ED 100 FINAL

docx

School

University of Illinois, Chicago *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

100

Subject

Sociology

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by CorporalNewt4145

The Impacts of Chicago Public Schools Closing Tanya Martinez ED 100 Final Paper Professor: Dr. Gregory V. Larnell

The public education system is one of the nation’s most evolving accomplishments. However, the development of public education has been a complicated one throughout history. Public education are school institutions that are funded by local, state or federal government. Despite that public education is accessible for all students, there are still disparities between public schools. For example, in Chicago, many public schools were being closed down due to poor academic performance. The schools that were chosen to be closed down were in low- income neighborhoods in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is responsible for closing down schools. Therefore, this paper will focus on how CPS closing their schools has affected hundreds of students and their communities. In addition, to recognize the efforts of communities that tried preventing CPS closing down schools. In 2004, Chicago begun their process of closing 60 to 70 public schools; their goal was to open 100 new charter schools by 2010 (Lipman 7). The idea here was too close “failing schools” and create more effective ones such as charter, performance, and military schools. While this was a positive thing for the Chicago market, it actually was hurting students and the communities around them. The author Lipman argues that this plan actually destabilizes communities, increases gentrification, and it harms low-income students. Schools in African American communities were mainly targeted because of low achievement performance. In Latino communities, CPS closed schools due to low enrollment. All of the schools that were closed down in minority neighborhoods were replaced by charter schools. This impact exposes Black and Latino students to danger and violence because they are required to commute to a school that is outside their neighborhood. Majority of these students are constantly being transferred to different schools from one low performing school to another. This demonstrates

the disparities between schools in Chicago. Instead of CPS trying to come up with a solution to help these low-performing schools, they are actually failing the system and their students by closing them down. Not only were students being affected, but also African American teachers. According to Lipman, more than 2,000 African American teachers and over 100 principles lost their jobs. This evidence demonstrates that CPS is a racialized system because we do not see schools in white neighborhoods closing down. Although CPS’s goal was to close down schools that were low performing, closing down schools actually caused a negative impact on reading and math achievement the year of the announcement (Gwynne & Torre 21). Therefore, lower achievement was caused by the disruption of the announcement of CPS schools closing. As a consequence, school staff, parents and community leaders decided to protest against CPS. They felt that students were being forced to relocate to a new school. Teachers were frustrated because they had to look for employment somewhere else. As a result, majority of students lost interest in learning after finding out that their schools were closing. In my personal experience, I believe that the CPS system has to reconsider their strategies on funding public schools. In my academic journey, I attended in a CPS elementary school and high school. As I was growing up in elementary school, classrooms were always crammed up. At some point in elementary school, I was in a classroom that had a half of first graders and the other half were second graders. For a long time, I did not think anything of it until now. The elementary school I went to is called Jane Addams, and it is predominantly a Latino school. If we look at that situation now, then we can see that CPS either did not have enough staff or not enough funding for more classrooms. Regardless of the reason, a crammed

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

classroom is not an effective learning environment for students. In addition, it makes teacher’s jobs harder because they are not able to give their full attention to students individually. This prevents teachers forming relationships with their students, which is necessary for a student to understand the material. It was previously mentioned that CPS is based on a racialized system, and it seems that CPS only benefits schools who are in white neighborhoods. In my opinion, I think that CPS typically hurt the schools in low-income neighborhoods when they need the most funding, and support. As I mentioned, Jane Addams is a school that is in a Latino neighborhood. Therefore, majority of the parents of these students do not speak English, only Spanish. Despite of the circumstances, Jane Addams was required to let go of some teachers due to inefficient funding. The teachers that were let go were teachers that were bilingual. How could a school of fully Latino students let go of Spanish speaking teachers? Why were teachers of color fired but white teachers were allowed to stay? There are many students who also do not speak English, and teacher who is not bilingual cannot really help these students achieve academically. CPS need to accommodate their resources for their students with different cultural background. In conclusion, the Chicago Public School system is broken, and this impacts students and their communities negatively. Chicago has a lot of poverty neighbors and in these neighborhoods, their schools are often neglected because of low-performance rates. However, what is causing students to perform poorly in thesse3 schools? Many of these students come from poor homes, and do not receive the academic support from their families because they are uneducated as well. Therefore, it is important to fund books, events, programs, to help these students become successful. However, they were overlooked and eventually their

schools are being closed. If CPS do not have positive visions for all of their students, then of course not all students will have the same confidence to succeed.

Bibliography Lipman, P. (2011). Contesting the city: neoliberal urbanism and the cultural politics of education reform in Chicago. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education , 32 (2), 217–234. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2011.562667 De, M., & Gwynne, J. (2009). When schools close : effects on displaced students in Chicago public schools . Consortium On Chicago School Research At The University Of Chicago.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Related Documents

Wk3_Assgn_DiToto_A.docx

WK3Assgn_DiToto_A.docx

Explain why social workers should understand the role policy plays in determining the environment in

Anecdotal and Running Record Assignment (1).docx

Week3Assgn_Graham_Breana.docx

EXAM 1 Theory of SOC.pdf

ZavalaE1.pdf

SOCW6301.docx

ED 100 Reflection 5.docx

3.02 Public Policy .pdf

IDS400 4-2 Activity_ Critical Analysis_ Reimagine.docx

Self-Reflection on Teacher in Charge-4.docx

Recommended textbooks for you

Social Psychology (10th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134641287

Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers

Publisher:Pearson College Div

Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780393639407

Author:Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum

Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company

The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis...

Sociology

ISBN:9781305503076

Author:Earl R. Babbie

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Scien...

Sociology

ISBN:9780134477596

Author:Saferstein, Richard

Publisher:PEARSON

Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134205571

Author:James M. Henslin

Publisher:PEARSON

Society: The Basics (14th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134206325

Author:John J. Macionis

Publisher:PEARSON

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Social Psychology (10th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134641287
Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:Pearson College Div
Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780393639407
Author:Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis...
Sociology
ISBN:9781305503076
Author:Earl R. Babbie
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Scien...
Sociology
ISBN:9780134477596
Author:Saferstein, Richard
Publisher:PEARSON
Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134205571
Author:James M. Henslin
Publisher:PEARSON
Society: The Basics (14th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134206325
Author:John J. Macionis
Publisher:PEARSON