KATHY POSNER IS THE PRINCIPAL OF THE DAY
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THE CHICAGO GOSSIP
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THE CHICAGO GOSSIP
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Kathy PosnerRecently I posted a blog about the demise of the Principal For A Day (PFAD) program at Chicago Public Schools. I wrote that it did not matter to me that a “formal” program would not exist anymore, because I did not need the bureaucracy of the downtown CPS office berating me to continue caring about the students at Doolittle. As it so happens, I still care, even without their program.
The Sun Times ran a few lines about the program’s demise “The number of volunteer principals for a program started under Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1998 plummeted recently, dropping from more than 1,600 in 2009 to 635 in 2010, officials said Wednesday. Plus, said district spokeswoman Marielle Sainvilus, the new schools’ leadership team appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to ‘make it about more than just one day in a school — we want to make this a more extensive and meaningful partnership.’”
Whose fault is it if many community leaders did not stay involved? And why “punish” the 635 of us who still care?
What reaction did I get from my blog? Quite interesting, as you will read.
Ron Molinaro, founder of Alyssa's Angels, a foundation named after his daughter, who tragically passed away after enduring several surgeries, including a heart transplant to correct congenital defects, when she was only eight months old. His foundation collects and gives away coats to those in need. His friend Kelly showed him the section of the blog that discussed how I had once collected coats for the students, and he mentioned that he wanted to donate coats for this winter season. (Those interested in joining Alyssa's Angels in community service activities can contact the organization at alyssasangels@aol.com.)
I then heard from former gubernatorial candidate Scott Lee Cohen, who has continued his community work by holding job fairs. He also holds an annual turkey give away for the holiday season. Scott told me he would be donating turkeys to some of the Doolittle families.
I thought, This is great! I am engaging people who see a need and are stepping up to the plate.
One comment posted on the blog read:
“Shame, shame, shame on Brizard and CPS! What on earth do they [think] they're accomplishing by suspending this? To rethink the program is one thing, but why suspend it in the interim, especially if it costs so little? Out with the old," as they say -- no doubt Brizard wants to replace it with something for which he can take credit.
But more importantly, Kathy, your work over the last 14 years is ANYTHING but meaningless. You clearly have made a huge difference for the kids at Doolittle and its surrounding community. Nothing Brizard or CPS do can take that away from you.”
I called the person who posted the comment. He’s a good friend of mine, and I thanked him for his kind remarks. He said he realized that because his company does work with the city, it might have been a mistake to post his real name. I offered to change it and now the comment is posted by “Paul”, a chosen pseudonym.
After receiving the offer of coats and turkeys, I decided to call a few friends whose companies have ALWAYS have donated to my charitable endeavors in the past and use the news of the demise of PFAD to get them to rally.
The reaction, while at first surprising, made sense. Small and large corporations alike told me how they would love to help, but they could not risk making Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel angry by joining me in my “act of defiance”. We live in a sad, sad world, when the desire to help underprivileged children without the permission of City Hall could be viewed as sinister.
One person asked me, “Will you be writing about this?” And when I said, “Yes,” he replied that he had a zoning issue looming, so he could not risk the Mayor’s wrath.
So this posting is a plea to anyone who wants to join me in solidarity to show the fifth floor of City Hall that we are good community citizens, and we want to help those in need whether they give us “permission” or not.
The Sun Times ran a few lines about the program’s demise “The number of volunteer principals for a program started under Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1998 plummeted recently, dropping from more than 1,600 in 2009 to 635 in 2010, officials said Wednesday. Plus, said district spokeswoman Marielle Sainvilus, the new schools’ leadership team appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to ‘make it about more than just one day in a school — we want to make this a more extensive and meaningful partnership.’”
Whose fault is it if many community leaders did not stay involved? And why “punish” the 635 of us who still care?
What reaction did I get from my blog? Quite interesting, as you will read.
Ron Molinaro, founder of Alyssa's Angels, a foundation named after his daughter, who tragically passed away after enduring several surgeries, including a heart transplant to correct congenital defects, when she was only eight months old. His foundation collects and gives away coats to those in need. His friend Kelly showed him the section of the blog that discussed how I had once collected coats for the students, and he mentioned that he wanted to donate coats for this winter season. (Those interested in joining Alyssa's Angels in community service activities can contact the organization at alyssasangels@aol.com.)
I then heard from former gubernatorial candidate Scott Lee Cohen, who has continued his community work by holding job fairs. He also holds an annual turkey give away for the holiday season. Scott told me he would be donating turkeys to some of the Doolittle families.
I thought, This is great! I am engaging people who see a need and are stepping up to the plate.
One comment posted on the blog read:
“Shame, shame, shame on Brizard and CPS! What on earth do they [think] they're accomplishing by suspending this? To rethink the program is one thing, but why suspend it in the interim, especially if it costs so little? Out with the old," as they say -- no doubt Brizard wants to replace it with something for which he can take credit.
But more importantly, Kathy, your work over the last 14 years is ANYTHING but meaningless. You clearly have made a huge difference for the kids at Doolittle and its surrounding community. Nothing Brizard or CPS do can take that away from you.”
I called the person who posted the comment. He’s a good friend of mine, and I thanked him for his kind remarks. He said he realized that because his company does work with the city, it might have been a mistake to post his real name. I offered to change it and now the comment is posted by “Paul”, a chosen pseudonym.
After receiving the offer of coats and turkeys, I decided to call a few friends whose companies have ALWAYS have donated to my charitable endeavors in the past and use the news of the demise of PFAD to get them to rally.
The reaction, while at first surprising, made sense. Small and large corporations alike told me how they would love to help, but they could not risk making Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel angry by joining me in my “act of defiance”. We live in a sad, sad world, when the desire to help underprivileged children without the permission of City Hall could be viewed as sinister.
One person asked me, “Will you be writing about this?” And when I said, “Yes,” he replied that he had a zoning issue looming, so he could not risk the Mayor’s wrath.
So this posting is a plea to anyone who wants to join me in solidarity to show the fifth floor of City Hall that we are good community citizens, and we want to help those in need whether they give us “permission” or not.
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