PSAT for 10-23-12: Why wait to vote on an elected school board in Chicago?
Early voting started yesterday and most Chicagoans have a special opportunity this fall to make our voices heard on the issue of an elected school board, thanks to the determined hard work of a group of Chicago Public School parents and others who collected thousands of signatures on petitions, enough to get a referendum on the ballot in about half of Chicago’s voting precincts in 35 of the 50 wards.Communities Organized for Democracy in Education (CODE), of which PURE is a member, will sponsor a forum on the issue tonight at 7 pm at the Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N. Kedzie featuring Karen Lewis, Ben Joravsky, and Paul Lipman of UIC and Teachers for Social Justice (CPS and DFER were invited but declined to participate). This forum will also be broadcast live on CAN-TV 27.
Please read Curtis Black’s excellent report on the issue, including details of a recent public forum hosted by State Rep LeShawn Ford, who will host a similar forum Monday, October 29 at 6 p.m. at Carey AME Church, 1448 S. Homan.
A Chicago Tribune poll taken during the 2011 mayoral election showed 77% of Chicagoans in favor of an elected school board, with only 17% favoring mayoral appointment of the board.
As a 501c3 organization, PURE cannot advise you how to vote on any specific referendum, but we are pretty sure that you know what to do. Why wait?