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Senn Time-Line. What the Board of Education Says. The Facts

Chronology of Events Related to the Opening of the Rickover Naval Academy

As presented by David Pickens, CPS, Deputy Chief of Staff and Michael Scott, President, Chicago Board of Education.

Although Mr. Scott and Mr. Pickens claim that a community process took place, the information below suggests that at almost every occasion, the community spoke in opposition to the naval academy at Senn High School, yet the Board refused to listen to the community.

We have annotated their chronology, an original can be seen by clicking here. Following is a legend for reading this online version of the annotated timeline.
Activities as presented in the CPS Timeline by Mr. Scott and Mr. Pickens
Additional information about the activity but not presented in the CPS Timeline
Important events that Mr. Scott and Mr. Pickens failed to note in the CPS Timeline
Additional activities not described in the CPS Timeline
Activities occuring after Feb. 4, 2006 (the last entry in the CPS Timeline)

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

Information: info@savesenn.org | Sponsored by the Save Senn Coalition
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ACTIVITIES DATE
   
CPS Timeline:
  • Informational meeting at Ald. Mary Ann Smith’s Office. Attendees: Block club and local LSC’s leadership as well as community members
Additional information about this activity:
  • No invitation was made to block club membership to attend the September 23 meeting.
  
Thursday, September 23, 2004
   
CPS Timeline:
  • Information session held to inform Senn Staff of the proposal
Additional information about this activity:
  • Every staff member who spoke at the meeting expressed opposition to the naval academy at Senn High School.
  
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
   
CPS Timeline:
  • Community Forum held at Senn
Additional information about this activity:
  • Community requests to ask questions at the Community Forum, but Alderman Smith and CPS officials instead try to tell the community about the naval academy and attempt to show a public relations video about the naval academy.
  • When community indicates it wants to ask questions (and not watch the video), Alderman Smith and CPS officials walk out of meeting.
  • After Alderman Smith and CPS officials walk out, community continues to meet to talk among those who remain about the decision to put naval academy at Senn High School with almost all who spoke expressing strong objection to a naval academy at Senn High School.
  
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
   
CPS Timeline:
  • Student Forum held at Senn
Additional information about this activity:
  • CPS officials brought 50 students from military programs to explain to approximately 50 Senn students about the military option. All Senn students opposed the military academy and many expressed frustration that they were not listened to by the CPS.
  
Thursday, October 14, 2004
   
CPS Timeline:
  • Approximately 8,500 letters and proposal summaries were mailed to parents of 10 area elementary schools (Arai, Stone, Brennemann, Goudy, Hayt, McCutcheon, Peirce, Stewart, Swift and Trumball), parents of Senn and Senn Achievement Academy students, and Senn and Senn Achievement Academy staff.
Additional information about this activity:
  • These 8,500 letters were a unilateral act by the CPS to market the naval academy with no opportunity for equal time by Senn High School or the community to express why the naval academy was bad for Senn High School and Chicago.
  
Friday, October 15, 2004
   
CPS Timeline:
  • Presentation to the Edgewater Community Council
Additional information about this activity:
  • Edgewater Community Council December 2004 “ECC Update” mailed to all members includes a story on Senn High School Naval Academy which states: “At a November 16 meeting, the Edgewater Community Council (ECC) board of directors, disapproved a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) proposal to install a naval academy at Nicholas Senn High School, 5900 N. Glenwood, effective September 2005″ (see November update for full particulars). Vote was 10 against, 3 in favor and 6 abstentions.
  • Since 16 board members were unable to attend ECC’s monthly meeting, those present approved a motion with one nay to poll the entire board by email on the proposed naval academy. Although ECC by-laws do not establish a procedure for such an extraordinary email poll, the subsequent vote was in favor, though many expressed reservations, which were never published. Such an email vote had never occurred before or since. Nonetheless, many in the community who rely upon the ECC Update think that the ECC has opposed the naval academy proposal.
  
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
   
Additional Activity:
  • More than 1,000 Senn students, parents, teachers, and community members gather for a “Hands Around Senn” expressing opposition to the proposed naval academy.
  
October 28, 2004
   
CPS Timeline:
  • Meeting with Organization of the Northeast (ONE)
Additional information about this activity:
  • CPS CEO Arne Duncan and Alderman Mary Ann Smith meet with representatives from ONE. Every person present except Duncan and Smith expresses opposition to the naval academy and requests that CPS not put the naval academy at Senn High School.
  
Thursday, November 4, 2004
   
Additional Activity:
  • Approximately 60 Senn students, teachers, parents and community members march from Senn High School to Alderman Mary Ann Smith’s office to protest the proposed naval academy at Senn High School.
  
November 9, 2004
   
CPS Timeline:
  • Notice for upcoming public hearing mailed
Additional information about this activity:
  • Although there has been much public opposition to the proposed naval academy, CPS CEO Duncan uses notice letter to express support for the naval academy. No offer is made for any organization that opposes the naval academy for equal time to set forth reasons for opposition to the plan.
 Thursday, November 18, 2004
   
CPS Timeline:
  • Public hearing on the proposed opening of Rickover Naval Academy
Additional information about this activity:
  • The November 29, 2004 Hearing Officer’s final summary report indicated that 65 persons testified at the hearing. The final summary report lists 26 in favor, 34 in opposition of the naval academy and 5 with general comments.
  • Upon review of the final summary report and the transcript, the 5 general commentators although commenting on different parts of the proposal, testified either in opposition or asked for a more deliberate community process before the board voted on the naval academy proposal.
  • Of the 26 in favor, moreover, three were employees of the CPS, one was the Alderman, one was a paid staff member (although that paid staff member neglected to indicate that she was on the staff of the Alderman when she testified), one was head of the Sea Cadets and Civil Air Patrol, and one was Area President of the Navy League whose business card identified his location as Hinsdale, Illinois.
  • Thus, of the non-paid speakers from the community, almost two to one opposed the naval academy or requested a more fair and deliberate community process at this hearing.
  
Monday, November 29, 2004
   
Important Event Missing from CPS Timeline:
  • Senn High School’s newly elected Local School Council votes unanimously to oppose a naval academy at Senn High School.
  • For CPS to prepare this timeline without an indication of the LSC’s opinion is a particularly egregious oversight.
  
December 3, 2004