CPS School Closings Aftermath

Photo By: Gretta Patrick

I’ve lived in Chicago for almost two years, and I haven’t visited any Chicago Public Schools (CPS). In addition to my lack of experience with CPS, I barely follow local news that pertains to education. This being said, I’ve learned a lot about CPS by contributing to this issue of Loyola Mosaic magazine:

My hometown is located about 165 miles West of Chicago. Public schools in the Quad Cities face typical statewide issues of budget cuts and standardized testing scores.

Throughout high school, I studied diligently for various advanced classes, and competed with other students for a spot in the top 2% of my graduating class. I played varsity tennis, and acquired leadership roles in extracurricular activities. I devoted my free time to community service, and volunteered at a local hospital. I never had to worry about my commute, because my parents always made sure I had a ride to wherever I was going. My neighborhood was very safe, and my only stresses were related to academics. I’m very thankful that I received my high school education under these privileged circumstances.

However, my perception of public schooling is far different from the reality of many Chicago students.

In 2013, CPS had shut down 50 schools, requiring nearly 11,000 students to transition into new settings. Chicago Sun-Times reports that most CPS students whose schools closed switched to better schools.

In my opinion, this news is both good and bad.

Unfortunately, funding public education is not our country’s first priority. From the perspective of the Chicago Board of Education, maybe closing schools was a decent response to budget deficits. (I personally do not agree with their decision, because closing schools takes a serious toll on the communities that surround them, etc.)

On the other hand, if I were a parent, I’d be concerned to say the least. According to studies conducted by the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School, the following research was conducted:

- Proximity to home was the deciding factor in parents’ enrollment decisions.

- Only 21% of displaced CPS students ended up at schools with the district’s top rating.

- Parents defined academic quality as having after-school programs, certain curricula and courses, small class sizes, positive and welcoming school environments, and/or one-on-one attention from teachers in classes.

Even though CPS chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett says incidents of misconduct are down, and grades are up, one of my greatest concerns is the students’ safety on their daily commute.

I’m currently designing the layout for this issue’s “Unconditional Love” profile – reading the article really brought my attention to the relentless circumstances of young Chicago students. If Safe Passage Routes are effective, and crime rates exponentially decline, I think CPS’ recent decisions can provide a brighter future for their students. So far, the very short-term statistics seem to be advantageous. However, I do not have any experience with CPS, so my opinions are very much limited here.