"Putting Our Kids in Danger": Activists, Policy Makers, and Conflicting Perceptions of School Closures in Chicago

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 35
  In Roundtable Session: Policy and People: Exploring the Use of Organizing and Activism in Education Policy

Abstract

This paper contends that voices of dissent are essential to understanding school closure policy and outcomes. Through a comprehensive document analysis of reports from Chicago Public Schools and hundreds of hours of public hearing testimony from 2012 - 2013, this paper analyzes the voices of dissent and advocacy. Far more than unearthing contentious debate, using problem definition as a theoretical lens, this paper reveals that stakeholders have defined the core educational issues surrounding school closures differently. Community activists and policymakers agree that “kids are in danger,” but for different reasons. This paper maintains that more than ancillary distractions, these diverse perspectives constitute critical data that cast fresh light on the common tropes surrounding school closure.

Author

• Dee Delfin, George Mason University