Public Affairs: Mayoral candidates ignore issues crushing Chicago #ChicagoElections

 

[VIDEO] If you follow us on instagram (@thesixthward) you might see stores from Wirepoints.org whom you see it's President Ted Dabrowski discuss some of the issues that affects Chicagoans with Public Affairs host Jeff Berkowitz. I'd say let's open the door to you, what issues do you think Mayoral Candidates in the city need to address?

They do discuss crime and a lot of the data Wirepoints does address is the issue of crime. I'd say economic issues are a factor though there is only so much a city can do about the national economic environment. Another issue is certainly insuring our young people are adequately educated and they do mention the power of the teachers union over public education in the city.

CapFax: A false equivalence, but somebody should still probably pick up a phone

 The latest news reports are now that when the migrants from Texas arrive at Union Station they get sent to the suburbs such as Burr Ridge. The Mayor of Burr Ridge is upset about it. Not a lot communication whether it's from Texas to Illinois or even Chicago to those suburban towns that are affected.

Of course as always Capitol Fax gives some more in-depth coverage of this ongoing issue.

A false equivalence, but somebody should still probably pick up a phone https://t.co/DFxCycs948

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) September 9, 2022

Capitol Fax: Texas governor expels migrants to Chicago

 Rich Miller discusses more about those migrants sent to Chicago from Texas on Wednesday. Statements form our political leaders and of course from Gov. Abbott in Texas.

Texas governor expels migrants to Chicago https://t.co/rM6ov3m551

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) September 1, 2022

My two cents is that this could add to the issues of Chicago.

CBS 2: Texas Governor Greg Abbott sends busload of migrants to Chicago

 

[VIDEO] More of a national news story, however, now it's beginning to affect the city adding to many of our city's other issues - especially crime. Gov. Abbott under the guise of being overwhelmed by the many border crossings by these migrants sent them to sanctuary cities such as Chicago.

What is a sanctuary city from lirs.org

In general, a sanctuary city is a community with a policy, written or unwritten, that discourages local law enforcement from reporting the immigration status of individuals unless it involves investigation of a serious crime. These sanctuary communities go beyond cities, though. One can find entire counties and states declaring sanctuary status.

These communities typically do not honor requests by ICE to detain undocumented immigrants whom local agents apprehend for misdemeanor crimes or investigations. Many in sanctuary cities also refuse to deputize their local officers as federal agents, a necessary technicality if those local officers carry out the duties of ICE agents. There is no specific federal law against sanctuary city policies.

Let me add that others cities as New York City and Washington, DC that I know of had also recieved busloads of migrants fresh from the southern border. The mayors of both of those cities have expressed their own complaints.

Now it's Chicago's turn... 

Newsalert: Why does CPS have 160 high schools?

 

Now it makes me wonder about the future of Harlan. The last time I saw enrollment numbers years ago they weren't too far above 300 students at that point. Here's what Newsalert blog states:

The mass exodus out of Chicago's government schools is making news. How can a school district with only 327,000 students ( many who aren't of high school age ) have 160 high schools !

A link in that quote is to another post which further discusses the enrollment decline of CPS schools. 

Looking up Harlan's stats at the CPS website they list current enrollment at 295 students. I don't know if that's for this year or last year.

Is ShotSpotter effective?

 For you Star Wars fans out there "May the 4th be with you"

Now in all seriousness here's something for those of you to discuss. Occasionally on @thesixthward twitter I may run across tweets that note "ShotSpotter" data. I don't really listen to police scanners, however, it seems as if ShotSpotter is noted in police communications.

So this morning over at The Capitol Fax there's a discussion over whether or not ShotSpotter is effective. Can it distinguish between a gunshot, fireworks, construction or even a car backfiring? The Mayor of Chicago is definitely behind using this technology and certainly the response time to check out a possible case of gunfire.

ShotSpotter reliability questioned, but Lightfoot stands firm https://t.co/zin3MJyGrm

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) May 4, 2021

The next question that hopefully you might be able to answer at CapFax is whether or not you think ShotSpotter is effective?

CBS Chicago: Some Aldermen Call For Defunding Police

[VIDEO] In light of the recent unrest and the spark that caused it the death of George Floyd in police custody many cities around the nation are looking into possible solutions. Minneapolis, Minnesota is looking into abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department. Cities such as New York, New York and Los Angeles, California have already started to "defund" their police into other initiatives with their cities.

To abolish a police department I think of as a knee jerk reaction to systemic issues within policing. I know there are people out there who doesn't like police and that's fine. At the same time we need the police and when there is a real crime wave or more civil unrest we might want to know who'll be there for the public.

In this story from CBS 2, we see some possible things worth discussing. Issues with homeless people and issues of mental health. It causes me to wonder in what ways can we remove the police's role in handling those issues. Hopefully we can find out city alderman plans to do with whatever funds - $1.78 billion for Chicago Police - they plan to divert.

Business Insider: How Long Will Social Distancing Last? #COVID19

[VIDEO] The purpose of social distancing is to flatten the curve and to help out our hospitals. It's to insure that our hospitals won't get overwhelmed with many cases of coronavirus, especially serious cases. Another aspect of this is to slow down the spread of this virus and many sporting events have been suspended or otherwise delayed until later.

Think about these events will be delayed or canceled

• NBA Playoffs (Regular Season Suspended)
• NHL Playoffs (Regular season suspended)
• NCAA March Madness (Canceled)
• 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games (Postponed) 
• MLB season (Postponed indefinitely)
• Indianapolis 500 (Postponed until September)
• Kentucky Derby (Postponed until September)

Also noted in this video are the stay-at-home orders. It appears indefinitely in states like New York & California. In Illinois it's schedule to end April 7, 2020. Of course other states have enacted stay-at-home orders since then.

Whatever the medical professionals are trying to stem this pandemic, I hope social distancing and other efforts will make this coronavirus a memory.

CapFax: More of this, please

More of what? Well a solution to a special education teacher shortage. Perhaps in general a teacher's shortage in this state whether in rural, suburban, or even urban areas like Chicago. Via Rich Miller.

More of this, please https://t.co/URqKUP5m5Y

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) January 16, 2020

CPS CEO aims to do better for Black and brown boys

cps.edu

Another thing in this new school year to watch out for. How to improve academic performance for boys in CPS schools:

“I’m not satisfied,” Jackson said of the district’s performance. “I like the incremental growth, but we need to see exponential growth, particularly among our African-American male and Latino male students, if we’re going to meet the goals we’ve outlined in our vision.”

Her comments followed a stirring 20-minute speech Thursday afternoon to a gathering of business and civic leaders organized by the City Club of Chicago. In the speech, Jackson highlighted district investments in new programs and curriculum at neighborhood schools, a renewed focus on early career and college credentials, commitments to hiring more school support staff, and universal Pre-K expansion as ways to “level the playing field.”

Asked after the speech about the specific approaches the district is taking to close racial and gender disparities in graduation rates, Jackson said new attention to what students are being taught would be key. 

“I think in order to get to the 90 percent graduation rate that we’ve outlined in our vision, we have to have strong curriculum and academic programs in our schools, which is why we’re making a commitment around more IB and STEM programs, and a quality curriculum in every school,” she said. “I think by coupling the social emotional support with academic support, we’re going to get there.”

RELATED: Does public education ruin Black boys?

WBEZ: 5 Things To Watch In Chicago Public Schools This Year

As we start a new school year for CPS students some things worth watching with our public schools this year. One main thing is whether or not there could be a teacher's strike this year. Another thing is the decreasing enrollment of CPS students. Finally, it seems to be an important issue every year which is the CPS budget.

As always we wish CPS students a very successful school year.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chicago Public Schools (@chipubschools) on Sep 3, 2019 at 4:56am PDT

WBEZ: Hundreds Of Chicago Schools Go Without Teachers And Subs — Mostly In Schools Serving Black Students

For right now we hit the education beat:

This is the stark reality in Chicago Public Schools. Last school year, almost a third of 520 district-run schools — 152 — had at least one regular education or special education teacher position open all year long, a WBEZ analysis shows.

The problem is most acute at schools serving low-income and black students. They are twice as likely as all other schools to have a yearlong teacher vacancy. Chicago’s 28 schools with majority white student populations had no yearlong vacancies.

And making matters worse CPS also has a severe substitute teacher shortage, a WBEZ analysis shows. At 62 schools, half the time a teacher was absent no substitute showed up.

Really?

Chicago Public School officials acknowledge the problems filling substitute requests and teacher vacancies. They also note that just because there’s a vacancy doesn’t mean students miss instruction. Principals will usually make sure students get some work and they will do their best to work with the teachers they have, officials say.

But students, parents, teachers and community organizers tell stories of students not having math, English, gym, Spanish or special education support for months at a time, if not an entire year.

One parent, who wanted to remain anonymous, said when her child’s school couldn’t fill one of two sixth-grade teacher positions, the one teacher took on all 57 students in that grade.

Often, when there is a long-term vacancy, students get a parade of substitutes who might give them worksheets or worse — spend time sitting in an auditorium without any school work to do.

What's going on with this?

School district leaders constantly say they want to make the school district more equitable. And nothing gets to the heart of the district’s inequities more than the reality that some schools struggle securing teachers while others are fully staffed, said Matt Lyons, CPS' chief talent officer.

But he said this is an outgrowth of systemic and societal issues that can’t be fixed quickly. Over the past few years, the school district has started one program that helps 60 struggling schools hire teachers and another that pays extra money to subs willing to work in 75 hard-to-staff schools. It also plans to expand a program that offers alternative teaching degrees in areas like special education.

Lyons said these programs are starting to work, but acknowledges there is a long way to go.

This is an article that is worth your time. What can be done about this teacher shortage?

Newsalert: Should CPS be shut down?

What prompts this question? A report from the Chicago Tribune with regards to the continuing investigation into a number of sexual abuse claims to CPS students. The number could be as high as 1000 cases of sex abuse of students. That's a lot!

A branch of a global law firm will review roughly 1,000 Chicago Public Schools sex abuse investigations, as part of a quarter-million dollar contract that’s meant to reopen nearly two decades worth of old cases.

The Chicago Board of Education’s vote Wednesday to hire Dentons LLP marks the school system’s latest step to re-examine how officials addressed past abuse and misconduct allegations in the wake of a Tribune investigation.

A permanent reallocation of police to troubled neighborhoods #Ward09 #BuildingwithBeale

You know I'm with Ald. Beale on this. The troubled areas of Chicago need an aggressive approach and if that means an increased police presence then it's necessary.

A permanent reallocation of police to troubled neighborhoods #BuildingwithBeale #Ward09 https://t.co/kgclRmAhnb

— The Sixth Ward (@TheSixthWard) August 10, 2018

Chicago IG blasts city over crime strategy

[VIDEO] The video above brought to mind the senseless murder of another school teacher on 79th Street in Chatham back in 2014. I wish I could tell you there was an op/ed after her shooting back then as we hear about in this FOX News Channel report after the death of another school teacher.

Here's a link to this op/ed from Chicago's inspector general Joe Ferguson:

Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, in characteristically heartfelt fashion, recently asked why this shooting was different. A part-time Chicago Public Schools employee died a few days later, shot while sitting on her front porch, another innocent victim. It pierced the news cycle and then faded. Mary asked why the Rogers Park murder carried a jolt that the ceaseless stream of others have not.

Because it was an unintended wound to privilege – my privilege.

A white teacher was cut down in a place and under circumstances we do not associate with such occurrences. It stood out as not normal, even in a city in which we have internalized and compartmentalized the soul-grinding carnage on our streets as utterly normal. It is, in fact, a daily, at times hourly, occurrence in other parts of Chicago.

The children in those parts of our city never get to see the world as good, and are relentlessly exposed to brutal violence and the threat of violence such as to have them grow up in modified states of traumatic stress. This is not normal, either. If Chicago’s gun-murder rate was the same as New York’s, our annual murder tally would be 150 — about one-fifth of last year’s total and less than a quarter of this year’s likely total.

Can this be turned around? Hell, yes. Can it be turned around tomorrow? Hell, no.

Will Joe Ferguson step up to the plate to face Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2019? Will the city's violence be a cornerstone of his campaign? Read the whole thing!

Also allow me to note that Emanuel has stated that he plans to run for re-election in 2019.

No HS diploma with a college acceptance letter???

I'm glad that when I tweeted this story and then clicked link there were some updates to it. Some of the plan I like as far as allowing CPS students some leeway as far as their future plans. To be honest of only this policy was in force when it was time for me to figure out my path. Please click link in the tweet embedded below.

Rahm Emanuel wants CPS students to have a letter of acceptance from a college or the military to get their diplomas https://t.co/lxOvWpudzm pic.twitter.com/ZFlOCzhEau

— The Root (@TheRoot) April 5, 2017

Tribune: Chicago area pays steep price for segregation, study finds

Another article I saw referred to Chicago as "Balkanized" i.e. divided. There's a price to this division:

The seven-county area's murder rate could be cut by 30 percent, its economy could churn out an additional $8 billion in goods and services and its African-American residents could earn another $3,000 a year if it could reduce racial and economic segregation to the median level for the nation's largest metro areas.

And 83,000 more residents could have earned bachelor's degrees, spurring another $90 billion in collective lifetime earnings.

Those were the findings of a study by the Metropolitan Planning Council, a Chicago-based public policy research group, and the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank.

The Capitol Fax has more on this and the full study.

Crossposted from The Sixth Ward

EVENT: Red line extension hearing

A public hearing for the red line extension project's draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to take place at the St. John MB Church at 211 E. 115th Street on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. For more information please refer to the flyer below.

As an aside at the 9th Ward meeting this past Tuesday, there was a nice presentation to update us on this project which is moving along at this time. We saw a presention on how this project would affect the parks along the right of way. Also we learned that through a state supreme court ruling, the CTA can't use eminent domain to purchase the right of way from the Union Pacific Railroad. Also there were handouts available including the flyer you see above and a citizen's guide pamphlet for the extension project. It would interesting to see what will be said at this hearing this coming Tuesday.

ALSO, click this link for other documents that are downloadable and printable for this project.

Discussions on converting Metra Electric to a rapid transit line

Found this article via Sloopin that was published on June 24. There is official interest in turning the Metra Electric Line into a rapid transit service with more frequent trains.

A proposal to convert the Metra Electric District Line into a rapid-transit line with more frequent stops to serve the South Side and suburbs has drawn the interest of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has asked the head of the Regional Transportation Authority to facilitate discussion on the issue, RTA officials said.

During the transit agency's monthly board meeting Thursday, Chairman Kirk Dillard told a representative of a coalition of South Side and south suburban groups that Emanuel had reached out to him about the rapid-transit idea last month, and that talks had begun.

Dillard said he spoke with Metra Chairman Martin Oberman about the proposal Wednesday.

"The RTA is working with the CTA and Metra," Dillard said after the meeting. "We need to get a handle obviously on the finances, as well as ridership numbers historically in that area. We're in the preliminary fact-finding stages."

We've been hearing about grassroots proposals to turn the Metric Electric (aka IC line) into a rapid transit service as opposed to a commuter rail service. It even has two different color designations such as the Gray or Gold Line.

Question to ask here is how this could benefit the many communities on the far south side if there was more frequent service on the Metra Electric line if CTA institutes more frequent service? This could very much benefit the neighborhoods of Pullman, Roseland, West Pullman, South Shore, South Chicago and perhaps even the near suburbs of Riverdale. And hopefully wouldn't take as much time to institute as finally building the CTA Red Line extension from 95th to 130th Streets.

BTW, part of me wishes that instead of using those double decker Metra coaches prevalent on all Metra lines if only it was possible to turn this into a typical third rail service instead of overhead traction. Perhaps find a way to connect this to the L system at some point. Perhaps more express service for Metra Electric & South Shore riders coming from the south suburbs and Indiana

Better yet if only such service could exist along the Metra Electric's South Shore and South Chicago branch and it could be converted to a third rail service. I realize these are all questions of later study and probably won't be instituted immediately. Even the Yellow Line aka Skokie Swift had been in service years before it was converted to a third rail traction line.

Capitol Fax: Today's number 63%

Go Falcons!

Rich Miller of the Capitol Fax talks about the increase of students in our high schools and increase the number of high schools. In addition he makes these comments as far as the policy over neighborhood schools and retaining the middle class in our city:

Neighborhood schools weren’t working in many neighborhoods at the bottom of the economic ladder. So, Chicago embraced public school choice. But that isn’t working either for kids on the lowest economic rungs. Charters can kick kids out for low performance, behavioral problems, etc. and they do that a lot.

I happen to think charters can be a great thing. But, man, the costs sure are high to run all those new schools. And innovators like Kansas City are also having some very real problems.

I wonder if some of these issues involved with the neighborhood schools include Harlan. I'm very sure that they might and it also have some undeserved reputation for violence. I say it's undeserved because over the years they attempt to emphasize the students who got something going for themselves with college and the scholarships for example.

BTW, I would suggest you read the full post at Capitol Fax and read The Atlantic article he quotes from. It deserves a read from me regardless.