They Must Have Forgotten About Us… Again

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A little over a week ago, CPS laid off 1,000 employees—half of those were teachers.  Today, in doing my daily Facebook rounds, I learned that there is an upcoming hiring fair in which CPS plans to hire 1,000 teachers.  What kind of game is the district playing?

Additionally, there will be public hearings in which parents can come and voice their concerns about the recent layoffs…and I’m sure they will also sound off about the turmoil in CPS in general.  My major concern is that none of the hearings are located in the mid, far south or west side of the city—areas that have been most impacted by CPS’ inability to adequately and equitably educate our students.  Once again, we have been left out.

Parents and community members must make their voices heard!  There has been a continual effort to exclude certain demographics from the conversation surrounding quality education and it must end now.  Education is the foundation of a strong future for our youth.  Good schools are pivotal in shaping thriving communities.  So in order to protect the future of our youth and our communities, we have to bring our needs and concerns to the forefront, by any means necessary.
The upcoming and first ever Parent Congress, hosted by Chicago Unheard, is that opportunity for parents to begin discussion around what needs to change in public education and what steps need to be taken in order to implement that change.  With 1,000 district employees being laid off, insufficient funds and resources threatening the quality of education for public school students and a potential teacher’s strike looming, we cannot withstand another blow to our children’s education.  I urge you to come together with other parents from across the city on August 27th from 9am to 2pm at Chicago Embassy Church to finally put a plan into action–our communities are dependent on it!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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Tanesha Peeples

South Side community leader Tanesha Peeples is a Chicago Public Schools alumna and proud Englewoodian. She currently serves on the board of the Montessori School of Englewood. Formerly, she served the Deputy Director of Outreach for Education Post, for whom she penned the long-running column Hope and Outrage. As an undergraduate student at Northern Illinois University, Tanesha began to develop a passion for and understand the importance of public service. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in political science and public administration, she returned to Chicago with a new perspective on community, politics and civic engagement. Tanesha then attended and graduated from DePaul University with a master’s degree in public service management and urban planning and development. Throughout her professional career, Tanesha has used her education, passion and experience to navigate a number of nonprofit, political and independent ventures, advancing her mission to educate and empower marginalized populations. Prior to joining Education Post, she also managed her own consulting firm specializing in community relations. Tanesha’s vision is one where everyone—regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender or zip code—can have access to a comfortable quality of life and enjoy the freedoms and liberties promised to all Americans. Find her on Twitter at @PeeplesChoice85.
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