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Monday, June 17, 2013

Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper

Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper:



Chicago schools face severe cuts as the district unveils its new "school-based" budget plan which forced Nettlehorst Elementary School in Chicago to empty out all reserves, pink slip two teachers’ aides, and eliminate a school secretary position. Other schools are not as lucky and will be cutting teachers and resources including a commodity missing from many Chicago Schools already -- toilet paper.
Here are schools that will see a large reduction in their budgets:
Taft High School— (-) $3 million
Roosevelt High School— (-) $1.1 million
Eberhart Elementary—(-) $1.5 million
Foreman High School—(-) $1.7 million
Gage Park High School—(-) $1 million
Kenwood Academy High School—(-) $1.76 million
In many schools, there are no funds left for janitorial supplies – and this includes toilet paper.
Each school will have to make a choice next year -- teachers or toilet paper?
This Tuesday, Chicago activists will gather toilet paper donations outside of an event where Barbara Byrd-Bennett, our schools chief, is proclaiming the benefits of her five year plan.  What might seem juvenile to some is in fact a perfect metaphor for the disregard of human dignity – the Chicago Public Schools care so little about children that their basic needs are being neglected.
Details, More video, and Images after the jump.
Do you remember embarrassing moments in grade school? Feeling unsure of yourself and wanting to crawl under your desk? Imagine having to walk to the front of your classroom