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Sunday, May 15, 2011

School Tech Connect: Grass Roots In Pilsen: Quality Schools For All

School Tech Connect: Grass Roots In Pilsen: Quality Schools For All

Grass Roots In Pilsen: Quality Schools For All

Approximately 100 people braved the Chicago weather yesterday to attend the first Quality Public Schools For All Parent Summit at Whittier Dual Language Community School in Pilsen. The event was sponsored by the Whittier Parent Committee and Blocks Together. Whittier was the site of a remarkable 43-day parent sit-in, protesting the planned demolition of La Casita, a small field house that former CPS CEO Ron Huberman planned to demolish to make room for some kind of turf field. Whittier parents would rather have a library-- it turns out that Whittier is one of 160 CPS schools that don't even have a library. The sit-in ended when the parents received word that the board would back down from its demolition plans, although the final resolution is hardly a done deal.

Architect Katherine Darnstadt
The day's event began in the fieldhouse-- La Casita, whereKatherine Darnstadt, an architect affiliated with the Chicago chapter of Architects For Humanity, presented a plan for the complete