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TSJ's 2011 Guide for the Mayorial Election

Chicago, IL

February 22, 2011

Hey Folks! So you know that Mayor Daley is outta here, and you’re probably wondering where the candidates stand on the issues. Well, TSJ is here to help on the education front. We’re not endorsing a candidate, but we are involved in a campaign to bring an Elected Representative School Board (ERSB) to the Chi. In this guide we give some info on the ERSB and break down were the candidates stand on a variety of education issues. So read on, and remember to vote on February 22nd. Peace.

Mayor of Chicago

* The Elected Representative School Board (ERSB) campaign is a city wide initiative that aims to establish a more democratic and deliberative process for governing the Chicago Public Schools. Currently the CPS school board is comprised of bankers, CEOs and administration insiders appointed by the mayor. The ERSB campaign strives to make the board representative of the people actually affected by CPS policy: community members, parents, teachers and students, 92% who are students of color and 86% who are low-income.

*Performance Counts is legislation currently being pushed through the Illinois state legislature. Performance Counts would curb teachers' right to strike, make it easier for principals to fire teachers, and link teachers' pay and tenure to test scores.

*Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a method of using public tax dollars for community development projects in blighted neighborhoods. Yet, evidence shows that TIF funds are most commonly used to support development in more wealthy areas, subsidizing major corporate ventures with public tax dollars that are traditionally used for schools, public parks and other city services.

*Charter Schools are public schools that are funded with a combination of tax dollars and corporate financing. Currently about 14% of Charter Schools are managed by a for profit company. They are traditionally not unionized. Recent research shows that nationwide 17% of charters perform above the average public school. 46% perform similarly and 37% perform below the average.

*High Stakes Testing is a term used to describe the nation-wide push to use standardized tests as the primary tool of evaluation for students. Students frequently can't pass onto the next grade without passing the test. In some states teachers' pay is effected by how their students do on the test, ignoring other factors that might contribute to students' scores. The Obama administration's Race to the Top program is frequently cited as promoting high stakes testing.

Carol Moseley Braun

Endorsed Vote: No Endorsement

EDUCATION
*Graduated from CPS Parker High School (Paul Robeson High School)
*B. A. Political Science, University of Illinois at Chicago
*J.D., University of Chicago Law School

EMPLOYMENT
*1973 – Assistant US Attorney
*1978 – Illinois House of Representatives
*1988 – Cook County recorder of Deeds
*1993 – US Senator
*1999 – Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa
*2005 – Founder of Ambassador Organics Food Company

THE ISSUES
*In response to the ERSB campaign Moseley Braun stated that that mayoral control of CPS means accountability for school performance rests with the mayor, but there should be citizen involvement in CPS, demonstrated by a nominated commission for the school board. For these reasons Braun opposes an ERSB (Chicago Teachers Union, www.ctunet.com).
*Opposes Performance Counts stating: "These committees are just trying to further privatize our school system. Privatization will give over schools to corporate interest, and our children will be left behind if they don’t already have resources available to them." (stated at the Raise Your Hand candidate forum)
*Proposes that CPS must have an educator (superintendent) at its head, not only a CEO.
*Supports an amendment to the TIF program that would allow more funds to go to CPS (see www.carolforchicago.com)
*Believes that the effort to increase the amount of charter schools is part of the movement to privatize public education, which she is against. She has often said that the city's focus in regards to public education should be an accessible, high quality public school in every neighborhood.

SOURCES
www.carolforchicago.com
www.ctunet.com
www.wbez.org
Mayoral Candidate Forum sponsored by Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education, December 2010

Miguel Del Valle

Endorsed Vote: No Endorsement

EDUCATION
* Graduated from CPS Tuely high school (Roberto Clemente Community Academy)
* B.A. Education and Guidance, Northeastern Illinois University
* M.A. Education and Guidance, Northeastern Illinois University

EMPLOYMENT
* 1982 worked on Harold Washington’s campaign for Mayor of Chicago
* 1986 - 2006, Illinois State Senator
- served as Vice-Chairman of the Education Committee, Co-Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Education Funding Reform
* 2006 - Current, Chicago City Clerk

THE ISSUES
* In response to the ERSB campaign Del Valle has made contradictory statements. At times he has voiced support for an elected school board with a transitional period (see Tribune). At other times he has stated that the next mayor should retain control over the board (see Catalyst).
* Opposes Performance Counts legislation
* Proposes developing a comprehensive evaluation system for teachers and students that uses multiple variables.
* Proposes that the superintendent and the chancellor of the city colleges should have an education background
* Proposes that TIFs should be more transparent and used for neighborhood development, such as job creation and rehabbing schools
* Supports unionizing Charter Schools and proposes Charters have measures of public accountability
* Proposes turning away from a two track system of charter schools and neighborhood schools and instead concentrating on developing quality neighborhood schools.
* Proposes that Chicago should adopt the New Pathways to Higher Education initiative, which builds partnerships between high schools, city colleges and state universities in order to make higher education more affordable.

RECORD
* voted for the 1988 school reform bill, which established Chicago's local school councils.
* voted against the the 1995 school reform bill, which granted Chicago's mayor control over the school board.

SOURCES
Del Valle for Mayor http://www.delvalleformayor.com/2011/01/contact-us.html
Del Valle Face Book: http://www.facebook.com/delvalleformayor
Chicago Sun-Times: http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/3259049-418/teachers-del-valle-strike-tax.html
Chicago Sun-Times: http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/2683493-418/mayor-think-council-schools-education.html
Chicago Tribune: http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/12/mayoral-candidates-split-on-elected-chicago-school-board-idea.html
Catalyst Chicago: http://mayor2011.catalyst-chicago.org/question/do-you-want-control-schools

Gery Chico

Endorsed Vote: No Endorsement

EDUCATION
* Graduated from Chicago Public Schools, Kelly High School
* B.A. Political Science, University of Illinois at Chicago
* J.D., Loyola University School of Law

EMPLOYMENT
* 1980-1987, senior staff member for Chicago City Council-Committee on Finance
* 1987-1991, General Counsel to the Chicago Developmental Council
* 1995-1996, partner at Sidley & Austin
* 1996-2003, partner at law firm Altheimer & Gray
* 2003-2004, Special Counsel to law firm Arnstein & Lehr
* 2004-Present, Senior Partner at Chico & Nunes, P.C.;

* 1992-1995, served as Chief of Staff to Mayor Daley
*1995 -2001 appointed President of Board of Trustees of CPS
* 2007, served as President of Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District
* 2010, appointed to the Board of Trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago

THE ISSUES
*Opposes the proposal for an ERSB. Chico has said that the system should remain as it is, with the mayor singularly accountable.
* Opposes Performance Counts legislation,
* Supports charters, which he feels offer more options to students. He believes that good performing charter schools will remain in Chicago and hopes to establish more, in addition to more magnet schools.
* Proposes establishing a system of vouchers.
* Supports bringing more transparency to the use of TIF funds.

RECORD
Under Chico's Leadership:
* CPS became one of the first school systems to open charter schools
* He expanded the number of magnet schools
* Chicago opened the nation’s first high school military academy
* Chico presided over the 1998 decision to allocate funds to build three new high schools in the Chicago area, eventually withdrawing the money for the Little Village school when the other two North Side schools exceeded their budgets. In response to this parents and other community leaders staged a 19 day hunger strike, eventually regaining the funds that had originally been promised to them.

SOURCES
http://www.gerychicoformayor.com/Docs/ChicoEducationPlan.pdf
http://www.chiconunes.com/gery-chico/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gery-Chico/112781968783374?v=wall
http://twitter.com/gerychico
http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/news/index.php?item=1149&cat=24

Rahm Emanuel

Endorsed Vote: No Endorsement

EDUCATION
• Graduated from New Trier Township High School, Winnetka, IL
• B.A. Liberal Arts, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY
• M.A. Speech and Communication, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

EMPLOYMENT
• Early political work with Illinois Public Action
• 1989, Senior Advisor & Chief Fundraiser to Campaign of Richard M. Daley
• 1992, Fundraiser for Campaign of Bill Clinton
• 1993 – 1999, Aid to President Bill Clinton
• 1999 - 2000, Chair of Chicago Housing Authority
• 2000 - 2001, Member, Board of Directors, Freddie Mac
• 1999 – 2002, Investment Banker, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein
• 2005 – 2007, Chair, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
• 2003 – 2008, U.S. Representative, Illinois 5th District
• Jan 2009 – Oct 2010, Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama

THE ISSUES
• In response to the ERSB campaign, Emanuel stated that he does not support an elected school board, but “believes that teachers must be represented on the board.”
• Supports Performance Counts legislation
• Proposes Chicago Education Innovation Fund, meant to be a city-level model of the Race to the Top program, which would “entice schools across the city to compete to achieve the most.”
• Supports an increase in the number of charter schools, turnarounds and school closings as a way to foster innovation.
• Proposes requiring performance contracts for all public schools. Like charters, all neighborhood schools would have to sign 5-year performance contracts with CPS and if they fail to meet standards would be either shut down or turned around.
• Proposes Chicago Curriculum Project, which would align local curricula with national “college- and career-ready” standards.
• Supports continuing to use TIF funds for economic development while making TIF spending decisions more transparent. Also proposes using TIF monies to create Chicago Police Department Targeted Response Units “to make specific TIF district[s] safe for economic development.”

RECORD
• As White House Chief of Staff, worked with President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to pass Race to the Top.
• As US Congressman, sponsored H.R. 5647 in 2008, which would have authorized $300 million to create new charter schools and expand existing ones.

SOURCES
Chicago for Rahm Emanuel, http://www.chicagoforrahm.com;
The Washington Post, http://wapo.st/1CQSFM;
Jewish Virtual Library, http://bit.ly/9ZerEF;
Wikipedia, http://bit.ly/9gUnbV;
Chicago Sun Times, http://bit.ly/gOH76f;
Chicago Tribune, http://bit.ly/fKfCyx; http://bit.ly/2evfK3
Open Congress, http://bit.ly/gKnf16;
Chicago Business, http://bit.ly/iiixCQ;
AREA Chicago, http://bit.ly/faEU9b

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