![\"dont-privatize\"\n](\"http:\/\/www.progressivefox.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/laesch-posts\/dont-privatize.png\"\n\t\t "\\"dont-privatize\\"\n")
\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n In Chicago Rahm Emanuel has closed 50 “underutilized” public schools and is rapidly replacing them with charter schools.\u00a0 The unelected board of education (CPS) will consider 21 total charter applications on January 22nd.<\/p>\nAdditionally, a stacked, special “charter school funding task force”<\/a> put together by Springfield lawmakers and led by State Rep., Dan Burke, will come out with their “findings” prior to the general assembly returning to session (Jan 28th).\u00a0 We expect that Dan Burke will be recommending more money for charter schools – big surprise (possibly at a Jan 13th task force meeting).\u00a0 And, what a waste considering that the “too broke to pay the bills and pensioners” general assembly gave UNO (in Dan Burke’s district) $98 million dollars that was wasted on scandal-riddled construction projects<\/a>.<\/p>\n The hedge fund managers and their politicians (Rahm, Rauner, Madigan, etc.) are not going to stop their privatization assault on public schools so we need to push back. You can help by attending and bringing a friend to either the Jan 14th event in Chicago<\/a>, or the second event in the suburbs scheduled on Jan 23rd<\/a>.<\/p>\n Event details and flyers are below the fold.<\/p>\n The January 14th event will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Shields Middle School (2611 W. 48th St., Chicago, IL).\u00a0 Event sponsors are holding the event in Dan Burke’s back yard and it will be conducted in both Spanish and English.\u00a0 Panelists will focus on CPS’s charter expansion initiatives and the $100 million in public school budget cuts. Panelists include Federico Waitoller, Stephanie Farmer, Jean Pierce and Byron Sigicho. See the flyer for more details or follow this link to RSVP via Facebook.<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t You can RSVP for the January 23rd event on NIJwJ’s Salsa page<\/a> or NIJwJ’s Facebook page<\/a> and get more details.\u00a0 The event will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Batavia Public Library (10 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia, IL). While the suburbs schools, students, and parents are not under immediate attack from a charter school application, we know that K12 Inc., a Wall Street-traded company is still running television commercials in the suburbs and will likely return after the virtual charter school moratorium expires.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n \n