July - September 2006

Hey Arne: Stop hoggin’ the money!

AYLP is a group of young people with disabilities age 18-26. Their work focuses on education issues.

CHICAGO, Ill. – Youth leaders from the group Advance Youth Leadership Power (AYLP) filled the driveway in front of Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan’s house on Sept. 21 to request that Duncan restore money from the special education cuts for the 2006-07 school year and provide the original budget that was promised to AYLP in July. AYLP requested a meeting with Duncan and Board President Rufus Williams to discuss the budget cuts and demand the in-school leadership trainings they were promised in June.

In May 2006, AYLP leaders secured an agreement from Duncan to schedule a meeting to discuss the proposed budget cuts. The meeting did not happen until 4:3pm the day before the Chicago Board of Education voted unanimously to cut $26 million from special education programs. As a result of the huge budget slash, 200 special education teachers and 750 teachers’ aides lost their jobs. Apparently Duncan did not think the youth were serious about their demands. Boy, was he wrong.

Two school buses full of leaders pulled up outside of Duncan’s Hyde Park home and unloaded on his driveway, carrying signs and chanting, “July, August, September; You forgot but we remember!” A letter was delivered to Duncan’s wife and flyers were handed out to curious neighbors (“Arne Duncan lives here?” several asked), and leaders got back on the buses for the next stop: a celebratory pizza party back at the office.