I would like to thank the dedicated people from C.O.R.E., especially Karen Jennings-Lewis and Jackson Potter for sharing of their knowledge and time for our fight.  They have worked hard and they were and are determined to put a STOP to the displacement of our neighborhood children and their teachers.

I myself was blinded and ignorant to what was going on till it finally hit home and Deneen was added to the 2010 list of schools to be closed, phased out, consolidated, or turned around.

Some of our staff came from Sherman and are going through this process for a second time.  Oh! to be so lucky as to win the C.P.S. List Lottery twice.

For those of us who have been there, for those of us who are in the process, and for those of us who will be affected someday by the unit by unit destruction of our neighborhood public schools:

You have shown us that we are not alone and that this fight is not over.  We know where our hearts are. We all have dedicated ourselves to doing what is best for the children who enter the doors of these schools each day.

During my search for knowledge of what was really happening I came across several research articles from the University of Chicago and Medill School of Law.  There are other people who have been taking a closer look at what is going on too. We are not alone.

Thank you,
Mary Gail Stack
Deneen Head Start Program