Former CPS school to be adapted into a community center

I posted a quick blurb at The Sixth Ward about a community center to be located in a former CPS school named for an illustrious late president of the prestigious Morehouse College. It's a shame that the school had been closed since 2013, but it's great that it had found a reuse as a community center in Englewood.

As so far there have been no further updates that I know of with regards to the now closed Shedd School, I've always maintained this as one idea to reuse that property. Of course, it has to be reused with the right team to execute their plan. Here's hoping there are some updates as far as what's next for the former "John G. Shedd Public School".

Time for an updated pic of Shedd School

#TBT Teacher's strikes

I'm sharing two videos of past actions that involves Chicago's teachers. We can start with September 2012 with the Teacher's strike. I recorded this on my iPhone back then when the teachers were marching in downtown Chicago. I was probably walking along Jackson Boulevard near LaSalle Street back then.

I wrote for the YouTube description that I had no real idea how to use the camera on my phone so this video does have "vertical video syndrome" [VIDEO]

This other video also shot on my iPhone took place in spring 2016 and was on Michigan Avenue south of 95th Street. These demonstrators were just leaving nearby Harlan High School. While the 2012 strike seems to identify as major combatants then Mayor Rahm Emanuel and then CTU President Karen Lewis, these demonstrators were railing against then IL Governor Bruce Rauner. I'm sure in 2018 they got their wish and Rauner after one ineffective term was bounced right out of the governor's mansion in Springfield, Illinois. [VIDEO]

I really wanted to share with you the hilarious Vertical Video Syndrome as hilarious as it was the first time I saw it. It was made more hilarious with the "muppets" 😛

Drama teacher charged with sexual assault of student

[VIDEO] I'm not going to say too much or editorial a lot about this. What's mentioned in the above report from CBS 2 states what I wanted to say he was a husband and father who is charged with sexually abusing one of his students. Now he has his mugshot in a TV report, online and perhaps even on a newspaper since I really first heard about this from the Sun-Times.

Regardless, another sexual abuse allegation out of a CPS school. CPS already has to face a number of issues and now they have to face sexual abuse allegations.

Amazon's hiring in Chicago

Amazon Jobs

We get a quick blurb from Chicago Tonight

Amazon is roughly doubling the number of employees in its Chicago Loop office, adding 400 new jobs and 70,000 square feet of new space. But these aren’t warehouse jobs we’re talking about – they’re new hires that will work in fields including cloud computing, advertising and business development.

There are currently more than 400 people working in Amazon’s Chicago office at 227 W. Monroe St. supporting the company’s web services, advertising, transportation and operations units.

The new Chicago jobs are among more than 30,000 positions Amazon is working to fill nationwide.

Get your resumes ready and brush up on your skills. 

Tribune: As Chicago teacher contract issues remain unsettled, CPS and CTU ramp up rhetoric looking for a deal

I've been keeping an eye on this for quite a while. Hopefully there won't be a strike this year:

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s top negotiator has sent the Chicago Teachers Union a letter accusing the group of not responding to key proposals and asking that they reach a deal in the next two weeks.

The union fired back Sunday when Vice President Stacy Davis Gates criticized the letter, calling it disingenuous and accusing Chicago Public Schools officials of “being absolutely dishonest.”

Lightfoot first offered to raise teacher pay by 14 percent over five years, then increased the offer to 16 percent, but the union wants a deal with contract language addressing school staffing concerns.

Earlier this month, the union announced that its House of Delegates agreed to set dates for a strike authorization vote. Union members will vote Sept. 24-26 on whether to walk off the job.

Today's Chicago Football Classic

[VIDEO] I wanted to do a more extensive post on the Chicago Football Classic that takes place today at Soldier Field. According to the clock for the official website by the time I post this it will be at least one hour (kickoff 3:30 P.M.) before today's game. This year is between Virginia's Hampton University & D.C.'s Howard University.

Over the years this classic is played is often between two of this nation's Historically Black College's such as Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, Jackson State University (alma mater of the late Walter Payton), Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Grambling University, etc. Often there will be a college fair for high school seniors before this event.

I would like to update you on the game when I find out about the results.

CPS employee on paid suspension as school district continues investigation

[VIDEO] This story is semi-related to this morning's post. Although in this case the allegations against Dan Williams more or less involves physical contact due to a scuffle at an elementary school as opposed to any sexual assault allegations that have been plaguing the school district in general which was mentioned in this CBS 2 report.

As we should take allegations of any misconduct especially involving students very seriously there should be "due process" for the accused. For Mr. Williams as another agency separate from CPS had investigated and essentially cleared him of any wrongdoing, CPS continues to keep him on a paid suspension.

The operative question here is what is taking CPS' office of inspector general so long to investigate cases like Williams? Meanwhile in his case he gets to play with his dog on a Chicago beach while getting paid as he hopes to return to work.

Sun-Times:CPS’ handling of sexual abuse cases ‘tragic and inexcusable,’ feds say in ordering major overhaul

Something I've been keeping an eye on since last year. Of all the issues facing CPS, this is the most troubling one that needs to be addressed.

Chicago Public Schools has agreed to a “substantial overhaul” of how it handles sexual violence cases after a federal investigation found “glaring and heartbreaking” problems.

Federal officials at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights called its investigation of CPS the largest of its kind in department history.

The situation “is one of the worst that we have seen in the elementary, secondary school context,” Kenneth Marcus, the department’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. “The findings were deeply disturbing. The incidents that formed the basis of OCR’s investigation are tragic and inexcusable, so too was CPS’ response to the incidents.”

“These were tragic incidents in which some students did not receive the comprehensive support they deserved,” CPS CEO Janice Jackson acknowledged Thursday morning in an email to parents, vowing to correct the district’s mistakes. “As a district, we have been working to ensure no student ever goes through that again.”

The legally binding agreement between the Department of Education and CPS includes federal monitoring of the district’s changes for three years, and possible withholding of federal funding if the district doesn’t adequately follow through with the plan.

“We’re not talking about minor tweaks to policy,” Marcus said in a conference call with reporters. “We’re talking about a substantial overhaul.”

This is one of those posts that's too important to wait until the afternoon! 

NFL footballs are made in Chicago

I can't believe the NFL have started their 100th season and at least in Chicago the season started with a Thursday night loss to the Chicago Bears' longtime rivals the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. However, did you know the manufacture of NFL footballs have a Chicago connection.

Read about it at NBCChicago. Wilson Sporting Goods is based in Chicago though footballs are actually made at a factory in Ohio. Another Chicago company Horween Leather Co. produced the leather for the footballs. Both companies relationship with the NFL dates back to the founding of the league and is owed to the late former owner of the Bears, George Halas.

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WBEZ: Teens Say Free CTA Rides On First Day Of School Are Not Enough

Usually on the first day of school students and their parents will ride CTA for free. Some students say this still isn't enough.

Students say it’s helpful, but they want the offer year round.

“I think students should get free rides because I don’t really know how you will expect youth who are focusing on their education and career to have constant money,” said Jennifer Nava, a senior at Kelly High School in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

It’s a big ask in a city dealing with a huge financial deficit. Just last week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city faces a projected $838 million budget shortfall next year.

Still Jennifer, an outspoken teenager who keeps close tabs on city affairs, wants to remind Lightfoot that she promised to make transportation more affordable for students during her campaign.

“If time is not now, then when?” Jennifer said.

How about this, create a U-Pass program for K-12 students especially designed for those students who must depend on public transit. If there isn't enough money to allow free rides for CPS students year round then do what the city's universities have done, require activity fees. Probably not a popular solution, however, as stated in the article the reduced fares for K-12 students add up.