On Jan. 26, the Board of Education for the City of Chicago will vote on a proposal to open a new magnet school on the Near West Side at the site of the former Jefferson Elementary School. I previously wrote when the proposal before the board was to expand Andrew Jackson Language Academy at this same location with an estimated cost of $5 million. [Community left out of school inequity issue, Nov. 17, 2010]. That proposal was withdrawn from the board’s agenda in November.

The new proposal is to open a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) magnet school in the Jefferson building. The new magnet school would open in the fall of 2011 as a K-3 elementary school and eventually grow to become a K-8 school. The school will not be affiliated with Andrew Jackson, but it will follow existing magnet school admission rules and give preference to neighborhood students for up to 40 percent of the slots. The remaining 60 percent will be available to students citywide.

Questions remain about this proposal. A Chicago Public Schools representative stated that the building renovations, including required Americans with Disabilities Act improvements, would total approximately $3 million. This same representative, however, could not identify the source of the funding.

What is clear is that CPS has not come up with, and our current alderman has not advocated for, a comprehensive plan to support all of the families in this ward and all of the schools in our neighborhoods. At a meeting on this proposal, there was a reference to a “commitment” to the neighborhood school in this area. No details were provided as to the scope, timing or cost of the “commitment.” As I said in my public remarks at the meeting, a commitment from CPS can often take more than a decade to fulfill.

The alderman has failed in carrying out his duty to represent all families and all communities in the ward. The solution to this failure, however, is not to block the proposal for the new school. This school is a good proposal, and it will serve many students well. If the school successfully achieves magnet principles, it will be ethnically and socioeconomically diverse. To block the proposal would only hold hostage the needs of the children who will be served by the new school for the needs of children not effectively served by CPS.

Education should not be a wedge issue. It should unite us rather than divide us. All the parents to whom I have spoken want a quality education for their children. As alderman for the 2nd Ward, I will make it a priority to fight for all our families and all our communities.

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By Grandma from Douglas
Posted: 02/21/2011 0:53 AM

The State Street corridor is in the 3rd ward in my community. I remember an Asian female a few years back that wrote an article about the depopulation of CHA down the state street corridor, as if she wanted them back. There are many Asian owned businesses in this region. I believe the mixed income community down State Street is a much better environment. I certainly do not miss the shooting that went on. The management of these new housing developments seem to screen their tenants.

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By where are the CPS watchdogs????? from 2nd ward
Posted: 02/20/2011 4:29 PM

The question was recently asked by some: What role if any did Clout Queen Genita Robinson play in implementing the Mid South Project while at CPS. The Mid South Project can best be thought of as the evil twin of Renaissance 2010. It was a deliberate and calculated attempt to depopulate the schools along the State Street corridor that CPS carried out in conjuction with the CHA's Plan for Transformation over the last decade. We can see the results - broken families & forced gentrification.

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By Don't Vote for Genita from West Haven Voter
Posted: 02/20/2011 4:14 PM

Genita Recap: Oppossed the reopening of Jefferson - with good reason - she helped close it when she was a high paid CPS bureaucrat. Oversaw the closing of countless CPS schools across the city. Knew about but never said anything about the "Clout List" that CPS kept - Allowed students whose parents had clout to get into the good CPS schools - those with no clout could not get in - Recently listed on the Suntimes "Shame List" because she took money from corrupt sources. Anybody but Genita!

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By Ken Gaines from West Loop
Posted: 02/03/2011 3:54 PM

As a teacher I am totally impressed with Alderman Fioretti's excellent stance on education. There is no secret he and his staff works tirelessly on these issues. Genita, on the other hand, is typical of thoise who use rhetoric and not reality. Where has she been? Oh I guess she is too busy with DC fundraisers to care about the 2nd ward.

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By Genita C. Robinson from 2nd Ward
Posted: 01/21/2011 4:19 PM

Yes, when I worked at the Chicago Public Schools, I closed schools that were not serving students well. I also developed a program to provide additional supports to the schools that received students from closed schools.

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By Informed Voter from South Loop
Posted: 01/20/2011 11:54 AM

Is the Chicago Journal covering the 2nd Ward Aldermanic race? There is a 2nd ward candidates forum being held by the Supportive Housing Providers Association at 1521 S. Wabash from 6:30-8:30 pm tonight January 20. If the Chicago Journal is not going to provide any info about the candidates, at least tell us where we can go to meet and get to know them. please

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By Armando Chacon from West Loop
Posted: 01/20/2011 10:57 AM

Genita, The one playing politics is you. This is a clear and bad attempt to boost your campaign. Getting to where we are with this school has been a long, grass roots, community based effort. This is a community that has been underserved for many years. The goal is to keep families in the community want to stay. Alderman Fioretti and Alderman Solis simply responded to the call to act on behalf of their constituents. We don't have another decade for a comprensive plan. We need this school now.

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By Reena from Near West Side
Posted: 01/20/2011 7:59 AM

Where has this person been? Alderman Bob Fioretti has been involved with each of our schools for over 4 years. She talks about fighting for "all" our schools, and "all" our communities if she becomes alderman. Which are those? Sounds like empty generic campaign promises. Fioretti and Danny Solis of the 25th are proposing the new Jefferson STEM ES because they listen to their constiuents needs.

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By teacher, member of CTU from West loop
Posted: 01/19/2011 10:30 PM

Ms Robinson talks about the lack of a comprehensive plan for education in the 2nd Ward. She certainly had one as one of Arne Duncan's senior staff members when they closed Jefferson and Gladstone. These closures led to community instability, larger student-teacher ratios and increased student mobility, all of which she knows decreases student performance. So if you add it up... she 'comprehensively" helped create some of Smyth's long term challenges. Somewhat hypocritical of her to fault Bob F.