Carol In the News

Carol Moseley Braun Lays Out Education Vision,
Receives Five Key Legislative Endorsements


December 16, 2010 -- Mayoral candidate Carol Moseley Braun visited Amelia Earhart Elementary School today to bring the focus to her belief that successful neighborhood schools can exist in Chicago when teachers are given the resources needed to effectively do their job. She was joined at the school by five state legislators who endorsed her campaign today;State Representatives Marlow Colvin (D-33rd), Ken Dunkin (D-5th), Esther Golar (D-6th), Mattie Hunter (D-3rd) and State Senator Martin Sandoval (D-12th).


Earhart Elementary School is a leader among Chicago Public Schools. It has consistently performed well above CPS averages, a reason Moseley Braun met with Earhart leaders on Thursday, "Earhart is an example of what we can accomplish when we give teachers the resources to do their job." said Moseley Braun, "Earhart refused to let their children's education be held hostage by a complicated school funding formula that doesn't address the unique needs of each of our neighborhood schools. This school implemented practices that allows our teachers to teach. I spoke with parents who are very excited to send their children to Earhart, we must fix this broken system so we can hear that same enthusiasm from all parents of CPS students, not just here at Earhart. It's time to take our children's future out of the hands of bureaucrats and political appointees and give it to teachers, parents and community leaders."


According to Chicago Public Schools, about 25 percent of the city's elementary schools are considered failing, and more than 40 percent of Chicago's public high schools are failing. Each school is graded yearly on academic performance by district officials. The failing grades are not the only alarming measurement in the CPS report; 68 percent of high schools and 48 percent of elementary schools received a grade of D or worse. State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-3rd) echoed Moseley Braun's plans for improving public schools, "With Carol Moseley Braun as Mayor we will have a leader who will fight to make the successes of Earhart Elementary School a reality for all of our neighborhood schools. Parents, children and teachers are clamoring for an approach to education that unites our community, not one that pits them against each other."


"Carol Moseley Braun recognizes that it's time to stop alienating and blaming our teachers and instead create an alliance between the mayor and teachers and start listening to how they think we can best improve our schools," said State Senator Martin Sandoval (D-12th).


Moseley Braun's education plan calls for making neighborhood schools into a 7-day-aweek community center. "If we are going to provide our children with a world-class education we need to have active participation from the community," said State Representative Marlow Colvin (D-33rd).

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