Whittier parents close to victory
reports on the latest developments in a parents' occupation at an elementary school in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.
October 27, 2010
AFTER MORE than a month of occupying a field house at Whittier Elementary School, a group of mothers in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood believe that they are close to winning their demands.
On October 20, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Ron Huberman met with the parents and said that the field house--known to the community as "La Casita" (Little House)--would not be demolished, that a library would be built in the main building of the school, and that the field house would be leased as a community center for $1 a year. The school board is supposed to decide on whether to approve the agreement on October 27.
The mothers--who have been living in the field house since September 15, winning the support of the community as they stood up to attempts to evict them and shut off the heat--say that they aren't leaving until they are certain their demands will be met.
Their determination isn't surprising considering the tremendous struggle they have