By Grady C. Jordan

I fully realize that murder is a very strong term. But what mayor Daley, Arne Duncan and the Board of Education are proposing to do to Collins High School evokes very strong reactions from me. Many people are aware that I was the first or “Founding” principal of Collins High School. What is not known by most people is the fact that I was deeply involved with the North Lawndale Community in their long struggle to get a high school for their children. Then, as now, the Board of Education showed very little respect for the people of North Lawndale. However, those were very strong, determined people, and they refused to quit.

At the time, during the early 1970s, I was director of the Lawndale Urban Progress Center. In that position, I took some actions that were very decisive in securing the final victory. At the time, I had no idea that I would be principal of any Chicago school or if I would ever work for the Chicago Public Schools again. Around that time, I took I took and passed the Principal exam and was then more or less drafted by the community to be the first principal. So for me, being principal of Collins was not “just another job”. It was something akin to a mission. To now see how Mayor Daley and his Board of Education are going about destroying it in such a cavalier fashion angers me.

In 1999, just seven years ago, Collins High School came off probation, one of the few to do so. What happened over those seven years and who has been primarily responsible? The responsibility for the downward slide can be laid squarely on the CPS central office. The principal, Clement Smith, who led the way off probation, with valuable and help from Assistant Principal Learna Brewer, retired. Central office sent in an acting principal with no high school experience. The LSC finally selected a contract principal. Paul Vallas, who was CEO at the time, and the Board of Education refused to allow the contract principal to assume the job.

This was the seventh instance that I am personally aware of that Vallas and the Board refused to follow the law. All of those principals so denied were Black. For that and other reasons I still do not understand how Black members of the Principals Association, especially those in leadership positions went along with naming the Principals Association Headquarters for Beverly Tunney who sat there and did nothing to protect those members jobs.

Over the next few years CPS sent a number of people lacking in experience as high school leaders into the principals office at Collins. Over the past ten years, Mayor Daley and his team have run one gimmick after another at the high schools. In addition to probation, there has been reconstitution, reengineering, etc. In addition, Collins was one of those school selected for Intervention. Intervention was an absolute, unrealistic farce. It was under the direction of some one who had never run a high school. At Collins, a former kindergarten teacher was brought in to call the shots and supervise the principal. Maybe you are beginning to understand why I say CPS murdered Collins High School.

Assuming that Mayor Daley and his school team want to improve the quality of education in our high schools, it is clear that they do not have a clue as to the proper approach. With all of the gimmicks and false starts that they have instituted, a key main ingredient is always missing: Namely, what are the specific problems that are being addressed?

I am not aware of any analysis or diagnosis that has resulted in any determination of the problem(s) that are negatively impacted student achievement at the various high schools. All of us recognize the outward symptoms and manifestations: Poor attendance, discipline problems, etc. But are the problems under girding these symptoms? They have spent untold millions on external partners, probation managers, ad infinitum instead of properly diagnosing the problems. I admit that I do not know the many players at the central office any more. If any one who happens to read this know of some truly high school experts among them, please inform me.

Grady C. Jordan addresses the audience at Collins High School during the February 2 rally. The three empty seats behind Dr. Jordan were reserved on the Collins stage for the three men proposing the destruction of Collins. None of them showed up for the meeting, which drew more than 250 participants on short notice (see photo bottom of this page). Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.

In 2003, CPS drove a stake into the heart of Collins. They publicized that Collins was being phased out. They said that in September of 2003, they would not accept freshmen. Even though they rescinded the action, the dirty deed had been done. The seeds of destruction had been sown. We now see the bitter fruit. By stating in 2003 that Collins would be phased out, they cast a pall of uncertainty over the school. When that happens, many of the better students choose to go else where. Many of the teachers who had worked so hard and effectively to bring the school from probation left for other schools. Every school wants good teachers. I do not mean to denigrate in any way those teachers who are there. But it takes time to build a winning team. Collins is not being given the time. We know this is not an educational decision. This, like most of the decisions of the Daley School Team, is a political/economic decision.

When 2003 decision to close Collins was announced, a group of alumni, parents, and community people came together in an attempt to save the school. A letter dated September 2, 2003 was sent to Arne Duncan. The letter expressed their willingness and desire to work with the school and central administration address the problems. In that regard, they asked for information regarding the nature and scope of the problems. They also asked to be informed of the level of achievement necessary to remain open and other pertinent information. It would seem that the CEO would welcome the enthusiastic support of these stakeholders. Everyone seems to agree that this kind of support is not only crucial but essential if we are going to turn our schools around. Arne Duncan never responded. Daley and his School Team have total contempt for Black communities like North Lawndale. Arne Duncan is sent often talking to downtown white business people about what they are going to do to schools in the Black community. But in effect he said to those People in Lawndale: Drop dead!

In summary, from the time that Collins came off probation until today it has been under the total control of CPS central office. They have chosen all of the leaders and programs. If it has failed, CPS failed. And now to have the unmitigated gall to say they are going to close Collins because of low performance and send the children to other schools with low performance is immoral. I looked at the performance records of all of the high schools on the west side — with the exception of Whitney Young. From Ashland to Austin and from North Avenue to 26th Street. In overall performance, all are “below 20 percent.” (Collins was not the lowest). I am sure that all of them are working very hard in very difficult circumstances and suspect leadership from the top. The point is, it is ridiculous to consider moving any student from one of these schools to the other for performance. Rather, Daley and his team should stop wasting taxpayers money on gimmicks such as Ren 2010 and bring together some people who know something about high school operation and plan a program and strategy to improve all of the high schools. All of our communities deserve this.

As for Collins, it was born in struggle. I was there. If, unfortunately and as I do not expect, it dies in struggle, I will be there.

Aluta Continua.