No Emanuel Reelection? Good!

Many Chicagoans were supprised when Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently announced that he will not be running for reelection. There have been many theories pertaining to why he decided to do so. Some view his negative impact on the Chicago Public School system as one of the primary factors.

Thanks to Emanuel, nearly 50 public schools closed in 2013. causing many students to su er academically. Majority of these struggling students were African American, which ultimately generated a decrease in African American support towards Emmanuel. This lack of support was most evident in areas near the closed schools.

According to Sally A. Nuamah of The Washington Post, “We saw that in the precincts within 1.5 miles of a closing — populated largely by African Americans — Emanuel’s support fell by approximately 13 percent. In the precincts farther from a closing, the drop was about 3 percent.” Although the closings occurred nearly five years ago, there were even more closings this year within minority communities.

CPS also faced a sexual abuse scandal earlier this year. According to John Kass of the Chicago Tribune, It was discovered that background checks were ignored throughout various schools. Teachers were getting away with performing heinous sex crimes such as rape and molestation upon students. These allegations were undoubtedly appalling and sickening as many parents were lled with indignation.

With the seemingly never-ending shootings and violence, school is already viewed as an unsafe place. It can be di cult for students to trust their own teachers, the very ones who are supposed to be there to provide support and safety.

To add more fuel to the fire, it was discovered that even custodians could not do their jobs efficiently after the custodial contract received a failing grade.

The controversies do not cease there: Forrest Claypool, the CEO of CPS, resigned for ethical reasons in late 2017. The prior chief, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, was sentenced to prison on corruption charges. Both individuals were appointed by the oh- so-wonderful Emanuel.

Despite this mass amount of negative information, there is still hope for CPS now that Emanuel will not be running again. It is essential for voters to do their research before going to the polls. By doing so, there will be more con dence that the new mayor will focus on schools’ conditions and students’ academic performance. This will make school a more tranquil place where future students can efficiently learn and future educators can efficiently teach. It will also ensure academic success for all.

berrnata@my.dom.edu