Munoz warns Byrd-Bennett on school closings

The Tribune reports Brizard had trouble connecting with aldermen almost since he took the job. His avowed support of charter schools made some residents skeptical of his motives, a situation Ald. Ricardo Munoz said Byrd-Bennett can avoid by seeking true collaboration on the politically sensitive question of which schools to close.

“As I’m sure (Byrd-Bennett) realizes, she has to have buy-in. With well over 30 members of the City Council signing a letter calling for hearings on school closings, she needs to be very careful that it’s not seen as an attempt to destabilize public schools and replace them with charters,” said Munoz, 22nd. “Part of Brizard’s problem was that there was a direct correlation between his talk of school closings and his affinity for charters. There has to be a partnership and it has to be genuine.”