps she could turn Phillips around.
One more thing, did you know that Bridgeport requested 2 million dollars from a Bronzeville TIF for their school and she gave them $12,000,000 dollars instead?? So, the next time her constituents need funding for a program in their community and she replies that she does not have the money, ask about the $12 million that she gave to Bridgeport. Now she wants to give a $2 million for a 24 hour skate park to the 25th Ward. “LOLâ€
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
I wonder what parents they are referring to in this article. ChiArts is in the Douglas community right now and families in the immediate area around the school actually attend Chiarts and appreciate the program that it is providing. Also, there are members on the Bronzeviile CAC that are in support of ChiArts remaining in the immediate area. What does Grand Boulevard have to do with parents and students that are stakeholders in ChiArts. These families who are also homeowners and live within walking distance of this school certainly deserve a high quality option and they are getting it in ChiArts. Did the CAC consult these parents and ask if they were against ChiArts moving to Doolittle. I think not!! If fact they were upset because they were excluded from this process and their voice was not heard. Deceptive! Deceptive Deceptive!
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Let's speak the truth about Ald. Dowell. It's no secret that she told CPS when Chi-Arts was FIRST looking for a location on the southside that she would find space for them in the 3rd Ward. That was before Pershing West was selected as the location. The offer was made and stands today because Chi-Arts would be a positive education option located in a historic community known for its cultural contribution. As Doolittle, is not in the 3rd ward, she has not taken a position on this current action by CPS. Secondly, Ald. Dowell never advocated for Urban Prep to be at the Williams School and rejected last year a CPS move to place the Air Academy High School in the Williams building. So her position has been consistent as it relates to a high school in the Williams School building. Regarding the Bronzeville TIF and giving $12 million to a Bridgeport school, that is totally false as only half of the Bronzeville TIF is in the 3rd ward (the other half is in the 2nd Ward) and such a move would have required the approval of both Alderman which didn't happen so there has been no movement of funds to Bridgeport. Perhaps, Grandma need to check her facts. And, what about the skate park? Another lie. No funds have been allocated to this 25th ward project by Ald. Dowell. In fact, the design for the building hasn't even been done.. Finally, if I had the time to defend Jitu Brown, I would, but clearly if Grandma is wrong about Ald. Dowell she's wrong about Jitu.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Dear Truthbetold, regarding Jitu Brown, are you saying the vote did not initially die on the floor? Yes or NO? Jitu Brown did do exactly want what was mentioned. There were also 2 pastors in the room and I doubt that they would lie for what he did. The vote did die on the floor and the Chairman told him this several times. Then he waited after member had gone near the end of the meeting and brought the issue up for a vote again, when many members had left. A CPS Rep told him to leave the issue alone but he continued his underhanded agenda. If you see nothing wrong with these tactics, then you are probably just like Jitu Brown. After you respond, I will validate my original position and stand by what I said with facts. Are you ready for this??
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Again, first respond on the issue of Jitu Brown then I will address your other comments with facts??
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
I don't know about the vote. I wasn't there. I am referring to your point about Jitu's agenda "to overwhelm the homeowners inthe community with CHA and he doesn't care about crime, etc."
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
we watched him stear or try to stear an LSC into picking who he thought was besst for the school and he was not on the council. opinion
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
CPS moved everyone out of Medill and it will be a charter high school-they paid to make medil into offices and such--the gym is sickening and dirty
and they have to pay for the move to Elizabeth center. where is this $$$$ coming from?
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Part 1
Dear Truthbetold,
You seem to hold Jitu Brown in very high regard, which is commendable. I too respect him as a person but not his views. I also respect Alderman Pat Dowell as a person, but we differ on what it takes to build a strong vibrant community. I believe that homeowners and businesses should dominate the community with a small more manageable CHA population. Did you attend the Bronzeville CAC meeting when CHA did a presentation regarding 3000 more CHA units returning to the area? There was also two other individuals who represented homeless students, some of which were evicted by CHA. A parent first asked the CHA representative this question: “When you removed all of the Cabrini Green buildings, you allowed them to be replaced with businesses and a Target, removing the evidence that a Housing project ever existed. Then you surrounded the businesses with homeowners, not CHA housing! However, when you removed the Ida B. Wells housing projects, you replaced it with the same projects, why?†He further stated that “Who would spend $400,000.00 for a home surrounded by housing projects?†I began to see his point. First, they removed all evidence of blight for the property owners up North, before bringing back any CHA residences. However, in our neighborhood they did the opposite. They brought back the Ida B. Wells housing first. Pat Dowell supports this proposal of 3000 more units in the Bronzeville Community and over 80% of 25,000units by the end of the year. I agree with the parent! I would have brought in homeowners first before building one CHA unit. Please note: I AM NOT AGAINST CHA RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY. I just don’t believe that they should out number the homeowners. When CHA units dominate the community, the only businesses you get are chicken shacks, beauty supply houses, Cell phone Stores and also Currency Exchanges. And let’s not forget the Liquors Stores.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Part II to Truthbetold
CHA presented the framework for a mixed income community along the 35th street corridor in this meeting.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
I am a teacher /parent who has used Doolittle for meetings, workshops, computer lab day, and just general assistance with the mounds of data required for the Head Start program. Parents in the program have attended conference, workshops and meetings. The Pre-school program is being moved out after spending thousands upon thousands of dollars over the course of years to get the building up to code, as far as wiring, computers labs, an outdoor garden for the 3-5 year olds to explore in. Those services will be cut ...at best if not stopped completely while the Pre-School offices regroup, re-design, re-organize and re-spend dollars... possibly for the classrooms to get the next building up to code...oh did I mention by August (ready for Track E). My numbers may not be quite correct but the Pre-school offices service over 2000+, 3-5 year old students on the south side of Chicago. Doolittle school...yes their enrollment is down but it is an elementary school. These children at best walk to school; Doolittle is in their area. Chi Art is a high school... the children are old enough to travel to school by bus or train. Why are we closing elementary schools for High Schools??? Who is really thinking about the children? Why are we pitting one group of children against another. That is the message you are sending to the children who attend Doolittle when you put them our for "another group" of children. Who are the people looking our for all our children... not just a small group here or a small group there. Chi Arts can easily move to a vacant school ... there are quite a few up and down state street. Oh yea... it would cost them tooo much to up date the building and bring them up to CODE. I sure hope this "GESTAPO" take over is not the new trend!
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Part III to Truthbetold
There are lots of empty CHA units along the 35th and Cottage Grove corridor and Mr. Jitu Brown would like to refill those old units with CHA tenants right now.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Part IV Truthbetold
A scenario given by a parent was “If a resident was removed from CHA and was homeless and wanted to seek housing in the same area, then the management should inquire as to why the tenant was released.†It was expressed that the tenant could have been removed due to unlawful activity or failure to adhere to management rules, not a natural disaster like a fire. Then Jitu Brown disagreed. His opinion was that CHA should have restorative justice and let the tenant back in. His reason given was; if a tenant was removed, then it could also affect the child. The parent then asked: “What if they were evicted because of violent or unlawful activities of the child? Mr. Brown still maintained his position of restorative justice.
Recently the news has been plagued with crimes concerning mob activity and one of the kids in the New Stateway development was one of the criminals in an incident downtown with 2 other individuals. Many of the CHA crimes are also being committed by their children. When Jitu Brown endorses allowing families that created crime in the area, that have been kicked out of CHA because of this, to actually come back without considering why they were kicked out in the first place, then he would also be endorsing criminal activity and holding the entire community hostage to it, just to provide a roof over that child’s head.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Part V to Truthbetold
CHA residents were also complaining to CHA to make their residences safer. Galatians 5:9 says (Bible) “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpâ€. In other words Mr. Jitu Brown would like to remix rotten apples with good apples and does not care in he destroys the whole batch. Furthermore is was stated in the CHA meeting that they would be at 80% capacity for a target of 25,000 at the end of this year. I wonder how many of these CHA residents who were criminals would Jitu Brown let back in for the sake of the child?? Keep in mind he advocates putting a bad apple back into the bunch for the sake of the child.
Truthbetold, in your first comments you stated that everything I said was false therefore my comments about Jitu Brown would also be false. However everything I said about Jitu Brown is true, and all my previous comments regarding the other facts regarding ChiArts, TIF’s and Pat Dowell are also true and can be supported.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Part I
To Truthbetold: you also stated the following “Let's speak the truth about Ald. Dowell. It's no secret that she told CPS when Chi-Arts was FIRST looking for a location on the south side that she would find space for them in the 3rd Ward. That was before Pershing West was selected as the location. The offer was made and stands today because Chi-Arts would be a positive education option located in a historic community known for its cultural contribution.â€
Well are you aware that the ChiArts Board didn’t just visit Pat Dowell’s ward, but many wards across the City! They actually turned down the option to reside at the National Teachers Academy in the 3rd Ward. Location. This is a “Taj Mahal†of a schoolâ€, costing $47,000,000 to build. Did you know that it was actually a 2nd Ward family that met with her initially about ChiArts regarding NTA?? It was this same family that advocated for ChiArts thru the CPS Board Meeting process for to reside at the Pershing West location. In fact the Principal Terri Milsap called and thanked this family after the CPS Board Meeting during that time. The ChiArts Board has expressed that the location at 3200 S. Calumet was the best location at that time.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Part II
To Truthbetold: You also stated that Pat Dowell never advocated for Urban Prep at Williams.
However, the “Every Block" Community Manager sent out a publication on May 21, 2011 that stated “I just wanted to pass along this info in a recent e-mail notice from Alderman Pat Dowell.†“Urban Prep will have a city-wide application process, but has agreed to do extensive outreach for 3rd Ward recipients. Alderman Dowell, CPS Officials and representatives from Urban Prep will be there to answer your questions."
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Part III
To Truthbetold: Also, in a Press Release dated 4/26/2011 Mayor Daley broke ground for the new Back of the Yards High School in Bridgeport. However, I did not say the funds came from the “The Bronzeville TIFâ€, I said “A Bronzeville TIF.†You are very crafty. I was referring to the 47th/Halsted TIF in the 3rd Ward, not second. The project is also listed on the Public Building Commission website.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
To Truthbetold: Regarding the 24 hour skate park.
The Near South TIF is adjacent to the Bronzeville TIF on the northern end of the 2nd Ward, just like the Near South TIF in the 3rd ward is directly across the street from the skate park land in Alderman Solis’s 25th Ward. You have to be adjacent to someone else’s TIF in order to take their money.
On June 8, 2011, an article in the Chicago Journal stated “Dowell is on the Housing and Real Estate Committee and she participated in the unanimous voice vote in support of the ordinance.†Dowell said she received “assurances that my constituents would be included in the planning process.†Again, The skate park land is directly across the street from the 3rd Ward but in the 25th ward. Also on June 6, 2011 the Suntimes indicated that the skate park request is moving forward with a $2 million TIF request tied to it. The Chicago Journal also references the Near South TIF for this project.
When the Alderman that support Bronzeville fail to amend our TIF rules to prevent other communities from taking our TIF Dollars to fund their community projects, then they are approving these actions. Do you remember when Pat Dowell was running for re-election as Alderman. She was quoted in the Chicago Journal as stating that unused TIF funds should be returned back to the City if unused. Why would it be unused in her community. Have all their needs been met??? TIF funds are reserves from property tax owners and set aside by the City of Chicago to be used where these homeowners reside in her area.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Dear Truthbetold,
I was unable to submitt the entire submission for Part II. Everytime I tried to submit, an error message came up for a section of this comment, so I deleted it. I could not fund anything derogatory and after about an hour I stopped trying.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
The Chicago Board of Education approved 11-0622-EX4: Amend Board Report 09-0527-EX4 Amend Board Report 08-1022-EX6 Amend Board Report 07-1024-EX12 Approve the Establishment of the Chicago High School for the Arts and Entering into a School Management and Performance Agreement with Chicago High School for the Arts.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
Over 20 posts and none of them are about the students of ChiArts. Astounding to me because one of those students is my child.
How this conversation turned into a dialogue about CHA/aldermen and other political personalities is why the students of ChiArts are still looking for a soft place to land.
Controversy over location follows Chicago Arts High
This thread was disappointing.
We know our current situation.
What we should be worrying about is getting us a well-suited location and dealing with the obstacles in our way of getting to that goal.
The fact that you are all adults that are sitting on a computer arguing about who to blame rather than how to solve this gives me very little hope for the resolution of the ChiArts location dilemma.
PS. Thank you, Mama B!
chicago high school for the arts
Another shooting at Chicago High School for the Arts. Students are expressing their fear and concern. The week of finals. So, now we have three shootings, two involving victims, windows being shot out, cars stolen from the parking lot, cars broken into that are parked in the parking lot, people randomly walking on the campus, lockers getting broken into. CPS says that they will install lights in the parking lot. I ask again "What good will the lights do to stop a bullet zinging thru the parking lot from hitting my daughter? Today a bullet hit someone's daughter. Saddest part of all is that now the students are talking about what the definition of a ghetto school is and why some of the students tolerate this kind of violence. This is shameful and the City of Chicago, the mayor and his Board of Education, and all the people taking credit for creating a school for these scholar artists should be ashamed of themselves.
hearing officers report
http://www.cps.edu/About_CPS/Policies_and_guidelines/documents/Transitio...
closing statement
"Over time, promises unkept become lies"
Honorable Charles R. Winkler, CPS Hearing Officer
Chicago High School of the Arts Location
"I find that ChiArts must accomodate 150 more students within seven months and that although not the best solution, the proposal to co-locate will have to do for the present time.
I further find that CPS has not fulfilled the promise to find a suitable free standing building in a a central location within a reasonable time frame to house ChiArts.
In this respect, I recommend that CPS for a committee to ask the following parents to serve: Lynn Burmeister, Gwynda Jones, DK Edwards. I also suggest teacher Kevin Korschgen be included. The purpose is obvious.
Meetings should be held at least every four months to move this issue of a permanent home for ChiArts to resolution."
Last paragraphs of Judge Winkler's findings
I AM STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM CPS .........
Press Release of the Future
March 1, 2012
For immediate release
CHICAGO - At a hastily scheduled press conference, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced plans to relocate the Maggie Daley High School for the Arts (formerly ChiArts) from their current violence-plagued location to four vacant floors of the Willis Tower. "Chicago is a world-class city with legendary cultural institutions" said the mayor "and the children of Chicago deserve a world-class high school for the arts." The cost for securing a 100 year lease on the space and the necessary refurbishment will be covered by an anonymous donor, widely rumored to be the founder of GroupOn. "In this new central location, the high school will be able to leverage strategic partnerships with the Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Art Institute and other vital stakeholders. But more importantly, the students will be able to focus on their art and not worry about getting shot in the head by gangbangers."
During the press conference, Tim Cawley (Chief Operating Officer for CPS) shared this revelation: "I had a long talk with the man in the mirror and realized I was being a real douchebag. These students deserve the same amenities that my own children enjoy at New Trier High School. Nothing is more important than keeping our children safe."
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