the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Nov 11, 2013
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and alderman Robert Maldonado recently announced that Ames Middle School would be given to Marine Military Academy.
Ames is currently a neighborhood middle school–a school that was built after parents at Ames Elementary fought for additional space for their students.
Military schools are not neighborhood schools. So parents had every reason to be outraged by this announcement–it means their children might not be able to go to a school nearby. Moreover, many parents object to training their children for the military–training them to fight in future wars.
The school’s local school council, controlled by parents, held two public meetings, attended by more than 130 parents and community members. Almost everyone opposed the move. In reaction to their protest, the school board has already changed its tune: they now say that current Ames students and staff will be able to share the space with the military school. But this fight is not over.