Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 2018)
January 31, 2018 The Skanner Page 9 News Exhibit ANDREW A. NELLES/U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR cont’d from pg 7 RAHMEMANUEL_02 Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the report a testament to the hard work, progress and success of Chicago’s remarkable students, teachers, principals and families. In this photo, Emanuel speaks during the White House Summit on Working Families Chicago Regional Forum at the Ralph Metcalfe Building in Chicago, Ill., April 2014. Chicago cont’d from pg 8 tively. In June 2017, WBEZ in Chicago reported that even as CPS — the state’s largest school district — reeled from an ongoing budget cri- sis, an academic turn- around has occurred. For decades, the dis- trict reportedly shoul- dered a reputation of being perennially chal- lenged by poverty and chronically low-per- forming schools. In 1987, the U.S. Sec- retary of Education de- clared CPS the worst in the nation. “That’s not Chicago anymore,” said Paul Za- vitkovsky, a research- er with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Urban Edu- cation Leadership. Research has also revealed that Chicago students, on average, repeatedly outperform their peers outside the city. Reardon, a leading expert on education equality in the United States, presented an analysis in November that revealed Chica- go’s students learn and grow at a faster rate than 96 percent of school districts in the country—including wealthy districts. Reardon’s findings also noted that, among the 100 largest school districts in the country, Chicago has the highest growth rate between third and eighth grade; and each successive CPS class is outperforming the class that came be- fore and improving at a rate far above the na- tional average, accord- ing to Reardon’s report. “This report is a tes- tament to the hard work, progress and success of Chicago’s remarkable students, teachers, principals and families,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanu- el said in a statement. “CPS students make Chicago proud every day. They not only lead in the classroom, they lead the country in ac- ademic growth, and their achievements are earning national recog- nition and respect.” Kate Phillippo, an associate professor of cultural and education- al policy studies at the School of Education at Loyola University Chi- cago, said she’s excited to see increased learn- ing growth in CPS. “It’s important to note what Chicago accom- plished specifically. For example, its third grade test scores are still below the national average, but its growth is unusually high,” Phil- lippo said. While there’s no one secret to success, initia- tives at the school level have clearly promoted growth, she said. “I think the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has the poten- tial to support student achievement, giving districts greater flexi- bility about how they approach curriculum, and what learning sup- ports they provide to their students,” Phillip- po said. “ESSA’s provi- sion for less standard- ized testing will also free educators up from a sense of pressure to prepare students for high-stakes tests. Fi- nally, it is critical that ESSA has kept in place protections for eco- nomically disadvan- taged students; that’s one of the hallmarks of ESSA.” Learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act at nnpa.org/essa. fensive line in the 1970s, played in all four of their Super Bowl appearances. He’s one of only two de- fensive players ever vot- ed the NFL MVP. He also became the first black justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court, serving 22 years until he hit the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2015. The Pages timed the exhibit to coincide with the Super Bowl on Feb. 4 in Minneapolis, but he noted that it also comes “at this time when white supremacy is raising its ugly head” in ways that he thought he would nev- er see again. “We hope the exhibit will challenge people by seeing what took place in the past, and chal- “ For me it transports me back to that time and that place lenge them in ways that will cause them to think about taking action, not only to prevent them from happening again, but to end the effects of that past, the effects that still linger today,” he said. It’s one thing to see a picture of an artifact from that era; it’s another to actually stand in front of it, said Lois Langer Thompson, director of the Hennepin County Library system. She said the library’s location on the Nicollet Mall pedes- trian zone, the site of a 10-day fan festival with free concerts and oth- er attractions, makes it convenient for visitors to stop by and see the ex- hibit — and warm up. Diane Page started the collection about 30 years ago after a friend point- ed out that missing amid the sleek decor and a cou- ple of Andy Warhols on the walls of their home were any pieces of Afri- can-American art or cul- tural items to educate the four Page children about their heritage. Eventual- ly, the couple would visit antique stores and work with dealers to fill their home, and his Supreme Court chambers, with ar- tifacts from slavery and the Jim Crow era. “These items represent facts,” he said. “Not some- body’s opinion about what happened. Not somebody’s view about what did or didn’t occur, but actual facts. ... They help me understand where we are today. The disparities in education, our criminal justice In this Jan. 11 photo, Alan Page, NFL Hall of Famer and retired Minnesota Supreme Court justice, stands in Minneapolis. by a photo of Black babies labeled “Alligator Bait.” It is among the artifacts of slavery and segregation collected by Page and his wife, Diane Sims Page. They went on display at the Minneapolis Central Library this month in time for Super Bowl visitors and thousands of other people expected to flock to downtown for the festivities. system. For me the mes- sage I get is that we hav- en’t come to grips with the discrimination that comes, that came with those facts. We haven’t addressed the present ef- fects of that past history, the present effects of that past discrimination.” Daughter Georgi Page- Smith took the lead in assembling the more than 100 items on display in the exhibit, which in- cludes a “testification station,” made from her father’s stand-up desk from his chambers, where visitors are invit- ed to write their impres- sions in a leather-bound book. “We knew it would be very emotional,” she said. “So we wanted to create an area where people could just stop for a minute, and do a little processing, and then re- flect back to us.” As part of the exhibit, Alan Page will give a talk Wednesday called “TES- TIFY: It’s Not About the Flag or the Anthem, It’s About Justice.” He said the controversy over players kneeling during the national anthem misses the point. “That debate about the anthem and the flag is the reddest of red herrings. The point is that we have injustice. And the ques- tion is: what are we going to do about that? Protest- ing draws attention to that injustice, but it’s a tactic. It’s not a program to end injustice. And so one of the things I also hope to do is encourage those who would be in- clined to protest to take the next step, and take some concrete actions beyond merely drawing attention to the problem, and being involved in steps to eliminate it.” S weet T aste FEB 24 of the 2018 A rts PRESENTS 6:30 pm - 10 pm DoubleTree by Hilton 1000 NE Multnomah St. Portland, OR TICKETS: $100/individual $190/couple $720/table of 8 Attire is semi-formal to formal (no jeans please). A portion of the ticket price is deductible. Join us as we celebrate accomplished local artists at “Sweet Taste of the Arts” with fine dining, live music and dancing. Enjoy performances from visual and theatrical artists, and musicians. Our featured performer is vocalist La Rhonda Steele. Choose entree, dessert and purchase tickets at sweet-taste-of-the-arts.eventbrite.com or PassinArt.org. PassinArt.org PassinArtTheatreCompany
