UPDATE: Rahm undermines BBB's school-closing commission + Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Battle in Seattle

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Battle in Seattle:

Rahm undermines BBB's school-closing commission

by Mike Klonsky

Is Rahm really flipping off BBB's own hand-picked School Utilization Commission, led by former ComEd boss Frank Clark, which recommended keeping hands off of high schools when it comes to school closings? If he is it won't be the first time he's dissed the hired help. Remember his hand-picked arbitrator during the teachers strike who recommended a 15-20% pay raise for teachers?

Clark's commission wants as few as 15 schools closed instead of the 200 being pushed by the Civic Committee. Commission members reportedly feel that CPS is"incapable and doesn't have the capacity to close 100-plus schools."

Rahm is also undermining Byrd-Bennett in the process. I knew he would. Didn't everyone expect this when she took the job?

According to the Tribune:

"The commission has provided a reality check that gives Barbara Byrd-Bennett a credible basis to push back against those that may be calling for massive closings," said a source with ties to the 

The Battle in Seattle

by Mike Klonsky

SEA. members  use phone bank to build support for Garfield teachers.

The courageous action taken by teachers at Seattle's Garfield High School has won growing support and admiration, not only from the city's teachers, parents and students, but from teachers nationwide. Their announced refusal on January 10th to administer the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), a poorly-constructed, high-stakes, standardized test, has once again brought national attention to disastrous testing-madness policies being pushed and enforced for the past 12 years under No Child Left Behind and Race To The