Controversy: Chicago Principal Fired

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The highly rated African-American principal of Curie High School remains ousted after the new Hispanic majority on the local school council refused to reverse its vote Saturday under pressure from school and city officials.

"The school is 62 percent Hispanic, and they want a Hispanic principal," Otis Davis Jr. said Saturday after he and two other LSC members who support Jones stormed out of the meeting to deprive members of a quorum.

African-American supporters of Principal Jerryelyn Jones shouted, "Speak English!" at anti-Jones LSC member Maria Lopez as she addressed the crowd in Spanish.

My first question? Why wasn't the principal's contract renewed?

"Why isn't the LSC listening to us?" student Flor Carabez pleaded with the council Saturday after the vote. "We demand the reasons for taking our principal away. Why can't Mrs. Jones stay here?"

LSC Chairman Tom Ramos said rules prohibited him and other members from answering that question, though they denied race had anything to do with it.

CBS2 Chicago provides this additional thought...

The antecedents to this controversial dismissal include an accusation against Ramos for bribery reported to the Inspector General by Jones, who later denied funds to Ramos to assist an educational conference in Washington.

Hopefully it's all about education, although this student had some thoughts on the matter...

"We learn not only from school -- we learn from watching our elders," student Danielle Martinez told the six Hispanic board members. "If we came in here and tried to learn something, all we would learn is corruption."

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