Rahm Emanuel: "The Education Mayor" & His Love Affair With Charter Schools

I have  never been a great admirer of Rahm Emanuel,  my hometown mayor.   In fact,  I supported one of his opponents,  an independent-minded administrator named Miguel Del Valle during the 2011 mayoral campaign.

It seems as if public schools throughout the nation are becoming public policy makers'  favorite piñata.   In Philadelphia,   state funding cutbacks have forced the closing of 23 public schools.   Yet state officials managed to uncover some miraculous monetary honeypot to fund  a brand-spankin' new prison just north of Philly to the tune of $400 million!

Here in Chicago,   50 elementary schools,  primarily in struggling neighborhoods,  are being shut down.  Programs, especially creative arts,  are being butchered at many surviving schools as well.   It has to be done because we're in dire financial straits,  so they say.   Yet the Emanuel administration  is able to pony up financing for a new sports arena near the McCormick Place convention complex.  This, despite the fact that two other publicly-financed athletic stadiums haven't even come close to paying for themselves:

1)   Soldier Field,  extensively and expensively renovated,             primarily to benefit the Chicago Bears,  who play eight    
          games a year there --- and ---

2)  Cellullar Field
     (nee: Comiskey Park) publicly funded to
      the tune  of $200 million for the owners of the 
      Chicago White Sox,  who for the past few years have
      had their rent payments waived owing to low 
      attendance.   (The team owners were mandated to pay
      rent to the Illinois Sports Finance Authority,  technically
      the owner of the stadium,  assuming that paid attendance
      figures exceeded a  minimum threshold.  Well, 
      that threshold hasn't been met for a while now).
    

At the same time,   bids are being solicited for the establishment of more charter schools,  despite their largely dubious records of success.  The case is often made that the charter schools save the taxpayers money in contrast to public schools.  Maybe so,  but is that really a cause for pride?   First of all,   teachers' average salaries are lower because  they tend not to hang around long enough to accumulate much seniority.   Also,  the charters are able to "cherry-pick"  their students --- generally the least "expensive" ones,  not those with special needs.  Unrestricted enrollment may be mandated,   but they can ultimately drop pupils who don't conform to their standards.  Rejected students are, of course,  shunted back to the public schools.

Here in my home town,  the mayor hand-picks the school board which largely controls policy with precious little public input.   There are seven board members:   a retired university dean,  a retired Chicago Public Schools (CPS) principal,  and five corporate poobahs.  So,  guess whose interests predominate!

Mayor Emanuel's latest appointment is an investment advisor named Deborah Quazzo who,  just incidentally,  sends her three children to the exclusive  Chicago Latin School.  Her firm,  in which she's a managing partner,  focuses on private equity investments in education.  She also sits on the board of a nation-wide chain of charter schools known as KIPP:  an acronym standing for "Knowledge Is Power Program".    (There are five KIPP schools in Chicago.   Nationally,  on average,  KIPP schools do not perform especially well in contrast to average public schools,  and generally well below college-prep public schools).

Anyway,  here's the kicker:   I scoped out KIPP's website listing of employment opportunities.   It features a group photo of racially and ethnically diverse young teachers,  all fresh-faced and hot-to-trot ---  y'know,  like a "big family".  Don't get me wrong,   I'm sure these teachers are very earnest and well-intentioned,   and really do want to make a dent!

But here's what's expected of them.   In return for "competitive salaries and benefits",   they're scheduled to work 50 hours a week:   (M-F  7:30 AM to 5:30 PM).  In addition Saturday "volunteering"  is an option,   but "almost everyone does it".    (Hmm!  What kind of performance review might a "non-volunteer" expect?).   (Personal note:  I've done plenty of volunteer work in my life;  it's  satisfying and life-affirming.   But volunteerism has never been "implied"  as "part of my job").

Decades ago,  labor activists fought ---  and some even died ---  for the 40-hour,  5-day work week.     Yet, dedicated young teachers at charter schools like KIPP,  are being imposed upon to work 50+ hours a week;  it's as if they're not entitled to meaningful lives of their own.  How are they expected to find the time to enrich themselves,  let alone start families?

Some folks might insist that KIPP-type jobs aren't being forced on anyone.   But throughout the country,  public school teachers are being laid off.   So if these dedicated young teachers really want to make their passion a reality,  their employment opportunities  are likely to be very limited.  

More often than not,  after three years at a charter school,  they're done with teaching!