Gay High School Nixed By Daley

Chicago Sun-Times:

Mayor Daley on Thursday put the brakes on the Chicago Board of Education's controversial plan to open the city's first high school serving gay and lesbian students.

One day after his handpicked school board put off a vote on the School for Social Justice Pride Campus, Daley explained why -- by expressing his misgivings.

"You have to look at whether or not you isolate and segregate children. A holistic approach has always been to have children of all different backgrounds-- in schools. When you start isolating children and you say, 'Only 50 percent here, 40 percent here' -- same thing we went through with the disabled -- then you want to do that when they're adults," Daley said.

"It's controversial. Some people are for it. Some are against it-- The Board of Education has to make the decision whether it's good for isolating children. I don't know-- I'm just saying that's one of the problems-- You start identifying them."

Read the whole story: Chicago Sun-Times

Comments

[CriticalDune]

This is a good move. CPS was ill advised to pursue this segregating strategy versus promoting inclusion. My only complaint is that Daley seems to think CPS is currently inclusive for students with disabilities when it clearly hasn't done more than the bare minimum court mandated changes. They have a lot of work to do. Next move, shelve the specialty "autism" school planned for the west loop and redirect the resources to students with autism throughout the system.

[robotfog]

I'm transgendered and I agree with Daley. It is segregation and would be harmful overall. We really need children of all types intermingling and learning from each other.

[ramblingjohnny]

First point. That saying to kids that their something wrong with being gay it sure is the wrong message to send. Second point. Do they plan on testing kids for "Gayness" to see who they should transfer?
Third point. What next fat kid school. "I sure would have been sent to that one!" lolll