from the Southtown: Authored by William Lee
Frustrated Mount Greenwood School parents packed a meeting to vent their frustration at the news that some special education students would be moved to a Morgan Park elementary school to alleviate overcrowding at Mount Greenwood.
The crowd of nearly 100 parents met with Chicago Public School officials and Ald. Ginger Rugai (19th) Wednesday at the Mount Greenwood Park fieldhouse, 3721 W. 111th St., to discuss the plan that would move special education students to two other schools.
In light of a surge of new applicants for the 2009-2010 school year, some parents recently received letters that their children would be bused elsewhere.
The parents of autistic children were told their children would be transferred to Clissold School in Beverly, which has a similar program. The parents of children with Down Syndrome and other developmental disabilities were told their children would be sent to Esmond School, 1865 W. Montvale Ave., which CPS officials say is the only area school with adequate space.
None of the nearby public schools had proper space to take in new special education students, said Jawanda Hairston, a senior manager with CPS' office of specialized services. While the transfer plan was not a done deal, it was a "frontrunner," Hairston said.
The plan caused a furor among parents, who were either disliked the idea of busing their children out of the neighborhood or were concerned about the safety at Esmond.
"My biggest frustration is that nobody asked me anything," said Nancy Cranston, whose 9-year-old son Danny has Down Syndrome and attends Mount Greenwood. Cranston echoed many parents' comments saying they felt a strong sense of community.
Katie Kettering, who helped arrange the meeting with several other mothers, said safety for her son Charlie was her biggest concern.
"I know that when he's here, he's going to be watched over," Kettering said. "The older kids will make sure he won't go off by himself. His safety is a huge issue," she said.
Rugai said she understood parents' concern over the move, saying that while she'd witnessed positive changes at Esmond, that it sat in "the most volatile section of our community."
Rugai said she would fight to keep the students at the school and was open to other options such as converting other spaces into classrooms or even stopping Mount Greenwood's preschool classes.
The fight to stay at Mount Greenwood could also reignite tensions over student residency - a hot-button topic in the community - or increase demands to close open enrollment, as some parents did at the meeting.
66 comments:
The Cranston, Kettering, and many other faceless families need our support! Maybe this issue doesn't apply to you now, but maybe one day it will be a niece,nephew, cousin, grandchild, etc. 60655 can we take care of our own, PLEASE. This one we need to act on, not bitch about, someone give us some ideas where to start.
Can someone explain what open enrollment means?
Ok, first, they cannot stay at Mt Greenwood School as they are violating the ( not sure of the spelling, just heard it at the meeting) Cory H Laws which restrict the amount of speical ed student to a classroom and school. Killing off the much needed pre school prgram will only give one classroom and this will problbaly happen the following year if enrollemnt increases. Stillnot enough room to keep the speical program. One teacher spoke and said classrooms of 40+ are unmanageable and will become the norm unless these programs are moved. SO Mt Greenwood School is out. Ginger can protest all she wants but they will be moved. Maybe the TIF money going to the Mayors Olympic dream should go to building another school. So where to move to? Right now Esmond has the only space in the 19th ward. Parents were upset over this school as they felt it was unsafe and not up to the right performance standards. Only 2 of the students being moved are from the Mt Greenwood attendance area. The rest are from Beverly and further out east. Mobiles were discussed but after talking to the surrounding neighbors at MtGreenwood School, the neighbors will fight the mobile trailers. I found it interesting that The alderman( according to the meeting) was told in the summer of 08 of the overcrowding and that a solution was needed. Now when her Beverly people will be displaced, she only tries to jump in and help. So these children will be moved but to what school is still uncertain. It was suggested to open Keller as a reg neighborhood school to alleve the overcrowding.
Rugai is in favor of stopping Mt. Greenwoods preschool program. I never really cared for Ginger but she must be out of her mind. Preschool is important. Maybe just maybe if Ginger had been paying attention to the area schools for the past 12 years instead of being a do nothing alderman this wouldnt be a problem. The school is crowded because it is an excellant school that seves the communitty well. Eliminating preschool does not serve the communitty. I wouldn't mind seeing some mobile classrooms set up. Maybe Ginger can get some of the teachers restored that were cut at the begining of this school year to help out. Or bring back some of the after school programs that were cut. The school is succeding because of the hard work of the principal and teachers who do a great job without the support of the city of chicago administration. Maybe Ginger should wake up and help the school become more of an asset to the communitty instead of stupid proposals to cut vital programs.
Its about time the people that live in this neighborhood start getting involved. It's amazing to me that we have a perfectly good High School sitting at 111th & Pulaski but a RESIDENT can't get into it but they will have you believe that the students taht are being bused into it are magnet students????? I can remember when my daughter was a sophmore at Queen of Peace, due tocertain unforseen circumstances she was forced to attend Morgan park H.S. even though we lived within 10 blocks of the Agg. School, weweretold taht "our neighborhood" school was Morgan Park. WTF???? The Alderman was useless, soget TOUGH!!!!
Throughout history, millions of people have left their places of birth and immigrated to America. Not because they didn’t love their homes or families, they did this to escape poverty, tyranny, religious and political persecution, and an opportunity to work hard and make a better life for themselves and their families. They came here in search of the American dream.
Likewise, when people decide to relocate and move their families into specific communities in America, there are many different factors that help them decide where to call home. This is usually decided first and foremost by the safety of those neighborhoods. After that, the churches and schools that these neighborhoods have to offer their families are a big part of this decision process. Of course home prices and our individual economic situations will also dictate where we live, but most people will work extra jobs, more hours, do without certain luxuries, and do whatever it takes to raise their families in these kinds of communities. And that is what has brought many of us to this neighborhood.
To eliminate the Special-Ed program at Mount Greenwood School is an absolute atrocity and every effort, and I mean EVERY effort should be made to stop this from happening. If it means building another school, building an addition, installing mobile units, acquiring another building, or even cutting back or eliminating the busing in of out of area children to Mount Greenwood School, so be it. To take our special needs children out of this school and put them on a bus to Morgan Park, Clissold, Esmond, or anywhere else other than where these children feel safe, secure and cared for, is nothing short of flat out evil! We should all be outraged and disgusted this would even be considered. These children need and deserve every opportunity we can offer them to live as normal a life as possible in this increasingly difficult world we all have to live in today. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for families with special needs children already, why would anyone do anything to disrupt these children and their family’s lives any further? We can’t turn our backs on any child, least of all those with special needs. These children need our help, and they need it NOW!
The political process is broken here in Illinois, and even worse yet in the City of Chicago. These phony politicians that are supposed to be representing us come around at election time ringing our doorbells, full of empty promises and smiles when they need our votes. But these same frauds that kiss our babies during their campaign, will then turn around 180 degrees and throw them straight under the wheels of the bus after they get elected. How much longer will we allow these political hacks to treat us all like a bunch of “Village Idiots?” We put these scumbags into office and they work for US, we don’t work for them, but you’d never know it by the way they treat us. I know the politicians have forgotten this, but have we?
Like most of us, God granted my wife and I with healthy children, but just because we were graced with this great gift, doesn’t mean we should turn a blind eye to the needs of our less fortunate neighbors. In my personal opinion, we all have a moral obligation to help these people out and make as much noise as we have to as a community to assist them. They simply don’t have the numbers to get any recognition from our elected officials by themselves, but collectively we do. And without our support, these heartless politicians will abandon these kids and this travesty will become a harsh reality with the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.
The way I see it, we have but two choices here. One is to whine and moan about it and let it fall on deaf ears like we always have in the past, the other is to take action. I’m talking about swift, constant and relentless action against our politicians. Make them listen to us. Ring the phones off their walls, run their fax machines out of paper, jam up their e-mail in boxes, go to their offices and DEMAND that they leave our children and this successful Special-Ed program alone. And it is in fact, a “highly successful” program, maybe that’s why it’s being cut. Perhaps these fine teachers have set the bar too high for the rest of the CPS, and they don’t want to have to explain how the teachers at Mount Greenwood School are managing to succeed, while most of the other CPS programs are not.
Get involved, make a ruckus, don’t take NO for an answer, DEMAND that they listen to the voice of the people and remind our politicians who they work for. If anyone else has some other ideas, by all means please speak up and let’s work together on this important issue. Nothing should take precedence over the welfare of our children. Ask the Ward Office for CPS Supt. Ron Huberman and Mayor Daley’s contact information and call, fax and write them too. Here’s a little help to get started with that:
Ginger Rugai
19th Ward Alderman
10444 S. Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60643
(773) 238-8766
(773) 238-9049 Fax
vrugai@cityofchicago.org
Dan Lipinski
Congressman
5205 W. 95th Street
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
(708) 424-0853
(708) 424-1855 Fax
dan.lipinski@mail.house.gov
Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(312) 353-4952 (Chicago office)
durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Roland Burris
U.S. Senator
387 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2854
burris.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
What a shame! Neighborhood kids should not be bussed out of their home school. The Special Education Children have rights! If I was the parent I would raise hell!!!!!!!!!
Adding Keller and the Ag school as area schools is the way we need can go. Keller students are bussed in from across the region - find them a magnet school in their own neighborhoods. Same for the Ag. Only 75 students each year come from the 60655 area are allowed into the Ag. that is a darn shame. With the rising costs of everything a lot of people are pulling away from the private schools because they just can't afford it any longer. The problem is they are now putting their kids in classroom of 35+ - I would turn off the cable and cell phone before I did that. How can any student learn in 35+ classrooms? If we add Keller as an alternative school in our community they could dedicate more classrooms to the special needs children.
how about using the Salvation Army building as it looks like its going to be turned into a homeless shelter or some other socialist free cheese give away blot on the community, Ginger should have seen this coming and been prepared,
spells like mt. greenwood school is going to have to go year round!
OT- Sorry to post this here as this issue with Mt. Greenwood is much more important but there is no place else to post this.
Kitten probably a few months old or maybe even older found last night on nightly walk near 105th & Central park the cat followed me home and was still on my porch this morning. Orange/rust colored tabby. very friendly & docile. please help me find the owner quick my kids are becoming attached and we don't need to keep another animal.
How could people oppose the trailers and send diabled kids miles away to attend a school where thier lives could be in danger.
Many new schools going up in "minority neighborhoods.." hell- in Chicago Lawn 55th St. Louis... kids got a new school about 7 yrs ago, now a new one going up right across the street..where's ours? ... Why cant our alderman fight for a new school here..for those of us in the neighborhood? ? if its a choice of cutting back sp. ed where kids can go to another school prepared to deal with it, or cutting back...?? we shouldnt have to cut....we pay enough taxes in 60655 to build many schools
Mt. Greenwood & Beverly need a new elementary school & the Agg/ School should be neighborhood first // OUR Alderman should be fighting for these things...they alternative should not be cutting ANY kids, but building new facilities..where's all this stimulus $$ going...it's about time 60655 got its fair share of new schools, streets, sewers, parks etc.....
what does closed open enrolement mean? my son should be going there next year.
I do not have a special needs child, but I completely feel for you; I wouldn't want my child (special needs or not) to be bused to another location. I like the idea of not having a preschool at Mt. Greenwood to keep the special needs children who live in the neighborhood to stay at Mt. Greenwood.
I'm also getting a little upset at some people who should be sending their children to Cassel and not Mt. Greenwood; because they live on the other side of 111th Street.
Cassell is a minority to majority school...from what I understand any mnority in the city has the option to say I want to go to Cassell and Cassell has to take them. Is this true? Stop bussing in and lift the overloading in the classrooms and this too would help with the space issues. Cassell is the perfect school for our special needs kids since it is a "ranch School" Or Cassell would be the perfect school to put an addition on and use up all that land that they have. Cassell is a forgotten school. It's here...it's over crowded too. Plus, the pricipal can't even get a new playground apprved for the kids. Has anyone see how aweful that playground is? I wouldn't let my child play there!
The squeaky wheel will always get the oil. We can bitch and moan to one another, but unless something is said to the people that matter, the people who can actually make the decisions, nothing will be done. We use other parts of the City as examples, but the reason they have all this stuff is because they get on buses to picket, they walk the streets, they let their voices be heard. We all need to remind the politicians that we are the tax payers and we are the voters. If they like their jobs, then maybe they should throw some oil once in a while at our squeaky wheel.
Maybe as a community we can put together a rally or a protest, or something like that. I believe that the children of this neighborhood should be able to attend schools in our neighborhood and not wait for a lottery because kids from other neighborhoods are being bused in. We should have our own high school just like Evergreen Park or Oak Lawn do for their residents. What choice do we have Morgan Park. Give me a break has anyone ever seen the movie Dangerous Minds? I don't have experience in putting together rallies, but if someone does, please step up and lets voice our opinion. Maybe infront of Rugai's office.
So keep the special needs programs at Mt Greenwood and have overcrowded classrooms of 40+? Not an option and is against the laws for Special Education. If there is no other room in the 19th ward besides Esmond, then where in the City? I live across the street from MtG Schol and will protest any mobiles. But just as it always is, Ginger will listen to the Beverly people and overcrowd each of our classrooms in Mount Greenwood. From what I got at the meeting is there is no room at Mount Greenwood. Why not take the program and its current teachers and move them to another CPS school not in the 19th Ward? the curriculum will continue if th teachers go with. Everyone with pre k aged children should call the alderman and let her know we need the pre k program in our neighborhood. If you have children in Mount Greenwood School let her know 40+ in a classroom is not acceptable.
Kitten probably a few months old or maybe even older found last night on nightly walk near 105th & Central park...
-- I live on 109th block of Hamlin. My neighbor down the street feeds all the stray cats EVERY NIGHT. It's ridiculous! She puts food on her porch. Therefore, I wouldn't worry too much about the kitten.
Why isn't the voice of the other parents of students being heard at Mount Greenwood? There ar over 700 of us who do not want our children's classrooms more crowded than they are now???????? Who speaks on our behalf?????? we are sorry that two of our neighborhood children will be moving to another school but did anyone ask us what we thought? No! This is because our local officials do not care what we feel unless it is election time. DO NOT knock on my door for your vote if you block this move and risk the education of over 700+ students.
Who arranged this meeting and why weren't the parents of current students informed about it?I have a child at Mt Greenwood and I was not aware of the meeting.
Thats why pubic school system is lame. Its like fighting city hall for everything, kinda hard when your white
Mary Hughes
Chairperson
Beverly Area Parents for Special Education
e-mail: faheyhughes@sbcglobal.net
Called for the meeting.
If only 2 students are from the mt Greenwood community then it is time to move the program. Ginger caters to her Beverly friends and does not care about overcrowding classrooms to accomidate them. Preschool is important and small clas size is important. Ginger needs to wake up and realize a neighborhood school is just that a nieghborhood school. The Lutheren church on 109& Trumbull is across the street from Mt. Greenwood school and has classrooms that could be used for either special ed or preschool & kindergarten the public schools rent school buildings from churches all over the city in wards where the alderman gives a damn.
Who arranged this meeting and why weren't the parents of current students informed about it?I have a child at Mt Greenwood and I was not aware of the meeting.
I got a flyer as I was dropping kids off last week by a parent 0not SCHOOL PERSONNEL) standing in the street handing them out, so if you droped off on the Christiana side, you couldn't miss them. Also, got an e mail from the principal, who seemed none too happy that someone was passing out fliers on school grounds (which they were not), but I think her message was, i'm already fighting the fight??? But I didn't agree with her saying we didn't need to show up at the meeting...if parents want to meet & discuss...then don't send us an e mail saying stay home, we have a voice too///
I don't have experience in putting together rallies, but if someone does, please step up and lets voice our opinion. Maybe infront of Rugai's office.
IT TAKES 2 THINGS: TIME & RESOLVE, DONT WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO RUN WITH THE BALL...
st xavier could also be a solution. They have education programs and they seem to buying all the vacant bulidings in the area. Could this be done as some sort of bridge program between cps and the university? Just thought I would throw this out there instead of trying to blame Ginger!
It's funny how Ginger doesn't worry about education or overcrowding schools. I bet if her husband's school was overcrowded when he was teaching, she would have voiced her concerns about it.
The Lutheran Church was looked at by CPS according to the meeting. it was not up to code. One of the many problems, no sprinklers. i think the ginger bashing is due to her knowing of the situation back in the summer of 08 and did not push for action as Mt Greenwood as a community is not a priority. Only when her Beverly people were upset did she jump in. They ( city council ) jumped right in to help Street Wise and at a quick pace but overcrowded schools in the 19th ward is not something that requires attention at just the same fast pace?????? So moving forward.....Esmond is the school they are going to unless parents of the these children find other schools themselves. Trailers were discussed at Mt Greenwood School by Ginger but I am sure she did not bother to ask the residents who would have to look at them day in and day out nor will she offer a solution on how to pay for them. Cassel would be a better option for mobile as their campus is much larger but I am sure the residents their would have an opinion as well on this.
Rugai said Esmond sits in "the most volatile section of our community." So where should she be every day every hour. Fixing part of her 19th ward. Are we not all God's children. If there is a real problem over there why are we not helping the 400+ kids that go to that school? What ever happened to fix the problem instead of ignore it. Everyone is jumping through hoops because parents in the Beverly area are screaming about a change. I wonder if my Esmond Families were made to move if anyone would fight for them? Doubt it. The move should be to pull our sleeves up and help Esmond and make it a school that all kids can go to.
yes in a perfect world fixing Esmond school would be the best option. However I already work a full time job (unlike many of the parents at Esmond) and you really cant help those that refuse to help themselves.
pre scool and kindergarten programs need to be given the proper space the nieghborhood school needs to provide for the nieghborhood. Ginger should of been working on this for over a year but she doesnt care until it affected a friend from Beverly.
OK, how can we in the Mount Greenwood area help Esmond? We did a pretty good job with our schools in our neighborhood, how can we help? Sounds like safety is a real concern. Heard that one student attacked an aide there and the principal is trying to blame the aide and get her fired. No actions taken against the student?????? Discipline and consequences for actions are not addressed at this school. Why can't we model Esmond on the same principles of one of our schools? It is hard to re enforce what was taught during the school day at home if the parents are not involved. Again, consequences for actions or lack of inaction is needed. Take a look at the corners on the off ramps on 111th and I57. Garbage everywhere, curbs crumbling and signs up for everything. Yes, this area of the 19th ward is neglected by our leaders just as the educational needs of our community are. If this was your part time employee, you would fire her. So instead of complaining, what can we do to help?
The CPS is always crying poor, why not stop busing completely and make neighborhood schools for those in the neighborhood. No busing every morning will decrease costs, cutting out hot breakfasts for the parents will reduce the costs, there are many things that can be done to reduce costs, then the savings can be applied to building new schools or renovating older buildings. When was the last time Mt. Greenwood got a new school built? The Ag school, which most of the kids in our neighborhood cannot utilize. Give the tax payers something for our money!!
k, first, they cannot stay at Mt Greenwood School as they are violating the ( not sure of the spelling, just heard it at the meeting) Cory H Laws which restrict the amount of speical ed student to a classroom and school.
___________________________________
Corey H is designed to keep a special ed student in the least restrictive environment...ie if your kid is SAY, dyslexic she should not be put in a self contained class to get the services federal law MANDATES. By the same measure if your child requires a contained classroom, she shouldn't be denied what federal law MANDATES.
To say this affects 2 neighborhood kids, what is the big deal shows the shortsightedness of many. How many kids before these 2 were bussed out of neighborhood? There are quite a few. Overcrowding can be dealt with in a few ways. 1. All schools have enrollment boundaries, where you live is where you go. If there are extra spots do a lotto. 2. Magnet schools were created to fill empty schools, etc. Change it to neighborhood schools. If you have spots after the neighborhood spots are filled, create a smaller magnet within a school. Don't overcrowd the general population, to save the few. QUIT VOTING FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS TO USE MAPQUEST TO FIND 11TH AND KEDZIE. IF YOU GOTTA VOTE FOR HER, THEN DON'T USE "2" SPECIAL ED KIDS AS YOUR SACRIFICIAL LAMBS. How about the parents in Esmond's boundaries fix their school and quit crowding my kids out? Not racist, not an elitist, just a realist.
Not to worry, I don't believe anyone will do anything about overcrowding in our schools. We will be left with 40 and over in each classroom. Special interest groups will use any means necessary to force all other students to be taught in disasterous condtions. There is no empathy for the other students in the schools in the 19th ward only special political interest groups. If only Daley would lift the residency rule and city employees can get a good education outside of the city. We the majority get no help again.
Mount Greenwood already has boundaries and follows them strictly.
_____________________________________
I see them crossing 11th street that is Cassell boundaries. Like my neighbor the teacher says she is sending her kid to MG next year (we live in Cassell) they call it a professional courtesy.
"Not to worry, I don't believe anyone will do anything about overcrowding in our schools. We will be left with 40 and over in each classroom. Special interest groups will use any means necessary to force all other students to be taught in disasterous condtions. There is no empathy for the other students in the schools in the 19th ward only special political interest groups."
I am confused, didn't know because my kid is special ed, I belong to a special politcal interest group.
Discipline and consequences for actions are not addressed at this school. Why can't we model Esmond on the same principles of one of our schools? WHICH PRINCIPLES? TO KEEP "NON RESIDENTS" OUT, SO WE CAN HAVE FAMILIES & STUDENDTS WHO ACTUALLY WANT TO LEARN AND HAVE AN ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN THEIR KIDS EDUCATION? TO BE BLUNT...NON MINORITY STUDENTS...??
I am confused, didn't know because my kid is special ed, I belong to a special politcal interest group.
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You are. Your situation was relolved but what about the many other students who face overcrowded classrooms? What will be done about them???? We are not being heard, we are in the wrong part of the 19th ward to get anything done about it.
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Professional courtesy????Political influence forced upon us.
Maybe the principal at Esmond could start to actual implement the UDC ( uniform discipline code ) and stop allowing children to hurt others. Stop bowing to families of these kids who were not taught right from wrong. Is there gang threats against the school staff if the accused child is held "accountable"? And yes, they should enforce residency. I thought Ginger hired someone to combat this in the 19th ward? A part of this is helping yourselves as well. Why has the school LSC allowed this to go on in the school? Maybe Ginger could go and spend the entire day there. LOL
sally building was good choice but now its a sec 8 free cheese socialist get the vote out for ginger home for shit bums,
can someone tell me what the "sally" building is? where is it? never heard of it!
It is not fair to say that only NON-MINORITY families are involved and want to learn!!
CPS announced that Esmond and Barnard are bothing going year round.
The old Salvation Army building on 113th and Central Park.
8:48
Clueless. There is no resolution. You know not what you speak of, life is full of choices honey, and remember Jesus died on the cross so you wouldn't have to. Your getting a paycheck for your political servitude.
9:51
Your or you are? And I can guess where you went to school? Pay tuition and keep getting promoted.(You started this public vs private)
There's no City job here, HONEY!
Yes, the placement of these kids has been resolved. Overcrowding got no attention and will continue to get none. Just like 111th and Kedzie.
Jesus died on the cross......not all of us are Catholic, HONEY! So the many children molested by priests "had a choice" too. I guess they and their parents made the wrong one. Our politicans are on the boards of these private schools and are using this to boost enrollment. Another, Special Interest Group!
And don't be fooled, HONEY, your local politicans force many schools to take kids who live out of district.
Jesus died on the cross......not all of us are Catholic, HONEY! So the many children molested by priests "had a choice" too. I guess they and their parents made the wrong one.
-- What does that mean? What wrong choice did parents make?
Overcrowding at mt Greenwood will continue Ginger has decieded that 35-40 kids in a class is fine as long as its not her dear Beverly thats affected
In case anyone cares...
I am a substitute teacher. In October I subbed in a sped classroom at Esmond. The aide in the classroom was a top notch woman! She had told me that Ginger Rugai offered the old broken down, unsafe for children to play on...playground equipment from Mt. Greenwood Park to Esmond School to put on their playground...pretty pathetic...I think!
HONEY, thanks for the red pen..... Just keep posting, I don't have to say anything. Your, yes I mean your ignorance is apparent... Just remember those who can't - teach!
Sorry to the good people out there that take the job they have CHOSEN seriously, and do the best they can. May HONEY never be blessed with a special needs child, because quite frankly she may have to tend to her own garden, what a distraction.
BTW I am public, my kids are a mix, and while they were never molested, they really shouldn't be held accountable for my choices, just the ones they make.
Even better, I won't bother to read your response.....
am a substitute teacher. In October I subbed in a sped classroom at Esmond. The aide in the classroom was a top notch woman! She had told me that Ginger Rugai offered the old broken down, unsafe for children to play on...playground equipment from Mt. Greenwood Park to Esmond School to put on their playground...pretty pathetic...I think!
Ireally dislike ginger and am willing to argue she does a terrible job representing the 19th ward with anyone but ginger has nothing to do with this playground equipment. The Chicago Public Schools tried to recycle the playground equipment, I bet if they just threw it in the trash we would have people complaining about that waste
Listen HONEY just because you have a special needs child it does not mean our children are any less important to us or the community. YOur political hot topic of special needs clouded the real issues of no attention from our communtiy leaders on overcrowded schools and the lack of new schools coming here. Your concern was for just your child and you discount other children becuase they are not special needs. OUr children are special to all of us and their needs should be heard as well. The only reason this got any attention is becuase it make Ginger look good to service a group with a political hot topic.
Ireally dislike ginger and am willing to argue she does a terrible job representing the 19th ward with anyone but ginger has nothing to do with this playground equipment. The Chicago Public Schools tried to recycle the playground equipment, I bet if they just threw it in the trash we would have people complaining about that waste
April 25, 2009 3:06 PM
thanks for clearing that up...
at any rate...ginger, cps, or anyone else for that matter.. trying to pawn that broken down equipment off to esmond is really, really bad business! i don't think that old playground equipment was fit for my dog to play on! to pass it down to a school full of little kids is disgusting!
Get rid of the preschool, it's not needed and was only put a there 2 years ago. Send you kids to a private preschool like everyone else dose.
The Ag school should be a neighborhood school, there is no reason it shouldn't be. Let's start working ont his now... It should be ur school, we pay the taxes for it...
Everyone needs to call Rugi and let her know to start working on making the Ag School our neighborhood school because I see problem in our future ir we don't.
Get rid of the preschool, it's not needed and was only put a there 2 years ago. Send you kids to a private preschool like everyone else dose.
Which private school do you represent? I hear there are only 7 in one classroom at Martyrs.Seems like this program will be phased out from Catholic schools soon.
Pre School is a program well needed in our community. As tax paying residents, we should get a good public school pre school. Why don't the private schools offer free pre school? And what happens when the private school squashes and puts down my child's choosen religion that is not Catholic? Pre School is a needed program here in Mt Greenwood.
Anonymous said...
Get rid of the preschool, it's not needed and was only put a there 2 years ago. Send you kids to a private preschool like everyone else dose.
April 27, 2009 11:35 PM
Why not send your "special needs" kid to a private school or bet yet, put him/her in an institution.
Great logic you have... it is not needed, but then you say just pay for it.
Which is it? Needed, or not?
Clown
Got the letter today my daughter was not accepted into the preschool program at MT. Greenwood apparently there are to many applications and the spots go to the children with the most need can someone please tell me who that is? We live in this neighborhood & pay taxes and we can't use the public school, How do they know another child needs it more than mine does? When you register all they ask you to do is fill out a simple form with basic info How the heck can they tell who the greatest need from that is? Anybody have any info out there into the procedures that were used to determine who got into the program & who did not?
The Pre School Program may be cut all together by Ginger. This may be the last year for it. Could have had more room at Mt Greenwood but that was blocked by.....can you guess......Ginger! Call her and tell her we need more room at MtGreenwood and that the pre school program is needed NOW!
The only option we really have right now is to get rid of the magnet schools. If there is not enough room in our public schools for our children in our own neighborhood, them we need to stop busing in kids from other neighborhoods and utilize what we have here. I can't believe that we are talking about overcrowding when there is a very simple solution that won't cost us a dime. We need to keep fighting for these schools to become ours. Really what is the % of kids from our area that attend those magnet schools. Not nearly enough.
This is sad. I grew up in this neighborhood and now will have kids going to the schools here. As a teacher myself, you cannot overcrowd classrooms. It is of utmost importance to give EVERY child a chance at a great education and overcrowding is not going to offer that. I feel for these Special Ed parents (whether its 2 or 20) as their children are the most vulnerable of all. As for pre-school, it is needed to succeed. Solution=use our schools for the community. Each day I see busses flying down my street to Keller with loads of kis from all over the city. Shameful! Why not have it as a local school or dedicate half of it to need programs. It's not rocket science-ask teachers and those in education what's best for kids and stop having politicians make stupid, uneducated decisions. Stand up Mt Greenwood and let's use the resources we have here before we lose more schools to overcrowding (or no-entry policies)
times have changed we are the shines now
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