Julie at PURE writes:
But it is of critical importance to acknowledge that Mayor Daley's Renaissance 2010 program is a significant contributing factor to the increase in violence at Fenger and other affected schools. R2010 has radically destabilized already fragile communities by closing schools – often the only major community institution in some neighborhoods -- and by firing long-time teachers and staff and pushing students out and across gang territory to unfamiliar surroundings.Also, see comment from Artis, below.
While the Tribune alluded to this reality by mentioning that CPS made nearby Carver High School into a closed-enrollment military school, you failed to add that Fenger also receives students from Englewood and Calumet High Schools, which are no longer regular neighborhood schools thanks to R2010, or that Fenger is in its first year of CPS-run turnaround under R2010, meaning that nearly all of its staff was fired and replaced this past summer.
Previous SmallTalk blog posts on school violence:
More from my old Yahoo 360 blog:
Violence Epidemic 5/8/08
I TOTALLY AGREE. AS ONE OF THE DISPLACED FACULTY MEMBERS FROM FENGER H.S. I SPECIFICALLY TOLD THEM AFTER I HAD TO RE-INTERVIEW FOR MY JOB THAT AS A COUNSELOR, THERE NEEDS TO BE PUT IN PLACE A CRISIS INTERVENTION PLAN AND AN ON GOING PEER CULTURE DEVELOPEMENT PROGRAM IMMEDIATELY..AND PUT INTO PRACTICE AT THAT SCHOOL IF THEY TRULY CARE ABOUT THE STUDENTS AT FENGER. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A TREMENDOUS IDEA, BUT THEY NEVER TOOK ME UP ON IT. INSTEAD, THEY ELECTED TO SAVE MONEY IN LIEU OF CHILDRENS LIVES AS WELL AS THEIR EDUCATION. AS AN EXPERIENCED "CRISIS INTERVENTION COUNSELOR" I KNOW I COULD HAVE CONTINUED TO ASSIST MANY OF THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE AT FENGER H.S. I HAD ESTABLISHED TREMENDOUS RAPPORT WITH THE STUDENTS AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY. IT'S ALL ABOUT SAVING DOLLARS FOR C.P.S. AND MAYOR DALEY. THEY COULD CARE LESS WHAT HAPPENS TO SCHOOL CHILDREN. EDUCATION IS NOT A PRIORITY. IT'S ONLY ABOUT BUDGETS.
ReplyDeleteEVERY DAY YOU HEAR MORE BAD THINGS COMING OUT OF FENGER H.S. IT'S WORSE NOW THAN EVER BEFORE. THE CHILDREN HAVE NO CONTINUITY ANYMORE. NO STABILITY. THEY HAVE NO ONE TO CONFIDE IN NOR TALK TO. I HOPE DALEY AND C.P.S. REALIZE THAT THEY HAVE A MAJOR HAND IN CREATING THIS MESS. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU BRING IN INEXPERIENCED, AND IN SOME CASES..NOT EVEN DEGREED (SUPPOSEDLY) TEACHERS WHO DON'T HAVE ANY CLUE WHAT THEY ARE UP AGAINST. "FOR THE MANY STUDENTS AT FENGER AND THE PARENTS, ALL OF WHOM I ESTABLISHED A SOLID FOUNDATION WITH, I AM SO SORRY OF THE GRIEF AND TERROR YOU MUST CONTEND WITH. I AM SORRY I AM NOT THERE TO HELP YOU THROUGH THIS. DAILY, I THINK OF YOU AND PRAY THAT YOU RISE ABOVE THIS TOTAL MESS THAT C.P.S. AND THE MAYOR HAVE JUMP-STARTED AND CREATED." I HOPE THIS DOES NOT FALL ON DEAF EARS ! THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
MR. GERALD L. ARENA
FORMER COUNSELOR AND FORMER DEPT. CHAIR OF COUNSELING : FENGER HIGH SCHOOL 10-23-2009,