Shouldn’t We Be Able To Fire Bad Teachers?

Most people will answer, “of course” but it’s not that easy. Teachers belong to unions that prevent bad teachers from getting fired. Parents and students in Chicago Public Schools are dealing with this conundrum at the moment. And the Chicago Tribune editorializes on the issue: Bad teachers aren’t so hard to identify. Students know who [...]

Violence Also Killing Educational Future of our Children

As if the body count wasn’t enough, research confirms what many of us already know: kids in violent settings have lower achievement and test scores. Children living in areas where homicides are committed have lower reading and verbal test scores, a study by New York University Sociology Professor Patrick Sharkey shows. The research, which appears [...]

Voting in the Chi: Change Can’t Happen Without You

The State of Illinois has one of the earliest primaries of the year.  On Tuesday, voters in Illinois will choose their party picks for governor, lieutenant governor, Senate and House seats.  The party favorites of each will then square off in November. The Chicago Tribune provides rich clarity on what’s at stake and encourages angry [...]

Decay of the Black Family

After the outrage of the videotaped beating death of Derrion Albert reached a boiling point we are all looking for answers as to “why.” We’ve all heard the staid and stale excuses and solutions that we can recite in our sleep. We need more police. An increased presence with no clear direction can aggravate an [...]

The Murder of Derrion Albert: Sick with Grief and Anger

We’ve lamented before on the senseless and stupefying rise in violence and deaths of Chicago children. At a certain point it becomes mind-numbing and it’s hard to feel anything. But then another young brother with great potential and focus is slaughtered. Not by a hail of bullets, but viciously beaten and stomped to death as [...]