FYI: An
update to this is seen on the Capitol Fax this morning one new pic of that classroom provided by a spokeswoman from CPS which is in better condition. Then from Kyle Hillman a more recent pic of the hallway which still doesn't look in that great of a condition. The pic of that classroom you see below was said to be from a DNA Info
article from 2014 and we learn that CPS has a $3 billion deferred maintenance backlog.
It's been in the news that due to the current budget stalemate in Springfield, CPS
may not open in September. You can follow a lot of the state budget news over at the
Capitol Fax.
In the meanwhile CPS CEO Claypool
took issue with Governor Rauner
referring to Chicago Public Schools as crumbling prisons. I don't blame Forrest Claypool or any other figure named in that Capitol Fax post for sticking up for Chicago's schools. Unfortunately they are often maligned mostly for the right reasons and those students who attend public schools deserve to have someone lookout for them. It doesn't do them justice to be held hostage by a budget stalemate.
At that same time the Capitol Fax had
another post regarding Claypool's comments. Rich Miller preferaced this post by saying the man with his own opinion - via
this FB post - is no "Raunerite" but basically expresses his interest in fixing our neighborhood schools. I'll share a pic that makes the point of this pic look at teh state of disrepair.
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| Gale School - 1631 W Jonquil Terrace |
This school is probably one example of many with issues of disrepair as the post noted lead paint peeling from the ceiling - this is a much older school. Also bad fire doors and broken fire alarms. Then what about services needed by students?
The school has been gutted by a funding formula CPS put in place. The school has no technology teachers, no librarians, after-school programs have been gutted and our social worker is hanging on by the grace of his nonprofit.
You know what they do get in Illinois Prisons? Library Services! Mental Health Services! Educational Services.
You see what happened there. What do CPS students get at this particular school versus what people who are incarcerated in prison gets? Then it goes further:
So yeah the Governor’s solution of REDUCING funds for CPS is madness, but what he said today wasn’t wrong. If Claypool doesn’t want his schools to be called worse than prisons… FIX THEM!
“Frankly, the Governor’s comments comparing Chicago schools to ‘crumbling prisons’ are disrespectful and beneath his office.” via Claypool.
You know what is really disrespectful and beneath (their) office? Allowing schools like this to happen, our Mayor owns this.
The next question is how many other schools have issues such as these. Not only a building in disrepair but not enough services educational or otherwise for students. I can believe that funding is an issue but that's certainly one one portion of many other issues in such a vast school district as CPS.
