Action Now Members Join Protest Against School Closings At Mayor Emanuel’s House

Marching down Hermitage Avenue to Mayor Emanuel's house!

Action Now members joined hundreds of other parents, students and community members to protest Mayor Emanuel and CPS’ policy of school closings and turnarounds. The march began at Lakeview High School where parents, teachers and students spoke about why they wanted to keep their neighborhood schools open.

As one speaker said, “Our kids love their schools like a home.  You already took our jobs away. You already took our homes away. Now you want to education away!”

Action Now members marching past Lakeview High School

Then the group marched down Hermitage to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s house. Protestors had signs and stickers over their mouths that said “silenced” or “excluded” to show that they had been denied a voice in the decision to close and turnaround schools. Rahm Emanuel and CPS have refused to meet with people in the community to listen to ideas about how to improve education in Chicago. Instead, they have unilaterally decided to starve neighborhood schools of resources and then close them or turn them into AUSL turnaround schools.

Protestors outside of the Mayor's house (large light green building to the right)

“[Emanuel] made all of these decisions without coming into our neighborhoods and asking the parents, and we’re the ones that’s going to be affected more than anybody,” said parent Lisa Russell, who has a child at Crane Technical High School, which is slated to be phased out.

Press coverage:

WGN News, “Group marches outside mayor’s home”

NBC Chicago, “School Protest Heads To Mayor’s House”

Action Now members with signs and candles at the march

Chicago Sun-Times, “School protesters take complaints to Mayor Emanuel’s neighborhood”

Huffington Post, “Chicago School Closure Protest Moves To Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Block”

Chicago Tribune, “Protestors gather at Emanuel’s home to protest CPS plans”

WBEZ-FM “School protesters pray, sing at Emanuel’s home”

ABC News, “CPS parents take concerns to mayor’s doorstep”

Progress Illinois, “CPS Protesters Take Grievances To Mayor’s Doorstep”

WBEZ Story On Our Rally At Tim Cawley’s House In Winnetka!

Action Now at Tim Cawley's house

WBEZ-FM (91.5) broadcasted a great story this morning (February 20th) about our rally at CPS Chief Administrative Officer Tim Cawley’s house last week. We held the protest to demand that he stop closing schools, and instead give the schools the resources they need so that our children can succeed! There is audio of Action Now members speaking on the bus ride to Winnetka and in front of Tim Cawley’s house.

Click here to listen to the story by WBEZ’s Linda Lutton!

Excerpt:

“LAJUAN CRISWELL: I have a first grader who attends Herzl Elementary School. I also have a mother who’s been a teacher at Herzl for the last 21 years. So I’m going today basically because I don’t see why someone who won’t send his child to a school in the city is making decisions about my child’s future, and about the children at any of these schools.”

Sign the Petition to Fire Edward DeMarco, Head of the FHFA!

Edward DeMarco, Head of the FHFA

Back in December of 2011, the Federal Housing and Finance Agency (FHFA) filed a lawsuit against the City of Chicago’s Vacant Property Ordinance. The FHFA lawsuit was an attempt to exempt Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from having to maintain and secure their vacant properties, even though they pose a serious threat to the health and safety of families in Chicago’s communities.

The head of the FHFA is Edward DeMarco, who was appointed by President Bush. Along with suing Chicago, he also refuses to allow homeowners to reset their Fannie and Freddie mortgages to fair market value. As the head of the FHFA, DeMarco clearly works in the interest of big banks instead of homeowners and taxpayers. Please sign the new MoveOn.org petition to fire DeMarco by clicking here!

Action Now To Tim Cawley’s Neighbors: Will You Take $25 To Sell Out Your Schools?

Herzl parent Lajuan Criswell speaks in front of Tim Cawley's Winnetka home

On February 6th, Action Now members traveled to CPS Chief Administrative Officer Tim Cawley’s neighborhood in Winnetka because members are upset that their neighbors are being paid by CPS contractors to sell out schools in their own communities. At the same time CPS refuses to provide adequate resources so that these neighborhood schools can succeed (see Tim Cawley’s quote here).

Action Now members speaking to Tim Cawley's neighbors in Winnetka

Members decided to go to Cawley’s neighborhood to see how people in Winnetka feel about being paid off to support closing schools in their area. After handing out flyers and offering residents fake money, Action Now marched and chanted to Tim Cawley’s house and dropped off a manila envelope of Monopoly money.

As Herzl parent Lajuan Criswell said, “Cawley wasn’t home, but I’m sure his neighbors were aware of what went on and he will hear about it. He doesn’t seem to listen to the community, so we brought the community to him.”
“My issue is that someone who lives in a completely different city [Winnetka] is making decisions about my child’s school, and I don’t think he’s really interested in what’s best for my child,” Criswell said. “He’s not willing to put his child in CPS; he shouldn’t be the one saying what’s best for my child.”

Action Now marching and chanting down Tim Cawley's block (photo: Joel Lerner, Sun-Times)

“We decided to go to the heart of the issue,” Brooke Doaks, Action Now Education Organizer said. “We want to draw attention to the paid protestors which we felt didn’t get enough coverage. The fact that they would pay (people) $25 to $50 and offer them dinner to support issues they know very little about is disrespectful. If you can’t find support for free, guess what? The support’s not there.”

Press coverage:

Winnetka Talk, “Protestors come to CPS official’s Winnetka home”

Winnetka Patch, “To Protest CPS Issues, Group Gives Play Money To Winnetka Residents”

Click here to see more photos of our rally on the Chicago Sun-Times website

Stay tuned for WBEZ-FM coverage of the event…

Action Now, CTU and Aldermen Hold Press Conference Calling For Passage Of Watchman Ordinance

Action Now Board Member Annie Harris speaking at the press conference

On Sunday, February 12th, leaders from Action Now and the Chicago Teachers Union were joined by, parents, public safety advocates and Aldermen Deborah Graham (29), Robert Fioretti (2) and Toni Foulkes (15) in a press conference to call for the passage of the Vacant Property Safe Passages Ordinance. The news conference was held in front of O’Toole Elementary School in the 15th ward, at 6550 South Seeley Ave.

Alderman Deborah Graham, the lead sponsor of the ordinance

Annie Harris, Action Now leader and community resident said, “Back in September of last year, Chicago’s new vacant property ordinance went into effect. Here we are, five months later and we still see open and dangerous buildings in our neighborhoods!  Most disturbing of all, these vacant buildings are near schools, where our children must walk every school day.  In October, Alderman Deborah Graham introduced an ordinance that would require a watchman to be posted at every vacant building within 1,000 yards of a school that has not been property secured. This ordinance is necessary in order to protect our children who must walk past these buildings everyday.”

Alderman Deborah Graham announced that she will be holding committee hearings on the Safe Passages Ordinance in the coming weeks.

Alderman Fioretti and Foulkes checking out an open, unsecured vacant building across the street from O'Toole Elementary

After the press conference, the group went on a short walking tour of three foreclosed homes within a two block radius of O’Toole which were exposed and clearly hazardous to children walking to and from school.

The Action Now and CTU sponsored ordinance calls on banks to protect its school children, requiring watchmen in vacant buildings within the vicinity of public schools. An owner must have a watchman on duty upon the premises on which any vacant building within a 1,000 yard radius of a public school is situated between 8:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. Any bank that violates the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $300 for the first offense and not less than $300 nor more than $500 for the second and each subsequent offense.

Call your Alderman and tell them to support Alderman Graham’s Vacant Property Safe Passages Ordinance!

Press coverage:

WGN, “Group calling for foreclosure protection from banks” (video of Action Now)

Progress Illinois, “Aldermen Continue Push For Child Safety Near Vacant Homes”

Video of press conference:

Victory! CME Returns TIF Money After Protests!

Action Now leader Charles Brown speaking at the Chicago Board of Trade

On February 8th, Action Now and other organizations in the Grassroots Collaborative held a “March of the Golden Toilet” to celebrate the victory of CME, Bank of America and CNA returning $33 million in TIF funds to the city of Chicago. Action Now and the Grassroots Collaborative have been fighting for these TIF funds using the “golden toilet” ever since May of 2011 when the CME was given millions of taxpayer dollars to renovate their bathrooms at the Chicago Board of Trade.

The march to City Hall with the Golden Toilet

Members marched from the Chicago Board of Trade to City Hall to demand that the $33 million in returned TIF funds be used for job creation, funding neighborhood schools, and keeping libraries and mental health clinics open and fully staffed.

Charles Brown, an Action Now Board Member and retired Chicago police officer, said, “We’re here to reclaim our money and demand that Mayor Emanuel put it towards jobs creation. Fund our libraries, clinics and schools so we won’t have to lay off people. We’re also ready to draw a line in the sand. Our taxpayer dollars should never have gone to these corporate giants.”

Press coverage:

CBS News, “Activists Bring Golden Toilet To City Hall, Protest Grant To CME” (Charles Brown quoted and Action Now highlighted)

Progress Illinois, “Return Of The Golden Toilet: Activists Say Returned TIF Money Should Go To Jobs” (Charles Brown quoted)

Video of march and Charles Brown speaking:

Action Now On Tipped Workers And Vacant Properties

In an article on the Women’s eNews blog, “Tipped Workers Hope for Hike in Sub-Minimum Wage,” Madeline Talbott, Lead Organizer at Action Now, was quoted about tipped workers and the minimum wage:

Madeline Talbott, chief organizer of Action Now, a Chicago-based, grassroots organization of working families that advocates for economic change, predicts that Illinois will eliminate its sub-minimum wage for tipped workers (currently $4.95 an hour) when the legislature considers a package of bills this spring to increase the overall state minimum wage from $8.25 to $10.65. Last year, a poll found that 71 percent of voters supported these changes.

“State legislatures are more likely to pass economic bills like this in presidential election years,” says Talbott. “The recent recession — the worst since the Great Depression of 1929 — has shown legislators that an increase of a few hundred dollars in a tipped worker’s annual wage not only benefits the worker, but the state economy. Low-wage workers spend the increased funds on groceries, school supplies for their kids and other necessities that create jobs for other workers.”

Also, Braden Listmann, Housing Policy Director at Action Now, wrote an article, “Vacant property ordinances: Enforcement is key to success” for the Metropolitan Planning Council’s blog series on vacant properties.