How to Privatize the Schools: Democrat Heather Steans, Chicago School Closings and K12 Inc.

by John Laesch, posted on Friday, March 29th, 2013 at The Progressive Fox 9:16 pm

State Senator Heather Steans and Stand for Children are ultimately responsible for Chicago school closings and the recent increase of charter school applications like the 18-district virtual charter initiated by K12 Inc. in the Chicago suburbs.
Rahm Emanuel, Barb Byrd-Bennett, Heather Steans, Jonah Edelman

 

 

 

 

I started researching SB79 and HB 5825, the legislation that created and gave the Illinois Charter Commission super “override powers” and autonomy from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).  If SB7 gave education activists concern, SB79 and HB 5825 should have started a five-alarm fire.

REPORT: Koch Brothers Looking to Purchase Tribune Newspapers

By Igor Volsky, at Nation of Change, March 13, 2013  Read more »

PDA-IL Leaders, activists and allies strategize in Springfield. See pics.

Springfield, Saturday Feb 23rd
At the PDA-Illinois Network's first state-wide meeting, chapter leaders, grassroots activists and allies heard six speakers address strategies for overcoming the challenges facing progressives in Illinois today.    Read more »

25 Cents? Can You Live On a Quarter in Chicago?

Petition to Cheryl L. Hyman

Federation of College Clerical and Technical Personnel Local 1708   Read more »

Sen. Cruz (R-TX) Attacks Hagel for Inspiring Karl Marx

By Paul Abrams, Last person on Earth not on Facebook, at Huff Post

Editor: Oh No!

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) launched a blistering attack on Defense Secretary nominee Hagel, asserting a direct link to Karl Marx:

"History shows that Marx not only read Hagel, but took his inspiration from him," said the Princeton-educated Harvard Law School graduate. "I should know. I was taught by at least 12 communist professors at Harvard."  Read more »

Listen CPS! The Secret to Fixing Under Performing Schools

David L. Kirp, Professor of Public policy at U of C Berkeley.  in New Your Times Review Feb 10, p. 5

Model for Chicago? 
A public school district in a poor community, doing well. 
No closings, no firings, no charters. 
  Read more »

Northern Illinois PDA & Occupy Protest Corporate Money in Government

Staff Report, Rock River Times, January 24, 2013

Saturday, Jan. 19, Progressive Democrats of America-Northern Illinois and Occupy Rockford co-hosted a community forum on the Supreme Count's Jan. 21, 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision and the role of money in politics.  Read more »

Labor Conference in Chicago Sees "Medicare for All" as Best Way to Control Costs and lmprove Quality of Care

Labor Campaign for Single Payer Health Care,
Sunday, January 12, 2013 Mark Dudzic, 201-314-2653


Union Members Recommit to Winning lmproved and Expanded Medicare for All

PDA's Progressive Central, Reports from Illinois Attendees

Illinois was well represented at PDA's Progressive Central event in Washington DC during Inaugural weekend.  Attending were Bill Bianchi of PDA-Chicago, Eva Jehle of PDA Central Illinois, Jeanne Dauray of PDA N. E. Illinois and Conor Boylan.  Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke.  Below are reports from Bill, Eva and Jeanne.   Read more »