Navigating a restless sea: The continuing struggle to achieve a decent education for African American youngsters in Chicago

Journal of Negro Education, The, Winter 1994 by Ayers, William, Klonsky, Michael

With Washington's death, the more conservative elements moved aggressively to fill the void in the leadership. Right-wing academic Chester Finn (formerly of the Bennett education department) was brought in to "evaluate" reform. Philanthropic organizations and banks moved to create coalitions to speak officially for reform. Privatization of schools, in the form of "choice," was promoted by academic and business partnerships. These actions prompted the late Nancy Jefferson, then-president of the Midwest Community Council, to declare that "school reform in Chicago is the biggest sham that has ever been perpetrated on Black Americans" (Ayers & Klonsky, 1992a).

Many actions taken by the Chicago school board heightened the skepticism. Most of the cutbacks in administrative and support positions, for example, particularly in the custodial and food-service areas, disproportionately affected African American workers. As one activist noted to the authors, "We have to cut the fat ... but when you look, it's evident that they didn't cut fat. They cut Black." Washington's successor, Mayor Richard M. Daley's refusal to appoint a majority of African Americans to the board of education caused even more dissension. However, when African American activists or leaders raise these points, they are accused of racism, of "playing the race card" or stirring up a non-issue. A serious discussion about race and racism is difficult, and so-called "reverse racism" is the only aspect White America seems willing to consider. Nonetheless, it is these largely unspoken issues--those of race, racism, privilege, and oppression--that continue to condition the restless sea of social forces.

CONCLUSION

Today, five years after Harold Washington's death, school reform in Chicago is still alive, although the schools are threatened by imminent financial collapse. Some organizational changes have been far-reaching and significant. Forty percent of the city's schools have new principals in place who were selected by LSCs. The Pershing Road administration has been cut by over 900 positions. Discretionary monies in the hands of LSCs have been used to create 3,365 new positions, and over 1,000 new teachers have been hired with state Chapter 1 funds. The schools with the most low-income students have almost $1,000 more per child to spend, and the average elementary school has $340,000 for discretionary spending.

Furthermore, a recent study of the first five years of the recent reform wave shows that "democratic participation of principals, teachers, parents and community members has led to positive changes in Chicago elementary schools" (Consortium of Chicago School Research, 1993). This report points to new institutionalized change and restructured relationships that have moved learning forward in over half these schools. It puts a sharp focus on democracy as the key to progress and shows that the greatest progress in specific schools and classrooms took place where conflicts were resolved democratically and not allowed to play a destructive role.