In 2013, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education voted to close 50 public schools – instituting the largest public school closure in the U.S. to date. This controversial decision was made despite mass protest from Black and Brown communities leading up to the Board vote. Utilizing case study methodology, Critical Race Theory, and the social construction of target populations theory, I examine the effectiveness of Black and Brown collective voice and political power to influence the creation of 2013 district policy in CPS. I center the experiences of Black and Brown Chicago activists collected in interviews alongside historical data to highlight the degree of access that Black and Brown communities had in CPS to create or influence developing school closure policy during the 2012–2013 school year. I also discuss the practices and structures within CPS that fostered exclusion versus inclusion for communities of color.
Overall, I argue that collaborative education policymaking is crucial to an increase in equitable social and academic outcomes for students of color and correlate the lack of genuine community input in education policymaking with negative student outcomes. Further, I argue that district policymaking that excludes Black and Brown community input is racially unjust and combats the construction of transformative policies that could be generated if processes honored community expertise.
History
Advisor
Dr. Benjamin Superfine
Department
Educational Policy Studies
Degree Grantor
University of Illinois Chicago
Degree Level
Doctoral
Degree name
Doctor of Philosophy
Committee Member
Dr. Dionne Danns
Dr. Jason Salisbury
Dr. Michael Thomas
Dr. David Stovall