'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm

Rahm takes the low road once more. This time on so-called "parent involvement".

 He cuts a deal with Walgreen Co. CEO Greg Wasson to offer CPS parents gift cards loaded with 25,000 ”customer loyalty” points (worth $25) for attending report card pick up yesterday.

Rahm claims he got the gift card idea during one of his morning workouts:

'That’s what happens when I start swimming. I start coming up with ideas.' 

On previous swims, the mayor came up with the bonuses for his fave principals for their already-high test scores; bribes to schools that "voluntarily" acquiesced to his longer school day scheme; two failed teacher "merit pay" experiments; his rent-a-protester scheme; and so it goes. On Rahm's march to corporate-style "reform", everyone has their price and the price is cheap.

“This is a way, in my view, of incentivizing responsible parenting,” Emanuel told a news conference.

PURE's Julie Woestehoff sent Rahm this fax message in response:

Mayor, you say that this would “incentivize responsible parenting.” Let me ask you – do you need such an “incentive” to participate in and support your own children’s education? Surely not. Then what makes you think CPS parents need it?

P.U.R.E

Walgreen has long been an anti-union company as well as enemy of fair and adequate school funding and I remember picketing with other parents at their downtown store back in '93 at a protest organized by school reform groups.