Emanuel Encourages Students At Charter School
Updated 2/25/2011 at 6 p.m.
CHICAGO (WBBM/CBS) -- Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel on Friday kept a campaign promise to teach kids about public service at a South Side charter school.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Mary Frances Bragiel reports, right before Emanuel got cracking in a classroom at the Chicago International Charter School's Ralph Ellison campus, 1817 W. 80th St., he got a taste of hip hop poetry rap.
"The sounds of the Midwest – it's cold!" one composition went.
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Emanuel voiced his support for extracurricular activities.
"Is this a part of your after-school program?" he asked. When the students replied, "yes," Emanuel said, "That's what we're talking about."
Emanuel is a supporter of charter schools, and teaching academies as he works to reform the education system, which was one of his messages throughout his campaign.
Kevin Thomas is a senior at the Ellison campus. He said hearing what the mayor-elect had to say about education reform is uplifting.
"I've got hope. I know all these people here – my fellow classmates and schoolmates – got hope, so we try, to the best of our ability," Thomas said.
Emanuel cautioned against our reading too much into his visiting a charter school first, saying that while he supports charter schools, they must meet the same standards as everyone else.
"Those that succeed, let's invest more, and those that do not, either improve or we terminate them," Emanuel told reporters.
But supporters say don't reject them because those who teach at charter schools aren't members of the Chicago Teachers Union.
"There's this battle that ensues when we're trying to open high-quality charter schools for children because adults are concerned about getting hurt, and I think what happens is we all need to work together such that all of our vested interests is going toward serving the children well," Phyllis Lockett of Renaissance School Fund says.
The CTU did not respond to several calls for comment.
The mayor-elect was also asked Friday what kind of school his three children would attend. He responded, as he has before, that's a decision he and his wife will make together.
