Understanding the Chicago Public School Closures: Policy and Politics

• In Event: 61.087 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: 61.087-1 - Poster Session: Social Context of Research in Schools and Communities

Abstract

Across the nation, cities are experiencing massive school closures that disproportionately impact students of color. This study explores the 2013 Chicago Public School Closures. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the race and power dynamics that the recent CPS closures reveal. Critical theory and critical discourse analysis are used to examine newspaper articles, public hearing transcripts, agendas, meeting minutes, and CPS communications to uncover power dynamics. The significance of this study is that the CPS school closures act as a form of domination over African Americans and impedes on their justice and self-determination.

Author

• Leah Peoples, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign