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Public Affairs coverage from our award-winning staff |
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Board of Ed Approves Controversial Schools Combination
Produced by City Room on Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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The Chicago Board of Education has approved a controversial plan to combine two elementary schools but not without some opposition. At yesterday's board meeting the district's long term strategy of opening new schools within existing schools again came under fire. This time, a new school which is a replication of Burroughs Elementary, will be made up mostly of Latino students. The new Burroughs will be located within Pope Elementary in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood. A school which is predominantly African-American. Community activist Larry Barnett says he's worried the racial divide between the two schools might lead to trouble.
BARNETT: There's a lot of problems that has not been worked out. People don't even talk about it.
The District's head of New Schools, Josh Edelman, acknowledges that there might be tensions.
EDELMAN: What a great opportunity to be able to look at this in a curricular fashion. What can we do proactively when it comes to programming and events to bring these kids together and bring their families and communities together.
A separate school-sharing proposal between LEARN Charter School and Gregory Elementary in the Garfield Park area was denied at yesterday's meeting. About a dozen schools around the city share their buildings with other schools.
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