AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/reform/)
At last week’s 29th Ward meeting, Ald. Chris Taliaferro said it was time to move past The Loretto Hospital’s vaccine scandal and not let it overshadow the other work the hospital is doing. He also commented on proposals to reform the Chicago Police Department.
West Side elected officials, the city’s top cop and local residents met virtually this week with the goal of promoting a healthy relationship between police and the communities they serve.
If true reforms do not happen right away, we need to eliminate our current system, writes state Rep. La Shawn Ford. The Austin lawmaker says this is not about individual police officers or bad apples; this is about a system that is inherently flawed.
A day before the third anniversary of teenager Laquan McDonald being shot to death by a Chicago cop, members of the Central Austin Neighborhood Association and activists from Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) demanded changes of the city’s top law-enforcement officials.
Austin resident, parent and teacher Brandon Johnson says that despite community objections to school closings, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett have made up their minds.
Austin resident, parent and teacher Brandon Johnson reflects on a recent incident in the lunchroom at a South Side school, which he says is an indication of a larger problem.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports the Austin technology academy more than doubled its student performance over the last decade, thanks to Principal Shawn L. Jackson and engaged parents.
West Side advocate Valerie Leonard looks back at the changes made by the act and talks to other activists about the reforms they think are needed for Chicago schools.
Last week’s meeting was held to discuss the schools’ issues, assess past reforms and current changes in process, and talk about Chicago Teachers Union negotiations.
Sen. Kimberly Lightford (4th) says money is available, but school funding continues to be cut.