Alderman Manny Flores gives tepid support for a Moratorium on School Closings
In a videotaped interview on Wednesday February 27th, Alderman Manny Flores of the First Ward said that he would be willing to revive the Chandler Resolution. Flores testified at the Board meeting to oppose the closure of Anderson elementary school for low enrollment, he has fought to keep it open. He sees the problem as being greater than the Board is willing or able to acknowledge: “Unfortunately I think it speaks to a bigger problem of how it is we are allocating resources city wide state wide in all different jurisdictions, why do you have this disparate treatment? For Anderson the issue was a drop in enrollment, why, what are the factors contributing to that drop in enrollment?”
After speaking highly of the Chandler resolution he stated, “I signed on to that, it had a lot of support. Whether or not that’s going to be the answer to the problem, I don’t know, truth be told it’s just one component.” I followed up by asking if he would be willing to support a new incarnation of the resolution, Flores said without pause “I would be open to it.” Perhaps it’s also time to revive the Chicagoans United for Education coalition that promoted the first Chandler resolution. Maybe this time with the Chicago Teacher’s Union, hemorrhaging from another round of school closures, will actually put some time and resources into it.
