Historical Advice to the Chicago Board of Education  

For those youngsters out there, you will not remember Casimir "Casey" Banas, whose four decades of reporting on schools for the Chicago Tribune made him one of the city's best known and most respected education writers who died  too soon at age 64 in 2001.

Casey always knew what he was talking about as it related to education and did not mind talking about it no matter who took the brunt of his incisive reporting.  And because I was an admirer and avid supporter of most of Casey’s views on education, I always “clipped” articles  written by Casey.  And then I ran across this May 1980 article about the Chicago Board of Education that could have been written today. 

Casey outlined a plan which was then directed to the new Board of Education, which had just been appointed by the new Mayor Jane Byrne.  Historians will rate the Mayor and her new Board of Education, but Banas began by indicating that since only two of the board members had a good working knowledge of the school system, he was offering the following advice:

     "Find veteran school observers not employed in the school system to give you a  

      thorough grounding in the issues".

      "Appoint a search committee to submit a slate of candidates for school superintendent". 

Thanks to the Illinois legislature and its “Mayoral  control legislation”, we no longer have a school superintendent (one that has to pass the Illinois State Board  of Education’s (ISBE) tests and meet other criteria), but a CEO that does not have to meet any  criteria other than political ones that the Mayor dictates.  BBB has educational credentials, but never went through ISBE's credentialing. Three of her four most recent  predecessors had no educational credentials, including Arne Duncan, now SOEOTUS.

 "After you get a feel for the schools….have some extensive discussions about what makes a good
  school".

"The greatest need is to improve the education of black children from poverty-level  families.  Discuss
this issue at length.  If you do, even one thoughtful debate on the question will be a first"        

"Chicago receives $55 million a year in federal funds for compensatory programs to elevate the education of children of the poor ....Demand a thorough accounting of how this money is used".
It will take a budget analyst to understand the formula that determines how much is allocated for compensatory education in 2013. And it will take an investigation to determine if the funds actually get to the children of the poor.  

"Parents throughout the city are frustrated and angry because they believe the school system does not respond to their needs".  
We protest and march in 2013 for the same reason, this time on steroids.

"There are many excellent teachers, principals, administrators, and other employees.  There also are many who perhaps should be fired.  The process of firing a teacher is cumbersome.  It is also difficult, at times, to evaluate their wor:k". 
We know how to evaluate their work now. We just use student test scores that negatively correlate with poverty.

Casey ends his column with  hope. "Finally, realize that you have a city looking at you for leadership to turn this school system around.” 
Nothing has changed so the parents, educators and other right thinking individuals have decided to take things into their own hands, realizing that the Board will not provide the leadership Casey indicated. Now we have to have Civil Rights marches all over the city to bring attention to the the plight of children of the poor. Together with the Chicago Teachers Union on May 18, 19 and 20,  we are marching across the city. We will continue contacting our legislators to ask for intervention on behalf of the children of the poor. And we are going to keep talking about the inequities and injustices against children of the poor through 2013 media outlets. Perhaps after 33 years we will see some move toward equality.