Why Ames should stay a neighborhood school and why we haven't given up.
January 24, 2014
Contact: Joanna Brown, Save Ames Commttee, 773-744-1655
Press release: Referendum campaign starts Saturday at Ames.
Come and find out why Ames should stay a neighborhood school and why we haven't given up.
The Save Ames Commttee will start its door-to-door campaign to -show voter support for a community -based Ames School Saturday, January 25, 2014 at 10:00 am, starting from Ames School, 1920 N. Hamlin, Room 105. The campaign will continue through the March 18 election.
Supporters from Ames school, Logan Square Neighborhood Association and other allies will begin voter education and registration door-to-door to let neighbors know that the Save Ames referendum will be on the ballot March 18 in the 8 precincts surrounding Ames School.
The committee believes that the Chicago Board of Education members who voted to close Ames Middle School and use it for a 7-12 grade Marine Military Academy did not understand the depth of community anger against the military coup.
In November Ames parents presented to the CPS Board a two-foot high stack of signatures as proof of enormous community support for Ames community school : including 2400 original petition signatures, a 95% pro-Ames vote by 800 parents; and a door-to-door survey around Ames where 87% of residents did not want the military academy. But CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett told the board December 18 that signatures needed to be verified, thus implying that they should not be considered. Board members who voted to give Ames to the Marines stated they couldn't tell which side the community was on!
For more information on the SAVE AMES campaign contact Maria Trejo, 773-534-4970 (room 105) and Leticia Barrera 773-727-9941.