Peabody victory bittersweet, but careful planning paid off
The last-minute "reprieve" (as some called it) for Peabody Elementary School and five other schools slated for closing or turnaround because of Chicago's controversial "Renaissance 2010" public school privatization plan was cause for celebration at Peabody. 
More than 50 students, parents, and friends of Peabody Elementary School joined the school's principal for what was supposed to be a protest candlelight vigil at 9:00 p.m. on the night of February 23, 2009. With the last-minute announcement that Peabody had been removed from the "Renaissance 2010" closing list, the event turned into a community celebration despite the cold night. None of the neighbors complained about the small amount of noise on the usually quiet public school grounds as the cold night became colder and the hour drew near 10:00 p.m. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.The school, located at 1444 W. Augusta in Chicago, has been a community institution for generations, but even while celebrating Peabody's most active parents, students and teachers were aware that a neighbor school was still facing closing.
The transcript shows how carefully Peabody handled its hearings. The following transcript was provided by CPS to Substance under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSED CLOSINg OF ELIZABETH PEABODY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE PROPOSED CHANGES OF THE ATTENDANCE AREA BOUNDARIES FOR LOZANO, OGDEN AND TALCOTT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
January 29, 2009
COMMENCING AT 5:00 P.M.
RESPICIO F. VAZQUEZ, ESQ., HEARING OFFICER
STENOGRAPHIC REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS had in the above-entitled matter held at the Chicago Board of Education, 125 South Clark Street, Board Chamber 500, Chicago, Illinois, commencing at 5:30 o'clock p.m, January 29, 2009 before Respicio F. Vazquez, Hearing Officer.
Reported By: Angela C. Loisi, CSR, RPR License No.: 084-004571.
HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Good evening, everybody, I would like to begin. Good evening, again, my name is Respicio Vazquez. And before I start, I would like to inform everybody that on my right, your left, we do have a Spanish interpreter. His name is Jay Nazario. Is there anybody here who will require or request the assistance of a Spanish interpreter? Over here? I'm going to ask, if it's okay, for the individuals who would request Spanish interpretation, if you can move to the -- my right your left.
The idea is to have the interpreter work with the individuals who need it during the hearing so that they can understand. Also, we do have a Sign Language interpreter on my left, your right. If she can raise her hand.
Does anybody need the assistance of a Sign Language interpreter?
No? Okay. If anybody else later on in the hearing -- we will have her available throughout the hearing but it looks like no one needs her at this time.
Okay. I'm an attorney in private practice here in Chicago. And on or about January the 5th, 2009 I was retained by the chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools to serve as an independent hearing officer in this matter today.
The purpose of this hearing is to enable me to receive public comments and concerned persons, specifically, including representatives of the CEO, members of the local school council, parents of the school students, members of the school staff, the school principal, representatives of the Chicago Teacher Union, students, and interested members of the public as to whether Peabody Elementary should be closed.
Notice of this hearing was served on
20 the parents, staff, members, principal and
21 members of the local school council via U.S.
22 Mail and personal service through CPS mail.
23 Notice of this hearing was served upon
24 the public by newspaper publication in the
4
1 Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.
2 Pursuant to said notice this hearing
3 was scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. and let the
4 record reflect that we began this hearing at
5 5:33 p.m.
6 Pursuant to the directives provided in
7 the document entitled, Procedures For Hearings
8 On Proposed School Closings, Consolidations,
9 Attendance Area Boundary Changes or
10 Reconstitution, I will receive comments from
11 representatives from CPS concerning why they
12 are proposing to close the Peabody Elementary
13 School.
14 Then I will hear from those individuals
15 who have signed up to speak today in the order
16 in which they signed in until all who have
17 signed in to be heard have been heard, or until
18 we reach 7:30 p.m., whichever occurs first.
19 Individuals who have signed up to speak
20 during designated hours to do so will be given
21 two minutes to present their comments. And we
22 have a number of people who have signed up
23 today, so I am going to have to be a little
24 strict on that two-hour time limit.
5
1 I will expect to run this hearing in an
2 orderly manner, and I ask that everyone respect
3 each other's speakers despite the position they
4 take if it's different from other speaker's
5 positions.
6 A certified court reporter is here to
7 transcribe the hearing. She cannot record two
8 people speaking at one time.
9 Therefore, if I have a question for
10 you, please stop speaking and do not begin to
11 answer my question until I have completed it,
12 so the court reporter can take the full
13 complete question and answer.
14 When you're called upon to speak,
15 please step up to the microphone, state your
16 name for the record, spell your complete name,
17 and state your affiliation with the Peabody
18 Elementary School.
19 I also ask that at the very beginning,
20 you inform me of your position as either in
21 favor or against or neutral position regarding
22 the proposal of closing Peabody Elementary
23 School.
24 Following the public hearing, pursuant
6
1 to state law and the rules promulgated by the
2 board governing this hearing, I will prepare
3 and submit to the CEO a written recommendation
4 and summary of the public comments and
5 documents received at this hearing this
6 evening.
7 The CEO will receive that record and
8 any recommendation submitted to the board for
9 consideration by the CEO.
10 Finally, the record in this case will
11 remain open until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow for
12 persons to submit any written materials they
13 want me to consider and make a part of the
14 record.
15 Those materials should be submitted to
16 Miguel Rodriguez in the CPS law department via
17 facsimile at area code 773-553-1769. Materials
18 submitted after that time will not be
19 considered in my recommendation of report.
20 The report will be issued sometime
21 before the February board meeting.
22 Will the first representative from CPS
23 please come forward. I believe it is Luis
24 Rodriguez. And if you can, Mr. Rodriguez,
7
1 introduce any of the staff who will be
2 testifying on behalf of CPS.
3 MR. L. RODRIGUEZ: Thank you, Mr. Hearing
4 Officer.
5 Good evening. For the record, my name
6 is Luis, L-U-I-S Rodriguez, R-O-D-I-G-U-E-Z. I
7 am an attorney for the Chicago Board of
8 Education's law department.
9 Before I begin my opening, I would
10 kindly ask the interpreters to step to the
11 podium and state their names and spell their
12 title beginning with the Spanish interpreter.
13 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: Good afternoon.
14 For the record, my name is Jay Nazario.
15 That's J-A-Y, N-A-Z-A-R-I-O, I am a certified
16 representative of Cook County.
17 MR. L. RODRIGUEZ: Thank you. As well as
18 the interpreter for the hearing impaired.
19 MS. CABERS: Good evening. My name is
20 Jean, J-E-A-N, Cabers, C-A-B-E-R-S.
21 MR. L. RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.
22 Mr. Hearing Officer, I'm appearing
23 before you today in connection with the
24 proposal of the chief executive officer of the
8
1 Chicago Public Schools to close Elizabeth
2 Peabody Elementary School.
3 At this time, I would like to tender to
4 you a binder of documents being submitted for
5 your consideration in support of the CEO's
6 proposal.
7 A true and correct copy of this binder
8 is available here in board chambers on the
9 ledge to my right for public viewing.
10 I also ask permission, Mr. Hearing
11 Officer, to read the table of contents in the
12 binder into the record at this time.
13 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Please proceed.
14 MR. L. RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.
15 The binder consists of the following
16 documents: At Tab A, you will find notices of
17 hearing.
18 Specifically, Tab A-1 notice letters to
19 the (a), parents; (b), principal; (c) assistant
20 principal; (d), teachers and staff members; and
21 (e), local school council members of Elizabeth
22 Peabody Elementary School.
23 Tab A-2, notice letters to the (a),
24 principal; and (b), local school council
9
1 members of Rodolfo Lozano Elementary School.
2 Tab A-3, notice letters to the (a),
3 principal; and (b), local school council
4 members of William B. Ogden Elementary School.
5 Tab A-4, notice letters to the
6 principal and local school council members of
7 Talcott Elementary School.
8 At Tab A-5, is an affidavit from Devin
9 F. McFarland, project manager to the deputy
10 chief executive officer regarding mail and
11 personal delivery of all notices on or about
12 January 13, 2009.
13 At Tab A-6, public notice of the
14 hearing and community meeting by newspaper
15 publication and (a), Hoy newspaper published in
16 Spanish beginning January 20, 2009; (b), LaRaza
17 Weekly Newspaper also published in Spanish
18 beginning January 23, 2009; (c), the Chicago
19 Sun-Times and (d), the Chicago Tribune both
20 published in English beginning January 19,
21 2009.
22 At Tab B, you will find relevant legal
23 and procedural documents. Specifically, at Tab
24 B-7, Chapter 105 of the Illinois Compiled
10
1 Statutes, Act 5, Section 3418, which enumerates
2 the powers and duties of the board.
3 Tab B-8, Chicago Board of Educations'
4 policy on the closing of schools.
5 Tab A-9, Chicago Board of Educations'
6 policy on the review and establishment of
7 school attendance boundaries.
8 Tab B-10, the chief executive officers
9 procedures for hearings on proposed school
10 closings, consolidation, attendance area
11 boundary changes or reconstitutions.
12 At Tab C, are documents and written
13 evidence in support of closing Elizabeth
14 Peabody Elementary School.
15 Specifically, at Tab C-11 is a map of
16 attendance area changes associated with the
17 proposal to close Elizabeth Peabody Elementary
18 School.
19 Tab C-12, graphs representing the
20 enrollment history of 2001 through '02 to 2008
21 to '09 of (a), Elizabeth Peabody; (b) Rodolfo
22 Lozano and (c) Talcott Elementary Schools.
23 Tab C-13, a report of impact on racial
24 composition and stability resulting from the
11
1 closing of Elizabeth Peabody Elementary School,
2 excuse me.
3 And, finally, Tab C-14, which a written
4 statement of Mr. James Dispensa who is a
5 director of school demographics and planning of
6 the Chicago Public Schools.
7 Mr. Hearing Officer, at this time I
8 respectfully request that the binder be
9 admitted into the record.
10 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: It will be
11 admitted.
12 MR. L. RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.
13 I would now like to introduce the CEO's
14 representative, Mr. James Dispensa, who will
15 make a statement in support of the CEO's
16 proposal. Mr. Dispensa's statement is located
17 in the binder at C-14.
18 Mr. Dispensa.
19 MR. DISPENSA: Thank you. And good
20 evening, Mr. Hearing Officer.
21 My name is James Dispensa, and I am the
22 director of school demographics and planning
23 for the Chicago Public Schools.
24 My responsibilities include undertaking
12
1 school demographics studies and enrollment
2 projections and the monitoring of space
3 utilization of the public school facilities
4 located throughout Chicago.
5 The chief executive officer has asked
6 me to appear at this hearing today to convey to
7 you and to the parents, staff members, and
8 local school council members of Peabody
9 Elementary School, as well as interested
10 members of the public in attendance,
11 information relevant to the proposal to close
12 Peabody for reasons associated with the space
13 utilization.
14 The Peabody Elementary School is
15 located at 1444 West Agusta Boulevard. And to
16 fully understand the under enrollment situation
17 of Peabody and the resulting in low space
18 utilization, I would like to take a few moments
19 to present the recent enrollment trends
20 associated with the school.
21 The line graph on the screen before you
22 represents the decline in Peabody's enrollment
23 since 2001.
24 During the 2001/2 school year,
13
1 Peabody's enrollment of 459 represented a
2 utilization of 61 percent, and since then the
3 school's enrollment declined an annual average
4 rate of 7 percent to the point where its
5 enrollment is today, 265 represents the
6 utilization rate of 35 percent.
7 If Peabody were to be closed, its
8 attendance area would be assigned to Lozano
9 Elementary School, which is located at 1424
10 North Cleaver Street; Talcott Elementary
11 School, which is located at 1840 West Ohio
12 Street; and Ogden Elementary School, which is
13 located at 24 West Walton Street.
14 Copies of these attendance areas and
15 the proposed changes were made available today,
16 and there is also a copy in the binder.
17 The line graph on the screen before you
18 now represents the decline in Lozano's
19 enrollment since 2001. During the
20 2001/'02 school year, all Lozano's enrollment
21 of 613 represents a utilization rate of 47
22 percent. Since then, the school's enrollment
23 declined from at an annual average rate of
24 6 percent to the point where its enrollment
14
1 today 410 represents the utilization rate of
2 31 percent.
3 The line graph on the screen before you
4 now represents the decline in Talcott's
5 enrollment since 2001. During the
6 2001/'02 school year, Talcott's enrollment of
7 661 represented a utilization rate of
8 54 percent.
9 And since then, that school's
10 enrollment declined in the annual average rate
11 of 3 percent to the point where its enrollment
12 today of 537 represents the utilization rate of
13 44 percent.
14 All students attending Peabody and
15 residing within with Peabody attendance area,
16 will be transferred to either Lozano or Talcott
17 should the board approve this proposal.
18 Although as noted, a small portion of
19 Peabody attendance area east of the expressway
20 would be assigned to the Ogden Elementary
21 School. There are no public school students
22 currently residing within that area. And so,
23 therefore, no existing Peabody students would
24 be transferred to Ogden.
15
1 Any student who does not wish to be
2 transferred to their neighborhood -- excuse me
3 attendance area school may request a transfer
4 to another school under the board's policy on
5 enrollment and the transfer of students to the
6 Chicago Public Schools.
7 Currently, there are 188 students
8 attending Peabody who also reside within the
9 Peabody area. Fifty-five of these students
10 would be transferred to Lozano, which would
11 increase its space utilization from 31 percent
12 to 36 percent. And 133 of these students would
13 be transferred and reassigned to Talcott, which
14 would increase its space utilization from
15 44 percent to 55 percent. Lozano and Talcott
16 would easily be able to accommodate these
17 students.
18 The remaining 77 students who currently
19 attend Peabody but reside outside of the
20 Peabody boundary, would return to their
21 neighborhood school. And, again, any student
22 that does not wish to be transferred to their
23 neighborhood attendance area school, may
24 request a transfer to another school under the
16
1 board's policy on enrollment and transfer of
2 students in the Chicago Public Schools.
3 Where appropriate, students with
4 individualized education plans and students
5 participating in the Homeless Education Program
6 who currently attend Peabody will receive
7 additional placements from CPS staff.
8 Also, students enrolled in the Homeless
9 Education Program may have other school
10 enrollment options.
11 All students would be advised of their
12 specific school assignments and options and
13 letters to their parents, if the board approves
14 the closing of Peabody.
15 The proposed closing of Peabody
16 Elementary School and the assignment of some of
17 its students to Lozano and Talcott would have
18 no significant impact on the racial composition
19 and stability of the schools.
20 In terms of racial composition and
21 stability, the option of maintaining the status
22 quo offers neither an advantage nor
23 disadvantage over the option of closing the
24 school.
17
1 While other alternatives were examined,
2 no alternatives effected the resulting racial
3 ethnic distribution of the students.
4 Thank you, Mr. Hearing Officer. This
5 concludes my statement.
6 MR. L. RODRIGUEZ: Mr. Hearing Officer,
7 that concludes the presentation in support of
8 the CEO's proposal. If you have any
9 additional questions, we will be available to
10 answer them.
11 Thank you for your time and for your
12 attention.
13 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. Thank
14 you.
15 I do have one question.
16 Pursuant to the closing of schools
17 policy, it states that no schools will be
18 closed and if they would violate any of the
19 second amended consent decree in the matter of
20 U.S. versus Board of Education. Is it the
21 school board's position whether this proposal
22 will or will not violate that policy?
23 MR. DISPENSA: It is --
24 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Or consent
18
1 decree I should say.
2 MR. DISPENSA: Yes, it is the position or
3 it is the district's position that this
4 proposal would not violate any of those
5 conditions within the decree.
6 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. Thank
7 you.
8 I have no further questions at this
9 time.
10 MR. DISPENSA: Thank you.
11 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: At this point,
12 I would like to proceed by calling on the --
13 excuse me? I would like to proceed with the
14 people for public speaking. I will like to
15 take one individual sort of out of order as a
16 courtesy to our public officials. I usually
17 allow them the opportunity to speak first
18 based on their busy schedule. And other
19 meetings that they usually attend to. So I
20 will -- I understand that Alderman Burnett is
21 here. I would like to say a few words so I
22 would like at this point to give the alderman
23 that opportunity.
24 MR. BURNETT: Thank you very much, sir.
19
1 I am Walter Burnett of the 27th ward.
2 I represent Peabody, but also represent
3 Carpenter School and also Schiller School.
4 I have been in several conversations
5 with members from the board of education in
6 regards of the schools.
7 We haven't come to any final conclusion
8 on any of them at this time. I just want to
9 state for the record as it stands right now,
10 I'm not in full support of the closings of
11 these schools right now. Maybe after some more
12 deliberation and talking, for instance, just on
13 this map, I have the child with a -- situation
14 because I just was notified the other day that,
15 you know, Ogden -- Ogden was going to maybe be
16 a high school.
17 So I am a little confused about the
18 maps, they talk about two different schools. I
19 want to make sure that the schools from our
20 ward are able to go to these schools actually
21 haven't heard from the parents of Peabody at
22 this time, and we will also hear what they have
23 to say. I have heard from the parents from
24 Carpenter School, and I haven't heard from any
20
1 parents from Schiller School, but I am
2 concerned about all these schools. And my main
3 concern is that the young people from my ward
4 that I represent can get education in whatever
5 good school is in our area that our children
6 get the best education that they can get.
7 Also, I am concerned about the
8 challenge with -- even with the Peabody
9 boundaries, the cutting off at Milwaukee Avenue
10 will cut off a large housing development that
11 they currently walk across the street and go to
12 Peabody, which is called Logan Square
13 Cooperative, which is one of the first
14 cooperatives in the City of Chicago. And most
15 of those children walk right over and go to
16 that school, and I don't understand how they --
17 you know, how they just get mapped out and
18 boundaries change a little bit and living right
19 next to it.
20 So there's a concern there with the
21 proximity with the school that they may end up
22 having to go to.
23 And from what I understand, from some
24 of the discussions that we've had that whatever
21
1 happens with Peabody that the children from
2 first to fourth grade will still be able to go
3 to Peabody but is -- go to eighth grade that
4 may not be able to go to Peabody, then they
5 have it to go to these other schools.
6 And I'm concerned about the safety of
7 children traveling distance specifically, from
8 the Milwaukee and Division walking all the way
9 over to Talcott, Lozano, whatever the case may
10 be.
11 So I still have some concerns at this
12 point. I am not in full support of it as of
13 yet.
14 Hopefully we can work on some things to
15 make sure some of those things are taken care
16 of.
17 And then also I just have the
18 permission of my state representative, one of
19 my state representatives, Soto, right now who
20 is not in support of it either.
21 And she would continue to be talking
22 with the board of education along with myself
23 to try and reassure people from our ward and
24 her district that we try to reassure our kids
22
1 get the best education we can get.
2 Thank you very much.
3 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Thank you,
4 Alderman.
5 Next speaker will be Marilyn Stuart.
6 Is she here? Okay. The pillars got in the
7 way. Okay. I can call you later if you want.
8 MS. STUART: Yeah, let's do that.
9 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay.
10 MS. STUART: Thank you.
11 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. I will
12 just -- let's see, Erika Flowers.
13 MS. FLOWERS: My name is Erica Flowers.
14 The correct spelling is E-R-I-C-A, Flowers,
15 F-L-O-W-E-R-S.
16 Greetings to all.
17 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: I'm sorry. Can
18 I also ask your affiliation? Are you a
19 parent, teacher?
20 MS. FLOWERS: I am a parent.
21 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: A parent. And
22 then, of course, if you can state at the
23 beginning whether you're against the proposal
24 or for the proposal or neutral.
23
1 MS. FLOWERS: I am against the proposal.
2 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. Then
3 proceed. Thank you.
4 MS. FLOWERS: Okay.
5 Well, I am a proud parent of a third
6 grader of Peabody Elementary School. I feel
7 that closing of Peabody is detrimental to not
8 only to the students, but also to the staff.
9 And Peabody, Peabody is a very family-oriented
10 environment.
11 They say that they want to close
12 Peabody due to utilization, but I feel as CPS
13 student, which has been through respective
14 classrooms, overcrowded classrooms, I feel that
15 the smaller setting of the classrooms would
16 give the students opportunity to excel
17 academically, but I also feel character and
18 self-esteem. The closings of Peabody means
19 that children who attend -- I'm sorry -- who
20 attend Peabody and my child is
21 African-American, will be attending a bilingual
22 school, and I'm so against that.
23 Also, safety is a concern of mine. If
24 the students from Peabody -- there is a long
24
1 distance from Peabody. There is an additional
2 mile or mile and a half from Peabody to
3 Talcott, from Peabody to Lozano and I'm
4 concerned. They have to cross a main
5 intersection, which is not pretty safe. And
6 also there's seven registered sex offenders
7 that's in that area.
8 I don't think that CPS kind of have
9 that safety for the kids involved. I
10 understand the school has not been utilized as
11 far as CPS is concerned, but they have
12 academically excelled. They are --
13 MS. DANIELS: Your time is up, thank you.
14 MS. FLOWERS: Thank you.
15 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: I do apologize
16 in advance, but there are a number of people
17 who want to speak, so I am going to ask if
18 people can try to limit their comments to two
19 minutes. Or if there is a group
20 representative that can speak on behalf of a
21 number of you, then we can entertain or I can
22 entertain a little more time for that
23 individual who's speaking for a number of you
24 just want to make sure I get everybody who
25
1 signed up.
2 So the next speaker I have is Zaterrica
3 Flowers, Z-A-T-E-R-R-I-C-A.
4 Again, if you can spell your name, full
5 name, and your affiliation and whether you're
6 for or against before you proceed with your
7 comments.
8 Thank you.
9 ZATERRICA FLOWERS: Hello. My name is
10 Zaterrica Flowers, Z-A-T-E-R-R-I-C-A,
11 F-L-O-W-E-R-S.
12 I am a student in Peabody. I am
13 against Peabody closing. I want to say in my
14 opinion, I transferred to Peabody from another
15 school because my mom thought if I was in the
16 smaller setting, I would get more attention and
17 I have. I am now in third grade. I don't want
18 to go to another school. I have learned a lot
19 of things at Peabody. The teachers at Peabody
20 are so helpful and concerned. But at Elizabeth
21 Peabody Elementary School I have learned that
22 my mind is terrible thing to waste. That I can
23 go as far in life as I want.
24 Since I've been at Peabody I have also
26
1 learned that -- and if I don't understand and I
2 know to just ask. This is why I want Peabody
3 to stay open, so please don't close our school
4 and things.
5 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. Thank
6 you.
7 Our next speaker is Frederico Flores,
8 Junior.
9 MR. FLORES: Good evening, I'm Frederico
10 Flores, Junior, principal of Peabody
11 Elementary School. F-R-E-D-E-R-I-C-O,
12 F-L-O-R-E-S.
13 You are proposing to close a very
14 successful elementary school. Research shows
15 that small schools work. Out of 324 CPS
16 schools, on the NCL improvement status watch
17 list, we are one of only eight to be removed.
18 These numbers tell you how difficult a
19 task this is and how great our school is, and
20 it did not matter that we have 99 percent
21 population with free and reduced lunch.
22 Our ISAT scores have gone up seven in
23 the last eight years including the last five
24 years. We have a rigorous academic curriculum
27
1 and keep high expectations for all students.
2 We offer a healthy, safe, and supportive
3 learning environment. No school can be
4 successful unless their students, staff, and
5 parents work together on focused goals.
6 I publicly want to thank parents and
7 staffs for all their hard work, their
8 determination to have children succeed in going
9 the extra step it takes to reach our goals.
10 I am proud of all the success we
11 achieved because of you. Our parents may be
12 poor but they, too, can see what is going to
13 happen here. Our school has prime real estate
14 value and has become a target. If our school
15 is closed for under enrollment it will surely
16 be reopened right away as another type of
17 school serving other CPS students and a huge
18 push will be made to increase the enrollment.
19 Academically, successful schools should not be
20 closed, period.
21 Peabody has done our part to make CPS
22 premier urban school system in Chicago in
23 America. I don't see this goal, how this goal
24 will be reached when it's closing down
28
1 successful schools like ours. We deserve a
2 better faith, and over 1,000 signatures on
3 these petitions agree.
4 Thank you.
5 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Mr. Flores,
6 just for the record, you're against the
7 proposal?
8 MR. FLORES: Yes.
9 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay.
10 MR. FLORES: Can I enter these into
11 the --
12 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Yes, you can,
13 yes, you can. Can you -- and for anybody
14 else who has any written statements, please
15 feel free even if you read them you can leave
16 them with us so we can incorporate that as
17 part of the record as well.
18 The next speaker is Don Brown.
19 MR. BROWN: Good evening. My name is Don
20 Brown, B-R-O-W-N. I am here in the capacity
21 of Peabody principal for a day candidate. I
22 have been privileged to have the opportunity
23 to come to Peabody three out of the last four
24 years and principal of the day, for a day
29
1 program.
2 And I have been very, very impressed
3 with the students, staff, the faculty and the
4 administration of that school.
5 It clearly is a warm and generous
6 environment where the children prosper and have
7 been prospering. I have seen that over the
8 time that I've been exposed to the hallways
9 there at that school.
10 I instituted something my first time
11 through there challenging the children to come
12 to school so that they could learn and,
13 obviously, it has been working, not because of
14 my effort but because of the staff's effort.
15 And I know it's been working because at the end
16 of the year, they have been sponsoring a
17 luncheon for those students with complete
18 attendance.
19 And there have been a number of
20 students who have never missed a day of class,
21 which says a lot to me that they're getting the
22 support they need in that institution to
23 succeed. And, obviously, we have heard from
24 Mr. Flores' comments about the statistics
30
1 relating to the academic performance and those
2 are the statistics that I think should make a
3 difference to this here to make this decision.
4 The statistics about utilization of
5 space are one thing, but that doesn't say
6 anything about what's happening to the students
7 and what is best for them. And I think that
8 the track record of Peabody School, given its
9 administration, given its dedicated staff, and
10 its dedicated faculty speaks for itself and it
11 sort of leads me to the conclusion of, if it's
12 not broken, it doesn't need to be fixed.
13 I think Peabody School, if it closes,
14 will be a travesty to the administration of
15 Chicago Public Schools in the sense that they
16 have a very good self-sustaining school with
17 good academic production, and it should remain
18 open.
19 Thank you.
20 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Next speaker,
21 Paradise Cozey. P-A-R-A-D-I-S-E, C-O-S-E-Y.
22 Well, it's my understanding that -- if
23 there's students involved, we do want to
24 protect the names and identifications of the
31
1 students, however, it's going to be very
2 difficult when the name I call I won't know
3 if it's a student or not.
4 So is there a parent --
5 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: I have her
6 permission slip. I'm her teacher.
7 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Oh, okay. Do
8 you have a permission from the parent? Okay.
9 I just want to make sure that -- because this
10 will be made part of the public record and I
11 want to make sure that the parents do consent
12 to having the child --
13 (Simultaneous colloquy.)
14 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: I have three
15 students here and all of their permission
16 slips.
17 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. If you
18 could hand that... okay. Very well.
19 You can proceed.
20 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Should she spell
21 her name?
22 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Yes, if she can
23 spell her name and then identification in
24 terms of, I am assuming student and also if
32
1 she is for or against the proposal.
2 PARADISE COSEY: My name is Paradise
3 Cosey.
4 THE COURT REPORTER: I need her to speak
5 up.
6 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. I'm
7 sorry to interrupt. I want to make sure we
8 get you as part of the record. If you can
9 either get closer to the microphone or speak
10 louder.
11 PARADISE COSEY: My name is Paradise
12 Cosey, P-A-R-A-D-I-S-E, C-O-S-E-Y.
13 I am a student and I am against --
14 there are a hundred reasons I can tell you not
15 to close Peabody Schools, but we only have two
16 minutes.
17 Peabody is a place that I feel safe,
18 secure, and comfortable. We also know that we
19 are safe at Peabody. We have a security system
20 that keeps out strangers, we have crossing
21 guards and --
22 THE COURT REPORTER: I'm sorry. I can't
23 understand her.
24 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Excuse me,
33
1 Paradise. I'm sorry. The Court Reporter
2 can't understand what you are saying. So if
3 you can slow down as well.
4 THE COURT REPORTER: I need her to go
5 back to crossing guards.
6 PARADISE COSEY: And sometimes we walk in
7 there is also a security guard or a staff
8 member in the hallway that can always see
9 what we are doing. There are no problems in
10 the hallways or classrooms. That happens
11 because we always know we can go to the
12 teachers if we have some problems.
13 The teachers are really kind and always
14 prepared to teach us lots of things. My
15 teacher shows us right from wrong. She always
16 reminds us that we are going to be learning
17 meaningful stuff in life. She works really
18 hard to get us to ISAT testing. Even when we
19 don't feel like doing it, she always has a way
20 to start a lesson. We always have a lot of fun
21 activities after school like games, clubs, and
22 computer clubs --
23 THE COURT REPORTER: I'm sorry. And
24 what?
34
1 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: I'm sorry.
2 Repeat that last one.
3 PARADISE COSEY: Fun activities after
4 school like, dance, art club, and computer
5 club, these things are important to us
6 because we are learning and having fun at the
7 same time.
8 Learning how to do all these things has
9 kept us from being lazy and what at home. This
10 is where real people care about us and wants us
11 to succeed. It is where we know we can do our
12 best.
13 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: The next
14 speaker, Marie Lacko, L-A-C-K-O.
15 MS. LACKO: I am Marie Lacko, M-A-R-I-E,
16 L-A-C-K-O.
17 I am a teacher at Peabody school, and I
18 am against it being closed.
19 Peabody school should remain open.
20 Peabody is the success story. We have the
21 community school whose score increased
22 137 percent over the last eight years.
23 So that's not only 70 percent of our
24 students meet our state -- exceed state
35
1 standards.
2 The school made annual yearly progress,
3 received improving schools award in the state
4 and a letter of congratulations of the state
5 superintendent of education. We are one of
6 only nine CPS schools that have been removed
7 from the "no child left behind" needs
8 improvement list. Why then is the Chicago
9 Board of Education proposing to close our
10 school and 324 other CPS schools remain on the
11 needs to improve list?
12 Many of these schools are under
13 utilized and not making the grade. We are
14 making the grade. Peabody has implemented the
15 six critical areas of economic improvement,
16 which research funded by the state board of
17 education has shown our necessary school
18 improvement.
19 The administration and teachers have
20 worked to develop a safe and positive, teach
21 students in a positive learning environment.
22 We offer a variety of programs that
23 support student and school improvement.
24 Our teachers have become a teaching
36
1 team through study groups and the use of best
2 practices and scientific -- math, reading and
3 science programs.
4 Instruction is based on individual
5 student needs. Parents and the community are
6 supportive and involved.
7 MS. DANIELS: Please conclude.
8 MS. LACKO: Teachers, staff, and parents
9 have worked together to make a difference.
10 Thank you.
11 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Our next
12 speaker Lisa Lane.
13 MS. LANE: My name is Lisa Lane, L-I-S-A,
14 L-A-N-E.
15 I am a special education teacher at
16 Peabody School and I am against the closing.
17 I am here to address what the academic
18 grains of special education students and the
19 findings of the Illinois State Board of
20 Education Special Education Audit conducted in
21 2008.
22 The Peabody class of 2008 ISAT scores
23 for math indicate that three of the top five
24 students scores were those of special ed
37
1 children, results in Peabody special ed
2 students making the most gains in math for area
3 based schools.
4 Test scores also indicate that special
5 education scores for both reading and math
6 continued to improve yearly.
7 The findings of the Illinois State
8 Board of Education Special Education Audit
9 indicate all files reviewed show documentation
10 of age and grade appropriate curriculum and
11 instructional strategies. All placement begins
12 with the least restricted environment.
13 All general and special education
14 teachers plan curricula and school activities,
15 and collaborative teams.
16 Parents are always welcome to feel free
17 to discuss their child's progress with the
18 teacher and staff, the principal, the school
19 staff, and local school council conduct
20 planning to assure that students with
21 disabilities are provided opportunities for
22 integration with non-disabled peers.
23 It was also suggested by one of the
24 team consultants that Peabody be recommended as
38
1 a model school for inclusion and team teaching.
2 Peabody students who are designated in
3 special needs go onto high school city wide
4 better prepared because they were taught a
5 grade level within an inclusive setting.
6 To close, special education students at
7 Peabody are finding they can be successful in
8 the classroom because they are being taught in
9 a smaller setting by teachers who believe in
10 the least restrictive environment and
11 collaborative in teaching models who are not
12 likely practiced throughout other Chicago
13 public schools.
14 Thank you.
15 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: The next
16 speaker is Sheila Vaultz-Polli.
17 MS. VAULTZ-POLLI: Good afternoon, I'm --
18 my name is Sheila Vaultz-Polli. That's
19 S-H-E-L-I-A V-A-U-L-T-Z - P-O-L-L-I.
20 I am against Peabody being closed. I
21 am a third grade teacher, second/third grade
22 teacher at Peabody.
23 I would like to present this letter of
24 recommendation or letter of statistics of
39
1 things that I am about to talk about.
2 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. Thank
3 you.
4 MS. VAULTZ-POLLI: I would like to
5 address some of the issues and concerns that
6 I have if Peabody school is closed. The main
7 concern I have has to deal with the safety of
8 our students.
9 If Peabody were to close, students
10 would be asked to cross very dangerous
11 intersections in order to reach either Lozano
12 or Talcott. It is not fair to ask our students
13 to walk eight blocks to Lozano or even walk
14 over a mile to Talcott if our neighborhood
15 school is the closest.
16 What would happen if the -- in case of
17 bad weather -- or even daylight saving time
18 will our children be able to attend
19 after-school educational activities or sport
20 activities at those schools?
21 Our students are at the 99 percent
22 poverty level and have -- how these students or
23 parents pay for transportation. There's also
24 the problem of gangs and violence from
40
1 different communities, and it's been
2 documented, the document that I gave you, that
3 showing that students -- if a school is closed
4 down and those students are transferred into a
5 different school, safety is the major problem
6 or major concern.
7 When students are forced to travel from
8 one neighborhood to another the child will have
9 to deal with gangs from other communities or
10 different gangs within that area.
11 The interaction between the income of
12 transfer students and those of a receiving
13 school sometimes tend to escalate into violent
14 confrontation.
15 MS. DANIELS: Ma'am, please, conclude.
16 MS. VAULTZ-POLLI: I would like very much
17 to say, to me, Peabody is a community school,
18 we would like very much for our school to
19 stay open.
20 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Thank you.
21 The next speaker is Olga Giglia.
22 MS. GIGLIA: Giglia.
23 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Giglia.
24 MS. GIGLIA: Hello. My name is Olga
41
1 Giglia. That's O-L-G-A, Gilia G-I-G-L-I-A.
2 I am a bilingual teacher at the Peabody
3 Elementary School and I most definitely am
4 against closing of Peabody Elementary School.
5 I'm asking the Board of Education to
6 reconsider the closing of Peabody Elementary
7 School. Peabody -- the closing of Peabody
8 would be a mistake for our community. This
9 will divide and separate the children in this
10 neighborhood school, which served and
11 educates -- this school serves and educates
12 student body made up of approximately 70
13 percent Hispanic and about 30 percent
14 African-American.
15 Of these children, roughly 40 percent
16 are considered English language learned.
17 English language learned meaning that these
18 children's home language is not English and
19 their English is very limited.
20 Our faculty is made up of a lot of --
21 approximately 50 percent being Hispanic like
22 myself.
23 I am a Hispanic -- I am of the Hispanic
24 descent, a bi-lingual teacher, and I have been
42
1 teaching at Peabody for approximately 18 years.
2 I have worked with the -- for almost my
3 entire career.
4 Our children do come from about
5 99 percent, as stated before, low-income
6 families.
7 Yet, with these odds against our
8 school, our school has managed to show great
9 improvement in the area of academics. Our
10 teachers have been involved in extensive
11 training scientifically based reading and math
12 programs. We have brought this new knowledge
13 into practice in the classroom, and it is
14 obviously working because our school has
15 continued to improve year after year.
16 I am amazed and impressed with the
17 progress and achievement of these children.
18 Considering the fact --
19 MS. DANIELS: Time.
20 MS. GIGLIA: Yes. Considering the fact
21 that these children come in with very little
22 knowledge of English and were not a specialty
23 school like a gifted or magnet school our
24 school is still doing a super job. We take
43
1 pride in nurturing all our students in
2 helping them achieve their best on a daily
3 basis. So if we're doing such a super job
4 showing continuous growth in academics, why
5 are we closing, why are we putting an end to
6 this progress, please reconsider.
7 Thank you.
8 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: The next
9 speaker is a student Selena Guevas. And I do
10 have the permission slip.
11 If you can get the microphone close to
12 her so we can hear her for the record, she can
13 spell her name.
14 SELENA GUEVAS: My name is Selena Guevas.
15 S-E-L-E-N-A G-U-E-V-A-S.
16 Five decades ago my parents --
17 THE COURT REPORTER: I'm having a hard
18 time hearing her.
19 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: I'm sorry. I
20 don't want to interrupt, but the court
21 reporter is not -- can you please speak
22 either louder or closer to the microphone?
23 SELENA GUEVAS: Okay. Five decades ago
24 my parents moved into Peabody's neighborhood.
44
1 We have stayed in the neighborhood because
2 Peabody's in our community. Peabody was the
3 Head Start for -- to the elementary teachers.
4 Two generations, my brothers go to and
5 attended Peabody from kindergarten to eighth
6 grade. We are all -- this with great jobs. My
7 brothers and I learned English at Peabody,
8 which has given us double opportunities.
9 My mom receives extra payment at her
10 job because she is bilingual. She wants the
11 same experience for me. She wants us to walk
12 to school safely only a few houses away and on
13 the same path.
14 Please keep Peabody open.
15 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: The next
16 speaker is -- is it Larone is it B-R-I-N or
17 B-R-I-M? Do we also have a permission slip?
18 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: It was turned in.
19 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: I don't have --
20 oh, you do have a permission slip. Okay.
21 Can someone -- thank you.
22 LARONE BRIM: My name is Larone Brim,
23 L-A-R-O-N-E, B-R-I-M.
24 And I am against.
45
1 I speak for students and staff when I
2 say Peabody should stay open. Here at Peabody,
3 we work hard to improve and get good grades.
4 Some friends will be set apart, teachers will
5 have to look for new jobs, if Peabody closes
6 down.
7 Kids will have to travel three times as
8 far just to get to school and this past year
9 this school has improved. I have been here
10 since preschool, and I want to see the day I
11 graduate from Elizabeth Peabody school.
12 Thank you.
13 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: And the next
14 speaker I have is Donna Brown.
15 MS. BROWN: Good evening. My name is
16 Donna Brown. D-O-N-N-A, B-R-O-W-N.
17 I am a sixth grade regular education
18 teacher at Peabody. And I am very against this
19 closing.
20 You've heard about our academic
21 achievement. I would like to share with you
22 some of the programs that we have that are
23 after school. Several other teachers will talk
24 to you about the in-school programs we have
46
1 found after having read a harder family
2 research project brief about the importance of
3 after-school programs and how they help
4 students who improve in academic achievement
5 and can improve in youth, soul, and development
6 outcomes. We have a lot of quality
7 partnerships.
8 To begin with, within 24 students in
9 grades five through eight participated in
10 Chicago area problem solvers. It's a
11 futuristic research reading and writing and
12 speaking programs, and the students are dealing
13 with issues that are going to be into their
14 regular use of coming up with futuristic
15 solutions.
16 They also raised the money for this to
17 pay for their city-wide competition because
18 they do travel twice.
19 We have our six, seven, and eighth
20 graders partake in the Chicago Conservation
21 Corps C3 Club. And for the second year they
22 have been recognized by the Chicago Department
23 of Environment as well as 83 schools to be the
24 CPS recycling target.
47
1 Then we have guitar lessons for the
2 fifth graders and every spring they perform at
3 House of Blues. We also have the boys' soccer
4 team that performed for the first time at
5 Montrose Harbor and the girls are waiting for
6 their team to reorganize.
7 This year we were the only Chicago
8 public school to have an animation class
9 through the Chicago International Children's
10 Film Festival and the children created a
11 five-minute piece that I will be giving to you
12 in this envelope.
13 We've also got an article, a year book
14 club, young authors, Peabody dancers in the
15 morning and dancers in the afternoon. We have
16 a new club, gardening club in the spring and
17 fall. And our garden received a second place
18 award this past year and one of our retired
19 special ed teachers has returned.
20 We offer lots of quality programs and
21 we really want to continue with these students.
22 Thank you very much.
23 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Our next
24 speaker is Zaria Brim and I do have the
48
1 permission slip.
2 ZARIA BRIM: Hello. My name is Zaria
3 Brim, Z-A-R-I-A, B-R-I-M.
4 I am in third grade. On behalf of my
5 family and I, we would like to say I believe
6 Peabody should stay open. I love it there and
7 I don't want to go to Lozano or Talcott school.
8 We will have to walk more than eight
9 blocks to Lozano or almost a mile to Talcott.
10 If Peabody stays open it will be a loss to our
11 education, the family, students, and staff. I
12 stand here today and want our school to have a
13 chance to stay open. I would love it if it
14 doesn't close. If Peabody should stay open, we
15 believe in our heart like friends that you have
16 to adore our friendships will be broken and we
17 have one of the teachers, too. You won't find
18 a good teacher like Ms. Program (phonetic).
19 I like Peabody because it is a really
20 good school. I want to graduate from my
21 school. I want to get a diploma for all the
22 hard work I've done. One day I want to look
23 back and say, I have graduated from Peabody
24 school and while I've been there I'll always
49
1 remember what was taught to me to prepare me
2 for the real world. I will be prepared for the
3 real world because I come to the school I love.
4 These are the petitions that were -- that
5 students decided to keep the school open.
6 Thank you for letting me speak out for my
7 school.
8 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Next speaker is
9 America Sherwood.
10 MS. SHERWOOD: My name is America
11 Sherwood. I am a first grade bi-lingual ASL
12 teacher and also a delegate -- high school.
13 I am against the school closing.
14 You know, the Peabody school teachers
15 belong to a family that cares deeply for the
16 children and their lives. We all know about
17 the needs of the community. Our success is not
18 accidental. Peabody is able to acquire many
19 donors, members of the school in Northbrook has
20 been our sister school for over ten years.
21 District 28 has donated unused
22 materials, books and computers for over 10
23 years.
24 On the Record Book Store donates new
50
1 books to primary and grade students -- there is
2 another donor from this area that gives us any
3 excess warehouse merchandise to use and prizes
4 for our positive behavior modification Bulldog
5 Buck Program.
6 They opened up the store yesterday and
7 today for the kids to purchase little gifts.
8 Complete turkey dinners are donated for
9 ten or more of our families to eat every year.
10 The children at our school do not just learn to
11 receive, but to give. They contribute to
12 UNICEF at Halloween time by using their little
13 boxes to put pennies in, they bring in canned
14 goods to donate to the Chicago Food Depository.
15 Our children at Peabody are acknowledged.
16 Children are chosen as students for the
17 month and parent involvement -- throughout the
18 year and they are given certificates and
19 awarded a pin.
20 We hold an award assembly to award good
21 grades and attendance every quarter and -- day.
22 Our school has a well-equipped program
23 that serves the community. Every year we hold
24 a science fair and contest. We utilize the
51
1 volunteers, the tutors, and are an extra pair
2 of hands in many activities.
3 Our school is internet wire connected
4 and we have two computer rooms set up. All
5 teachers have two or new computers in their
6 classrooms. We have security.
7 MS. DANIELS: Please finish.
8 MS. SHERWOOD: We have a security guard
9 plus a key entry, video alarm system for
10 protection.
11 Thank you very much.
12 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Our next
13 speaker is John Imperial.
14 MR. IMPERIAL: I'm John Imperial.
15 J-O-H-N, I-M-P-E-R-I-A-L.
16 I am a teacher at Peabody Elementary
17 School, and I am against closing the school.
18 Our academic program is enriched by
19 our -- to come during the day. All sixth,
20 seventh, and eighth graders follow the
21 guidelines of the Chicago Metro History
22 Education Center to prepare the annual history
23 fair projects. Several compete city-wide with
24 one or two projects advancing to the Illinois
52
1 State -- repaired each year.
2 Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders work
3 also over the project bill, the bill specialist
4 known to the students go to -- teaches the
5 students gang and drug awareness, decision
6 making skills, goal setting, values, and how to
7 deal with life's expectations.
8 Attorneys volunteer to the
9 Constitutional Rights Foundation to teach our
10 sixth graders lessons on laws, rights, and the
11 democratic process.
12 And all the six through eighth graders
13 participate in the abstinence class taught by
14 Resurrection Hospital and sex education class
15 taught about --
16 Since 1995, our students participated
17 in youth visions. This program enables
18 students, art students' art to be publicly
19 displayed along with several other schools.
20 Seven years ago Peabody began hosting
21 the Rtiz Hor Lunch Program. For an hour once
22 each week representatives from several
23 corporations within the city are brought to
24 Peabody to read -- to read one on one with
53
1 students.
2 From this very program Peabody has
3 adopted two other programs that it offers. We
4 now host the early childhood program, and
5 workplace mentoring programs. The early
6 childhood program is similar to Hor lunch, the
7 only difference being that age group.
8 The workplace mentoring has been an
9 outstanding program because Rtiz buses our
10 students --
11 MS. DANIELS: Please conclude.
12 MR. IMPERIAL: -- to receive one on one
13 tutoring in a workplace environment. Because
14 we have the most of all area programs,
15 Peabody has become a Rtiz model school.
16 Thank you very much.
17 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Next speaker is
18 Gladys Nunez.
19 MS. NUNEZ: My name is Gladys Nunez,
20 G-L-A-D-Y-S, N-U-N-E-Z. And I am a teacher
21 from Peabody school, and I am opposed to the
22 closing of the school.
23 I am -- what Mr. Imperial (phonetic)
24 was just talking about some of the programs and
54
1 services at our schools offers.
2 In conclusion, our children are to help
3 others through our American project raising
4 funds for St. Judes Children's Hospital,
5 Pennies for Peace for school children and -- to
6 help less fortunate families. Teachers make
7 grants to bring more materials to our school.
8 This year alone grants from Donors Choice have
9 provided a musical keyboard and a sewing
10 machine. Students will receive both musical
11 instruction and sewing lessons through our
12 connected math programs in sixth grade.
13 Also five teachers participated in the
14 Shelly Program now called Founders (phonetic)
15 Readers. After many hours of professional
16 development, teachers order up to $500 worth of
17 trained goods for the classroom. This is
18 exciting for our students when the new math
19 books arrive --
20 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. Can
21 you either slow down or --
22 MS. NUNEZ: Every student wrote a
23 personal letter to Santa and then Santa
24 arrived with a gift for every student. That
55
1 worked out and our -- with a $25 gift
2 certificate to use at Crate and Barrel
3 stores. This was overwhelming generous
4 programs that caused joy to everyone.
5 The science mobile from the University
6 of Illinois visits primary classes annually.
7 Our second and third grade has started -- each
8 program and the entire school --
9 MS. DANIELS: Please conclude.
10 MS. NUNEZ: -- and gets generally -- and
11 generally holds the new born chicks before
12 they are returned to the farm.
13 Peabody is a wonderful nourishing place
14 both during and after school. Our small
15 setting has allowed our students to grow in so
16 many ways.
17 Thank you.
18 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Thank you.
19 Mrs. Stuart, I know you offered to
20 listen to the students. I'm not sure if you
21 want me to proceed or do you want me to -- you
22 know, what your -- okay.
23 MS. STUART: Thank you.
24 My name is Marilyn Stuart, president of
56
1 the Chicago Teachers' Union. I also want
2 everybody to know that I am proud of Chicago
3 Public Schools. I am a veteran of special
4 education teacher in Chicago Public Schools
5 hard of hearing and handicapped students for
6 over 30 years.
7 What I'm hearing here is I have been to
8 several meetings and I am wondering are there
9 any school board members here -- the board
10 members that make the decision, are they here?
11 Because we're just waiting to hear if they're
12 still here. Absent?
13 The problem is with the transcripts is
14 you have to see what you're effecting because
15 when you read from a record, you talk about
16 under utilization and space allocation, these
17 are human beings, these are -- I -- my heart
18 breaks because, as a teacher, I know what
19 they're talking about. The board members,
20 business men, business men and woman don't know
21 that teaching education is about relationships.
22 We don't break a relationship like
23 this. The board members need to see it because
24 when you read it, you don't read materials, you
57
1 don't see the passion that people are talking
2 about. I heard a rumor, I don't like to hear
3 rumors, but someone told me that Peabody was
4 sold to low street charter before the court
5 hearing. Does anybody know if that's accurate?
6 No one can answer that.
7 They were talking about the mouths of
8 babes -- basically to paraphrase you're taking
9 the heart out of the neighborhood. Peabody is
10 the heart and education is about teaching our
11 students. Everything that they're talking
12 about is what we thought we were supposed to be
13 doing as teachers and administrators and
14 professionals in a public school system.
15 We're saying I understand, you know,
16 over and over we go over this, I have been
17 saying this since 2004. Now what you got here
18 today -- we had a demonstration yesterday
19 there's a movement going on. You got parents,
20 you got children, you got teachers, parents,
21 principals, unions are saying that what you're
22 doing is renaissance 2010. Is that about the
23 education of these children to renaissance for
24 somebody else. Obviously, it is not for the
58
1 children of the neighborhood. These teachers
2 100 percent certified, qualified. You tell
3 them -- hurdle to jump over. What else do you
4 want them to do? We're supposed to be
5 replicating this, not destroying it.
6 You can't -- you know, replicate but if
7 we're not talking about the education of every
8 child in Chicago, tell me what we're supposed
9 to be doing. Because education is not tearing
10 this down. You don't talk about space
11 utilization when we're talking about education.
12 This has nothing to do -- I am going to
13 be here again at 8:00 o'clock to tell -- I am
14 going to meet with Mr. Uberman (phonetic), I am
15 going to meet with the mayor, this is a fight
16 you have had a movement going on here. These
17 people will be here.
18 As I said before, because these
19 people -- some of them were not here last year
20 because their name was not on the list. No
21 school, no public school in Chicago is safe
22 under renaissance 2010 because as I said
23 earlier, that they will close a school that
24 they could -- with the new schools under
59
1 utilized, but you open the schools of 500
2 students but you close the school with 600
3 students.
4 They have a new building and they're
5 going to close -- so many schools are on the
6 list right now, there is an old school in front
7 of the new school. The new school is also
8 underutilized.
9 Why can't this school move a half mile
10 up there and -- I said closes the school. Next
11 year I bet that new school will be on the list
12 because they're also under utilized this year.
13 Now if they close the school, they're going to
14 give it to someone else, it is -- it seems to
15 be a new taxing system in the city. Find the
16 best building, then put money they put four
17 million dollars into a building, rehabbed it,
18 the archdioceses said, well, you have actually
19 paid -- you have at least 2013. They're
20 closing the building. It makes no sense.
21 When you commercialize education, it is
22 anti-students and teachers and unions.
23 You can't commercialize public
24 education and claim that you're about
60
1 education. And just because you have an
2 education does not mean you can dictate and
3 make educational policies.
4 The farther you get from the student is
5 representing what -- or work they do, the
6 farther you get from the student, the more
7 you're compensated. This is a -- I am rel -- I
8 feel like did I -- everywhere over and over
9 again we will be out here every month, every
10 month to protest what you're doing to
11 education. What you're doing to working people
12 who are sick and tired of being sick and tired
13 of what you call educational reform.
14 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Next speaker
15 Pam Nicandro-Osorio.
16 MS. NICANDRO-OSORIO: Good evening. My
17 name is Pam Nicandro-Osorio. It's P-A-M,
18 N-I-C-A-N-D-R-O, Osorio, O-S-O-R-I-O.
19 And I am against Peabody closing. I am
20 the fourth grade teacher. And I also have some
21 studies that I would like to give as evidence.
22 As we've stated, Peabody has made
23 tremendous gains over the last several years.
24 Has anyone stopped to think about how this
61
1 happened? Has anyone stopped to think that
2 Peabody is doing something right and that maybe
3 we should be a model for other schools instead
4 of being proposed to close?
5 Let's stop and look at Peabody. It is
6 like many other schools except it has a small
7 population and less than 300 students. Many
8 are doing that fact as a negative, but it is
9 actually a positive. It's the reason our
10 school is working and performing.
11 According to research, small schools
12 create intimate learning communities where
13 students are well known and to be supported by
14 adults who care about them.
15 This is true of Peabody. Because we
16 are small there is continuity throughout the
17 classrooms, which really lends itself to
18 greater student achievement and security. The
19 teachers and staff often have opportunity to
20 get to know their students before they reach
21 their classrooms and the opportunities to keep
22 working with them after they leave their
23 classrooms. With the limited amount of staff,
24 many of the state positions before and after
62
1 school for learning enrichment activities.
2 At Peabody, I am teaching either third
3 or fourth grade. But after school, I have been
4 working with first and second graders.
5 The first and second grade students are
6 able to get acquainted with me and understand
7 my expectations before they even arrive into my
8 classroom as a third or fourth grader. This
9 creates an ease for my students coming into a
10 new grade. With trust already built, I can
11 accomplish a lot at the beginning of the year.
12 Teachers of larger schools do not have that
13 luxury.
14 MS. DANIELS: Your time is up.
15 MS. NICANDRO-OSORIO: I can create a more
16 personalized education for them because I
17 already know what their strengths and --
18 MS. DANIELS: Ma'am, your time is up.
19 Thank you.
20 MS. NICANDRO-OSORIO: Just one more
21 thing.
22 There is a study that was acknowledged
23 by researchers that small schools, teachers
24 expected -- more students because they moved
63
1 them and -- better care about what happened to
2 them. And I'm sure there are students at
3 Peabody would say the same thing.
4 Thank you.
5 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: John Korbar,
6 K-O-R-B-A-R.
7 MR. KORBAR: Good evening. My name is
8 John Korbar. It's J-O-H-N, K-O-R-B-A-R and,
9 I'm a teacher at Peabody school, and I do
10 oppose the proposal.
11 As stated, our school has made several
12 improvements over the last few years. We have
13 increased our test scores dramatically. We
14 have built many partnerships with outside
15 organizations. We have created a learning
16 community that is so positive that teachers are
17 one of the lowest in the city. While many
18 families have been forced out of their
19 education, they choose to send their children
20 and drive long distances to Peabody.
21 We have educated generations of
22 families that continue to enroll their students
23 in our school year after year, decade after
24 decade. We have built a new play lot, added
64
1 new wiring for technology, updated our security
2 system, made improvements to our windows, roof,
3 and air systems, and landscaped our garden with
4 enough skill to win an award in our area.
5 We have exceeded the -- funds, research
6 states that small schools helped close the
7 student achievement gap.
8 In fact, small schools are so -- for
9 their successes, that the charter school
10 concept was based on this research.
11 Why close a successful neighborhood
12 school that is very imaged of what the city is
13 trying to create in the renaissance is 2010.
14 Currently Peabody elementary is housing
15 two buildings. It would be possible to
16 consolidate all our students into the larger
17 building and close the smaller building. This
18 smaller building --
19 MS. DANIELS: Sir, please, conclude.
20 MR. KORBAR: -- this building was built
21 as a temporary solution to ease over
22 crowding, like the early 70s. Back then with
23 fully utilized our children would not be put
24 through unduly stress and destruction of
65
1 their education at the moving -- cause
2 research on closing school should be -- gaps
3 stresses the importance of stable adult
4 relationships of a child. This is a major
5 factor in the student's capacity to engage
6 and benefit from their learning stable
7 environments where children feel they are
8 part of the community and learning process
9 discourages the disengagement that occurs and
10 element -- or excuse me, that starts with
11 elementary school, and leaves at high high
12 school dropout rates.
13 Our students should come before real
14 estate deals and political agendas.
15 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Our next
16 speaker is Vanessa Perez.
17 Do you have a permission slip? Well,
18 then can the parent speak first? Can the
19 parent identify herself and spell her name for
20 the record and acknowledge on the record that
21 you're giving permission.
22 VANESSA PEREZ: My name is Vanessa Perez
23 spelled V-A-N-E-S-S-A, P-E-R-E-Z.
24 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. But I
66
1 want -- if you can have the mom or mother
2 actually identify herself.
3 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: My name is Analuisa
4 Marquez.
5 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: And she gives
6 A-N-A-L-U-I-S-A, M-A-R-Q-U-E-Z.
7 Okay. And do you as the parent give
8 permission for your daughter to give public
9 testimony which would be part of the record?
10 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: Of course, I do.
11 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. Please
12 proceed.
13 VANESSA PEREZ: I am Vanessa Perez, and I
14 am very brave. The reason I don't want
15 Peabody to close is because --
16 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Excuse me. I'm
17 sorry to interrupt. Can you slow down and
18 just try and speak as clear as you can into
19 the microphone?
20 VANESSA PEREZ: I'm sorry.
21 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: That's okay.
22 VANESSA PEREZ: I think it is the best
23 school. I have planned to graduate from
24 there. I am willing to do anything in order
67
1 to keep our school open. It's close to my
2 house and the others are far away. The kids
3 that go to Peabody are sad with what's
4 happening to our school. Peabody is more
5 like a home to us.
6 These are the reasons why we are not
7 wanting it to be closed.
8 Thank you.
9 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Next speaker is
10 Debbi Winslow.
11 NEXT SPEAKER: Good evening. My name is
12 Deborah Winslow, D-E-B-O-R-A-H,
13 W-I-N-S-L-O-W.
14 I am a teacher at Peabody and I am
15 against the proposal to close our school.
16 -- opportunity studies have been quoted
17 and the facts seem it remains the same, closing
18 schools hurts students.
19 The City of Chicago studied CPS
20 students and determined that the students that
21 have moved over three times in the six years
22 can fall a full academic year behind stable
23 students. This would have the gains of rehab
24 and put our students at risk. Several of our
68
1 students came to Peabody after being displaced
2 and managed to stay on status.
3 They have just started to get
4 acclimated to our school and to our social
5 climate. They are very impressed to learn that
6 next year they will have to repeat this
7 upheaval by making new friends and new teachers
8 and adjusting to a new school. For these
9 students, closing Peabody results in two moves
10 in less than three years.
11 All said, Peabody is only one of nine
12 schools of Chicago that achieved the target set
13 by no child left behind.
14 With President Obama's recovery plan,
15 plus the biggest increase in federal money,
16 it's a shame that we would take a school that
17 is following in compliance and close it. CPS
18 is elected to receive over 5 million more
19 dollars to fund this. Why are we closing down
20 the school that is succeeding? We should be
21 modeled for the other schools that are not.
22 Unless, of course, the rumor is true
23 and we're set to be taken over by a charter
24 school. The alderman stressed that the plan of
69
1 proposing Peabody would only be a K through
2 four. That is actually the plan that the
3 startup charter school is next door to us as
4 one of our building for years.
5 It would be a shame that real estate
6 and political agendas come way before our
7 student's needs and needs of the community.
8 Thank you.
9 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: The next
10 speaker is Peter Simpson.
11 MR. SIMPSON: My name is Peter Simpson,
12 P-E-T-E-R, S-I-M-P-S-O-N.
13 I teach -- I am a teacher at Peabody as
14 well.
15 I am against the proposal.
16 I would like the hearing officers to
17 please reconsider the decisions to close
18 Peabody Elementary School. I would like to
19 remind you of all public studies even though
20 conducted by our own school board confirm a
21 strong correlation between the size of the
22 school and the -- achieves.
23 The community of Peabody is a
24 tight-knit family and has recognized the many
70
1 that walk through the door. You will see that
2 every person at the school from our security
3 officer, lunchroom personnel, office clerk, and
4 heart of our community, teachers, staff, to the
5 janitors knows a little something about each
6 student. I recognized that spirit the minute
7 that I entered Peabody as a substitute teacher
8 some nine years ago. I wanted to be a part of
9 that community.
10 Volumes of research are focused on the
11 the main magnet for the smaller school.
12 Students will not be invisible and will receive
13 personal attention, students will have less
14 exposure to violence and students have a
15 greater opportunity for teacher collaboration
16 around the students' individual needs.
17 Smaller schools are safer. The
18 national appearance on statistics report fewer
19 incidents in smaller schools. Don't all
20 students deserve the environment in which they
21 feel love, support, and safety?
22 Smaller urban schools are a great
23 neutralizer. Our students receive more
24 attention. Students have a better chance of
71
1 approaching the achievement graph. At Peabody,
2 we serve population at or below the poverty
3 level and make great strides in our
4 achievement.
5 Finally, our students have an advantage
6 and now the school board wants to close our
7 school.
8 Smaller schools are conducive to
9 work -- relationships among teaching
10 professionals.
11 Our school has an opportunity to
12 develop prosperous lessons, and can count on
13 parent and teachers to support our efforts.
14 Some alternatives please consider the --
15 MS. DANIELS: Sir, please, conclude.
16 MR. SIMPSON: -- consolidate all students
17 into one building. We have the capacity to
18 house all the classes and administrative
19 offices within the building. Consolidating
20 Carpenter to Peabody would create a school
21 within a school, and keep our school together
22 as a learning community within a whole
23 school. Thank you.
24 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: The next
72
1 speaker. Josiah Flomo. And I have a
2 permission slip.
3 JOSIAH FLOMO: Good afternoon, my name is
4 Josiah Flomo, J-O-S-I-A-H, F-L-O-M-O.
5 We are very nervous and upset about
6 Peabody closing. I would like to tell you
7 about the concerns the people in my class have
8 about the closing of our school.
9 Dashon (phonetic) is very worried about
10 getting to school safely. He has walked to
11 other schools in our area before and hasn't
12 seen crossing guards on a busy street. Getting
13 to other schools is a very long walk. He will
14 have to cross in the middle of busy streets by
15 himself and he wants to go somewhere else. He
16 wants to say that is totally not safe.
17 David came to Peabody from Anderson
18 School at the beginning of the year because
19 other schools closing. He knows a lot of
20 people at Peabody now and he really likes his
21 art classes. All the schools in the town keep
22 closing. He does not want to change schools
23 again.
24 Alex and the other kids in our class
73
1 feel a strong connection with Peabody because
2 their family members graduated from Peabody.
3 Alex told the class his family graduated from
4 Peabody, and he wants to do it, too.
5 Every kid here feels safe at Peabody.
6 There are no fights, no students will never do
7 that because Peabody is a good school. Our
8 students known to be safe, respectful, and
9 responsible.
10 Henry and -- here and are learning a
11 lot at Peabody. They talked about all the
12 interest and -- interesting and exciting things
13 they have done, like hatching chicks and
14 building volcanoes. And that teachers read
15 really great books to them. They know if they
16 will stay at Peabody, they will continue doing
17 these amazing things. Please hear us out. Do
18 not close Peabody. This is our home where we
19 feel safe and happy.
20 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Annie Camacho.
21 MS. CAMACHO: Good evening. I am Annie
22 Camacho. My name is spelled A-N-N-I-E,
23 C-A-M-A-C-H-O.
24 I am a 28-year veteran of Chicago
74
1 Public Schools. And I am proud to represent --
2 of Peabody Elementary School. I would like to
3 testify against the closing.
4 Peabody should not be closed because it
5 is a model school. It is the kind of model
6 school that the Chicago Board of Education has
7 been titled nationally on spending tons and
8 millions of dollars to replicate across the
9 City of Chicago.
10 It is the type of school that had
11 been -- traits in the research. Strong
12 educational leadership, high expectations, and
13 proven results.
14 For generations Peabody has educated
15 and continues to educate the children of hard
16 working families and -- today as the years
17 pass, Peabody exemplifies academic achievement.
18 Sixety-nine percent of Peabody students
19 meet or exceed national standers on the ISAT
20 test. This academic excellence is not an
21 accident. Peabody is the kind of small school
22 CPS is trying to establish all over the city.
23 And as you have heard tonight, the principal
24 staff, and parents have worked tirelessly to
75
1 provide much more than a core educational
2 program in a safe and supportive environment.
3 Whether it's the recruitment of
4 outstanding staff to the creation of a
5 functional school community, to the leveraging
6 of volunteer resources, and to the
7 establishment of successful private
8 partnerships, Peabody has prevailed, and
9 excelled where many have failed.
10 As others have testified, there are
11 many options to keep the enrollment up. Give
12 us more programs to attract more students.
13 Allow us to go beyond our enrollment
14 boundaries. Allow us to share facilities,
15 allow community to strengthen a critical asset.
16 Closing the school should be the last
17 option discussed, not the first.
18 Rather than shut off the lights at
19 Peabody, CPS should be shining a light on
20 Peabody.
21 Thank you.
22 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: The next
23 speaker is Anthony Lacko.
24 MR. LACKO: My name is Anthony Lacko,
76
1 A-N-T-H-O-N-Y, last name L-A-C-K-O.
2 My wife spoke earlier. I am here in
3 the opposition to the school closing. One of
4 the things I don't understand with all due
5 respect, I don't understand why the hearing
6 officer is legal in person, we need people with
7 education backgrounds. Because at one time I
8 told my wife I thought managers should be
9 someone who runs the school, it is a business.
10 But I have learned a long, hard run it is not
11 so. It's like a statement that was just made
12 recently that you can manage. Well, if that's
13 so true, then we should be able to take a
14 hotdog vendor and let him run the banks.
15 Similar things, same, analogy. And
16 utilization, I would suggest to the gentlemen
17 there that maybe they ought to utilize the
18 school at Peabody and think about whether the
19 school they could combine, or school is in
20 better shape, has a better -- plan.
21 There is a school right around the
22 corner that wants to charge. From what I
23 understand, it has been sold out and if the
24 board does agree to let the school go, then
77
1 they've learned they were three pieces of
2 silver.
3 My wife has an account with me on
4 Saturdays. We've been there at that school
5 where she has had to do work, so I know what it
6 is going about. The community here, as you
7 see, painted that school inside, not the board,
8 but the people who came from that neighborhood
9 I was part of it, so I can testify. This
10 people -- these people are very concerned about
11 this school.
12 With that, I don't know of anything
13 else I could say except that I think the school
14 should be left open. I think that what they
15 should do is utilization. See one of the
16 schools in the area that can be brought into
17 Peabody, so that they can do the job they have
18 done and demonstrate to these other schools
19 what a model school they have.
20 Thank you.
21 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Before you
22 leave, before you leave, Mr. Lacko, how are
23 you affiliated with the school, are you a
24 teacher there are or...
78
1 MR. LACKO: No, I said my wife is a
2 teacher. I am a concerned citizen.
3 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: That's fine.
4 Denice Nelson.
5 MS. NELSON: Good evening. My name is
6 Denice Nelson. D-E-N-I-C-E, N-E-L-S-O-N.
7 I am the local school council president
8 for Peabody Elementary School.
9 And I am definitely against the
10 proposal to close our school.
11 Mr. Hearing Officer, we are here united
12 to advocate for the reconsideration of Peabody
13 Elementary School closing June, 2009.
14 Our principal, assistant principal, the
15 teachers here, the staff, the students, our
16 parents, have worked very hard to get our
17 scores where they are, off of probationary
18 status.
19 I don't know how true it is, but I was
20 told that no school has ever been taken off of
21 the list when a decision has been made to close
22 the school.
23 But I can pray and I trust God. This
24 is a history making year and you, too, can be a
79
1 part of history and overturn the decision to
2 close our school. The children, the parents,
3 and staff are showing much anxiety surrounding
4 this ordeal. I had an opportunity to work at a
5 CPS model school in Hyde Park where children
6 were bused into that school to increase the
7 numbers.
8 Please, don't take our school away,
9 help us create a plan to fully utilize our
10 school, bus children into our school.
11 Thank you.
12 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Laura Montes.
13 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: Should I say just
14 what I have here?
15 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Yes. Name,
16 spell your name, and your affiliation and
17 whether you're for or against.
18 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: Should I say the
19 name in Spanish?
20 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Yes. You
21 should say it in Spanish, and the translator
22 will translate it.
23 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: Good evening. My
24 name is Laura Montes. I am a mother of my
80
1 family.
2 We're here to worry about the long
3 distance that we have to walk to take our
4 children to another school.
5 Especially in the winter, not to
6 mention the dangers when you cross a very heavy
7 traffic street.
8 You have to take many factors into
9 consideration when you consider closing our
10 school.
11 What parents like us that are -- that
12 have low income are going to do? We don't have
13 cars to move around. Our school have teachers
14 that have the highest level of academia. They
15 have shown great effort to help our children.
16 The results are for all to see, the
17 high levels achieved. We have a wonderful
18 directory. And he basically is -- she or she
19 is for the safety for our kids. He or she is
20 always aware of the well-being of our students.
21 He stays after school to make sure that
22 all the kids remain with their parents or are
23 with their parents and make sure that nobody
24 bothers them around the school.
81
1 He has done a great job with our kids.
2 We ask you, please, reconsider closing Peabody
3 school because they are doing a great job for
4 our kids.
5 We appeal to the honesty and
6 professionalism with students that are -- have
7 low income like the majority of the schools.
8 MS. DANIELS: Please, conclude.
9 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: The majority of the
10 Chicago Public Schools, please, keep Peabody
11 open so that they can continue to educate our
12 kids. Thank you for options that are not
13 close to Peabody. Thank you.
14 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Next is Lillie
15 Gonzalez.
16 MS. GONZALEZ: Good evening. My name is
17 Lillie Gonzalez, L-I-L-L-I-E, Gonzalez,
18 G-O-N-Z-A-L-E-Z.
19 I am a parent and I am very much
20 opposed to the closing of Peabody.
21 Other than the three generations I have
22 served Peabody school, I would like to learn
23 today or in the very near feature, like
24 tomorrow, who's going to take responsibility of
82
1 the safety and security of my grandson going to
2 school and getting home safe, mornings and
3 night. And I'm not just thinking about my
4 grandchildren, I'm thinking of all the children
5 at Peabody.
6 Because every child that goes to
7 Peabody may not know me by name, but they will
8 call me mom or grandma, and I don't mind
9 because I know they do it out of love and
10 because they know I'm there to secure their
11 safety.
12 All the teachers and all the principals
13 that we've had in Peabody in the past they know
14 all about the Peabody and family at Peabody.
15 I also want to know if any of you here
16 even bothered to look at all the sex offenders
17 that are out there. The drive by shootings
18 that go along with getting out of our
19 communities to get to these schools.
20 What else can I tell you other than
21 have not been said by our staff, our parents,
22 or community, concerned people like Mr. Lacko.
23 I know he has volunteered a lot of times
24 without minding to come with his wife on a
83
1 Saturday. I want to thank them. I want to
2 thank all the teachers that make this effort a
3 lot that I have had to say today or tonight has
4 already been said, so I don't want to take up
5 any time. I want to make sure that every one
6 of us gets to say what we feel. But we sure do
7 feel a lot of love from Peabody, and Peabody is
8 all of us here together tonight expressing our
9 feelings to you to reconsider the closing of
10 Peabody school.
11 Thank you. God bless you.
12 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: The next
13 speaker is, it looks like Ricessedina Ramirez
14 R-A-M-I -- it looks like, L-Y
15 R-I-C-E-S-S-E-D-I-N-A.
16 I think we need a translator. Thank
17 you.
18 MS. RAMIREZ: Good evening.
19 First of all my name is Ricessedina
20 Ramirez. The reason we are here ever since
21 1970, I've known Peabody school. My daughters
22 started there, even my grandkids. For us it
23 has been a great school is and very -- school
24 and it seems almost impossible for us that this
84
1 school could be closed -- this school to be
2 closed.
3 Go ahead and think for yourself some of
4 these kids who are switching schools right now,
5 their grades are going to go down if they
6 switch schools.
7 Please be considerate and think about
8 the transportation of these kids. If they have
9 to be moved how they have to be moved in a
10 truck, in a bus, think about the economy today.
11 We wish to get an answer and we wish to know
12 why -- what is the reason why you are doing
13 it -- going to close the school.
14 Have they sold it? Are they going to
15 demolish it? I don't know? I mean, that
16 school if it remains cannot be just left alone.
17 I ask you to, please, consider all
18 these students, you as parents and those of you
19 who are going to be parents think about what's
20 going to happen to them. For me, this is a
21 very prestigious school. There are teachers
22 who have worked very, very hard. I mean, my
23 kids I have known them ever since I have been
24 there.
85
1 They're very courageous and they care
2 about the parents and the kids. And I, please,
3 ask you to think about these children.
4 Thank you very much.
5 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: The next
6 speaker is Rosalia, R-O-S-A.
7 MS. NAVA: It's Rosalva.
8 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Oh, Rosalva --
9 MS. NAVA: Good evening. My name is
10 Rosalva Nava. The name is spelled
11 R-O-S-A-L-V-A, Nava is N-A-V-A.
12 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Actually then
13 this is somebody else. Rosalia
14 C-A-R-L-E-T-T-E. Is there somebody else?
15 MS. CASTILLO: C-A-S-T-I. It looked like
16 somebody threw an E in it. Okay. I
17 apologize.
18 Mrs. Nava, you're coming some other
19 time, so I go -- go ahead. Can you please
20 spell your name, please.
21 My name is Rosalia Castillo,
22 R-O-S-A-L-I-A, C-A-S-T-I-L-L-O.
23 I am opposed to closing the school.
24 I worked with Peabody for 12 years. My
86
1 kids went to Peabody the first seven years. I
2 watched my son went to school for Peabody. And
3 he is now -- he was a police officer, now he's
4 a detective.
5 Only because he studied school there
6 and he begin his education there. So now he
7 went up to detective.
8 So Peabody has to be doing something
9 good, obviously.
10 So anyway, I am committed now in the
11 community. I am concerned like everybody else
12 and these kids going so far to school. Most of
13 the parents work and these kids have to go to
14 school by their self.
15 What about when the weather is real
16 bad. In summer time when we have all those
17 crazy drivers out there and these kids crossing
18 the school -- I mean crossing the street.
19 This is something to be concerned
20 about.
21 So I appreciate if you guys consider
22 Peabody can't be closed. Peabody is ours and
23 belongs to the neighborhood.
24 Thank you.
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1 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Nuemi Malego.
2 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: My name is Nuemi
3 Malego, N-U-E-M-I, M-A-L-E-G-O.
4 I have been a member of the counsel for
5 20 years of Peabody.
6 My kids go to Peabody as well as my
7 grandkids. It breaks my heart because my
8 four-year-old grandkids just started at
9 Peabody. It breaks my heart that she's so
10 young she has only been in school for four or
11 five months, and he's already crying for
12 Peabody. What do you think that my daughter
13 cries because she feels safe at home -- at
14 school.
15 My two daughters already have pet names
16 and play around with the names of their
17 teachers at Peabody. I am not only worried
18 about my granddaughters, I am worried about all
19 the kids at Peabody.
20 The teachers have been known for so
21 long and they are going to have no jobs. They
22 have bills just like we do and just like you
23 do.
24 Right now I feel like there's somebody
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1 in intensive therapy that's how bad the pain is
2 that I feel knowing that they're going to close
3 Peabody.
4 MS. DANIELS: Please conclude.
5 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: We hope that you
6 tell us what's going to happen or tell us if
7 our school has to be sold or tell us what's
8 happening.
9 I'm very proud of Peabody school
10 because I have a daughter --
11 MS. DANIELS: Your time is up. Thank
12 you.
13 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: I am against the
14 closing of Peabody, and I hope that you take
15 it into consideration what we have said here
16 today.
17 Thank you.
18 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Rosalva Nava.
19 MS. NAVA: Hello, again.
20 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Go ahead.
21 MS. NAVA: Good evening. My name is
22 Rosalva Nava, and I am a parent from Peabody
23 school. I resided in the community of
24 Peabody for at least three years until I was
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1 forced to sell my home. I live now in the
2 area. I travel every morning to wake up at
3 6:30 to drive to school. We wake up in the
4 morning, we rush, we leave the house at 7:00
5 to drive to Peabody an hour-and-a-half we
6 drive to Peabody because that's what my kids
7 love.
8 Peabody is in a great location. It's
9 very safe. And I ask what will ensure that our
10 kids go into other schools overcrowded -- our
11 kids will not have the quality education that
12 they have in Peabody.
13 Peabody had busing. Peabody has kids
14 coming to Peabody on the bus. And we did meet
15 some quota of kids going to Peabody.
16 I know and they -- I know there's a lot
17 of parents that would love to bus their kids to
18 Peabody school. If given the opportunity, they
19 would love to have their kids bused to Peabody.
20 Peabody is a great example of success.
21 The law is passed that the "no child left
22 behind" is perfect for Peabody School. Peabody
23 --
24 MS. DANIELS: Please, conclude.
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1 MS. NAVA: -- quality education, it is
2 emotionally stable, and has a great
3 environment, and closing our school is
4 exposing our kids to dangerous gangs and drug
5 dealers.
6 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. Is it
7 Nayeli Flores Denise Perez. I am not sure if
8 it's one name or two.
9 Do you have permission slips from
10 parents? Are your parents here? She can come
11 up. Do we need a Spanish translator? Okay.
12 If she can identify herself.
13 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: My name is --
14 Flores.
15 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Are you the
16 parent of both of these children?
17 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: No, just Flores.
18 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay.
19 And do you give permission for Nayeli
20 Flores to provide public testimony today?
21 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: Yes. I want her to
22 express what she feels and what her school
23 means to her.
24 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Oh, okay. And,
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1 Denise Perez, is your mom -- that's your mom.
2 Okay. Can she also identify herself for the
3 record and...
4 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: My name is
5 (simultaneous colloquy) -- A-M-A-R-K-U-E-Z.
6 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: And are you the
7 parent of the Denise Perez?
8 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: Yes.
9 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: And you
10 authorize Denise Perez to give her permission
11 to provide public testimony today?
12 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: Yes, I do.
13 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Okay. Thank
14 you then.
15 Nayeli and Denise I will let you both
16 go together, I guess.
17 NAYELI FLORES: Good evening. My name is
18 Nayeli Flores, N-A-Y-E-L-I, F-L-O-R-E-Z.
19 I am at Peabody elementary and I am an
20 eighth grader.
21 DENISE PEREZ: Good evening. My name is
22 Denise Perez. I am a seventh grader at
23 Peabody, D-E-N-I-S-E, P-E-R-E-Z.
24 We are both against some of the reasons
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1 that we ask that our school not close is
2 because Peabody is not just a school, it is
3 where I grow up and where I know everybody.
4 NAYELI FLORES: It is a second home for a
5 lot of us and closing Peabody would not only
6 break our hearts but make it hard for all the
7 students who love the school to find and get
8 transportation every day. It will effect
9 students' safety too. Also, our school has
10 improved in test scores throughout the last
11 seven years. Our test scores are above
12 average.
13 DENISE PEREZ: As a 7th grader it really
14 affects me not being able to graduate from
15 Peabody, since I have been there for the past
16 seven years. I am sure students will find it
17 hard to adapt to a new school. We're not
18 asking you for favors just to prove us right.
19 NAYELI FLORES: I know I am an eighth
20 grader, but we don't want our amazing
21 teachers and staff to lose their jobs or to
22 not be at our graduation. Our school had
23 been open for one hundred years it cannot be
24 closed. You have to -- all of us. It's the
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1 best school in the neighborhood.
2 DENISE PEREZ: These teachers here have
3 families --
4 MS. DANIELS: Please, conclude.
5 DENISE PEREZ: -- just like you. And
6 they have families too. We are students, not
7 numbers.
8 NAYELI FLORES: Please don't close our
9 school.
10 Thank you.
11 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Next speaker is
12 Imelda Caro, C-A-R-O, Imelda. Okay. I
13 didn't see you.
14 MS. CARO: Hello. My name is Imelda
15 Caro, spelled I-M-E-L-D-A, C-A-R-O. I am a
16 parent and I am against the proposal.
17 I am here with my daughter begging not
18 to close Peabody school. If the school is
19 under utilization, I think that we can bring
20 students from other overcrowded schools to
21 Peabody. Peabody is a good school. It has
22 been increasing the size of test scores for the
23 last eight years.
24 Three generations of my family have
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1 been at Peabody school. I am the second
2 generation and my son graduated from Peabody in
3 2005 and my daughter, who if you permit will
4 graduate in 2003 are the third generation.
5 Please reconsider and don't close Peabody
6 school.
7 Thank you.
8 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Next speaker is
9 Alejandra...
10 INTERPRETER NAZARIO: Good evening. My
11 name is Alejandra. I am a mother of five
12 daughters. Three of them go to Peabody
13 School.
14 I am worried because I don't want my
15 kids to go to a different school or be sent to
16 different schools. And you can't imagine the
17 gigantic pain of seeing my daughters crying.
18 I am begging for their school not to be
19 closed. The oldest one is telling me that her
20 dream is to graduate from Peabody and you
21 can give her the opportunity. In the name of
22 my daughters, I am here to ask that you value
23 the excellent school that it is and Peabody
24 will always be.
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1 Thank you.
2 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Next speaker is
3 Elia Aguirre.
4 MS. AGUIRRE: Hello. My name is Elia
5 Aguirre, E-L-I-A, A-G-U-I-R-R-E. I am a
6 former student from Peabody. And I am
7 presently a parent and I am totally opposed
8 to the closing of Peabody.
9 Thirty-four years ago, I graduated from
10 Peabody School. I attended the school from
11 kindergarten to eighth grade. My parents
12 gave -- never moved from that neighborhood so
13 that we would not have to change schools. They
14 knew we were happy and safe and learning well.
15 We learned English as a second language, and I
16 continue to further my education because
17 Peabody showed me that I could accomplish
18 anything I put my mind at -- to.
19 They fostered my creativity in how to
20 help others. The commitment of these teachers
21 is unbelievable. My fourth grade teacher
22 Mrs. Lacko is still there. When I signed up my
23 daughter, I knew that that was the best school.
24 I think of Mrs. Lacko every day that I
96
1 get chance to do something creative at work or
2 at home.
3 I want my daughter, which is my baby, I
4 have four children, two big ones and this is my
5 baby, I want her to do good for the little one.
6 Everyone else has done great, and I want to be
7 fair to my baby. I want her to be blessed with
8 everything that I have -- all of the children
9 that she knows. She loves her friends and --
10 MS. DANIELS: Please, conclude.
11 MS. AGUIRRE: -- whether she's sick, she
12 goes to school. I want to tell you my
13 79-year old father walks the kids to school
14 every day whether it rains or shines, so that
15 I could make it to work on time with the
16 exception of having my hour of lunch.
17 If she has to go to another school,
18 will I have to choose to lose my job because I
19 can't make it on time, or will I have my 79-
20 year old father driving her and other children
21 that don't have a way of getting there?
22 Please, keep Peabody open.
23 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Norine
24 Gutekanst G-U-T-E-K-A-N-S-T.
97
1 MS. GUTEKANST: Good afternoon. My name
2 is Norine Gutekanst, G-U-T-E-K-A-N-S-T.
3 I am a teacher in the Chicago Public
4 Schools and I am a member of Core.
5 I have been very moved by listening to
6 the testimony today. I -- first of all I want
7 to say that you, the hearing officer, I believe
8 your name is Mr. Vazquez.
9 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Correct.
10 MS. GUTEKANST: You're going to make the
11 recommendation to close or not to close
12 Peabody and you're a lawyer.
13 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: Correct.
14 MS. GUTEKANST: If this hearing decision
15 were based on educational reasons, Peabody
16 would be strengthened, it would not be
17 closed.
18 Right now I think everybody who is in
19 this room believes that the Board of Education
20 should be nourishing, successful small learning
21 communities. They should not be destroying
22 them.
23 In fact, the board only really likes
24 the small learning communities when they're new
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1 schools or when they're chartered schools where
2 the teachers are unknown to the students and
3 where the teachers don't have any experience.
4 And that's probably what's going to be coming
5 into the Peabody building.
6 It's interesting because right now the
7 board is very heavily recruiting for this
8 Saturday new school's expo at Soldier Field. I
9 wonder how many people in the room have
10 actually got a phone call urging them to come
11 to that meeting.
12 Who exactly is being offered a choice
13 here? I don't hear anybody saying that they're
14 choosing the discretion of Peabody. I hear
15 quite the opposite. In fact, I believe that I
16 heard Mr. Dispensa say that 77 families choose
17 to come from out of the district to attend
18 Peabody.
19 You're denying choice to the families,
20 to the good families of Peabody Elementary.
21 Who has choice and who has opportunity?
22 If this board and if you cared about
23 opportunity and choice for the community and
24 families of Peabody, and if --
99
1 MS. DANIELS: Your time is up.
2 MS. GUTEKANST: -- valued, this school
3 would not be closed. It would be
4 strengthened.
5 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: It is now
6 7:30, and we still have three speakers to
7 speak. I am going to call on one more unless
8 the rest -- I will tell you we got Kugler,
9 Silbar and a Mr. Burnett, Marvin Burnett. At
10 this point we can -- yeah, we should --
11 MR. M. RODRIGUEZ: Mr. Hearing Officer,
12 you must remember the community meeting
13 that's going to take place.
14 HEARING OFFICER VAZQUEZ: There is a
15 community meeting as well. That's
16 scheduled -- just let me announce that one.
17 That was scheduled on February the 9th from
18 7:30 to 9:30 at the Lozano school. So that
19 will give everybody else an opportunity to
20 speak. I do apologize because, you know,
21 there was a reason why we were trying to
22 limit everybody to two minutes.
23 There are a number of people who are
24 waiting to enter board chambers from -- for the
100
1 Carpenter hearing.
2 Now at this point, I'm going to
3 conclude the hearing. I thank you all for
4 coming. I do also want to remind you, whoever
5 was not here can either come to the community
6 hearing or provide public testimony, written
7 public testimony by fax. Again, leaving it
8 either today or by fax at (773)553-1769.
9 Thank you.
10 * * * FURTHER PROCEEDINGS HAD NOT * * *
