Senn update: Arne Duncan responds

(An update on the Senn Naval Academy, slated to open this fall in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago.)

I shouldn't be blogging at such a late hour, but I want to make sure I get this down...

The Senn Tomorrow Task Force, at its February 28 meeting, voted 14-2 to send a letter to Arne Duncan requesting that a moratorium be put in place on the Fall 2005 opening of the naval academy at Senn. The letter was sent following approval at the March 14 meeting, and yesterday, we got a reply. Here are excerpts from the April 18 letter from Arne Duncan to the Senn Tomorrow Task Force:

I am writing in response to your letter concerning the Senn Tomorrow Task Force's ... vote to request a moratorium on the Fall 2005 opening of the naval academy at Senn... I appreciate your committee's efforts on behalf of Senn High School; however, I cannot honor your committee's request.

Before the proposal to open the naval academy was approved by the Chicago Board of Education ... at the Board meeting held on December 15, 2004, CPS conducted an extensive analysis of the proposal and held eight meetings with various constituent groups... These meetings included Senn staff, Senn students, individual community residents, block club leaders, and representatives and members of the Organization of the Northeast and the Edgewater Community Council in addition to many other organizations in Edgewater...

At the public hearing, many people did attend to voice concerns about the naval academy proposal, but it is also important to not that many people also came to voice strong support fot the naval academy specifically and for new educational options for the community generally.

Our letter to Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan was the first substantive recommendation the task force made to him, and he showed his appreciation by summarily REJECTING it. This raises the question: What is the point of Senn Tomorrow?

But if the rejection weren't bad enough, the letter isn't even factually correct. Although Duncan's response states that the Board vote was in mid December, the academy was basically a done deal by early fall. And the decisions were made without any community process to speak of. Most egregiously, the Local School Council (LSC) was not included. After the plans were revealed in October, Senn's LSC board voted unanimously against the naval academy. The LSC should have had authority on the matter, but their vote was ignored by the Board of Education.

As for the sentiment at the public hearing, it was overwhelmingly against the naval academy. This academy is being foisted upon a community that does not want it. So thanks for listening, Mr. Duncan.