Elected school board proposal finds support among local politicians, education advocates

My comment was quoted regarding the Elected School Board bill. 

Elected school board proposal finds support among local politicians, education advocates via Hyde Park Herald

Aiko Kojima Hibino, a member of Bret Harte's LSC, pointed out that the non-elected school board approved the closure of 50 schools in 2013 and that the mayor had previously worked to get Senate President Don Harmon (D-39th), from Oak Park, not to call the bill for a vote.

"FYI, Oak Park has an elected school board, unlike Chicago," she emailed. "No more nonsense."

I have a lot to say about the elected school board. I include my original comment for the record.

It is the non-elected school board who approved to close 50 schools in 2013(the largest school closing in the U.S. history), the majority of which were in black neighborhoods. It is the non-elected school board that approved to spend $33M on police at schools (School resource officers) while only $9M on counselors (2019).

During the campaign Lori Lightfoot promised us to establish an elected representative school board if she would be elected. 3 years later, she told a blatant lie to the national media that parents are not involved in the current ERSB proposal. She blocked the current bill by influencing the Senate President Harmon from Oak Park (FYI, Oak Park has an elected school board unlike Chicago) despite that there would be enough votes to pass it into a law. Chicago is the only district in IL that does not have an elected school board. No more nonsense.

January 12, 2021, at the office of Senator Harmon in Oak Park