How Facebook Helped Parents Win A War With Chicago Schools

Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of an interview with Laura Ramirez, an ally to the Chicago moms staging a sit-in to demand a library for their children. Part 1 was posted earlier today.

After a 44-day sit-in, national media coverage and hundreds of phone calls and letters sent from the community and beyond, a group of South Side Chicago moms may have finally reached an agreement with Chicago Public Schools. CPS head Ron Huberman has agreed to build a library inside their children's elementary school, and the field house where the moms staged the sit-in will be leased to the moms for $1 a year. A full agreement has still not been reached, however.

Ramirez, an ally to the moms, helped start their Facebook and Internet campaign under their leadership. The moms credit social media for part of their success, she says. Change.org caught up with Laura Ramirez earlier this week to talk about lessons learned from the sit-in: (Read Part 1 of the interview here, where Ramirez talks about Facebook, the start of the sit-in and why she got involved.)

Change.org: What would you recommend for other groups who are trying to improve their children's schools?

LR: Your first step is to educate yourself. The Whittier moms were highly politicized. It wasn't just that they felt there was something wrong. They had an analysis of why it was wrong. They had also taken the steps to document absolutely everything. They showed me a binder full of letters, documents from the city and the state, that basically documented the entire seven years of that struggle.

Change.org: When should groups stage a sit-in?

LR: This [the sit-in] should really not happen unless it is the last option. The moms had tried all of the other ways -- going to the Aldermen, going to CPS. When that didn't work, they didn't just have justice and empathy on their side, they had a lot of proof that they were on the right side of things.

Change.org: Do you have any other advice? 

LR: People trying to change things should really take the time to understand what they're struggling for and the bigger picture. Let's say you want to have a library. What is the bigger picture behind it? Literacy and education. Also, choose your partners wisely. The mothers never let any community organizers take credit for what they did. The leadership was always in the mothers. They also knew how to stand their ground when things got tough, and to be able to say no to certain people who wanted to help them. 

Change.org: What have the children of Whittier learned?

LR: Latinos in particular are usually taught that they don't know anything. These children are going to see the power of their parents. Even though some of their parents don't speak English, even though some of them might not be here in the most acceptable ways, they will see that they have the power and strength and resilience to stand up for what they believe in. These parents are saying, I'm going to fight for my children, even if means I'm gonna sacrifice so much. The new generation of Whittier kids are going be active people who are making change. Active, informed agents of change.

Laura Ramirez is a Ph.D. Student in Education Policy at the University of Illinois in Chicago. You can find more about the Whittier Parents at http://saveourcenter.com.

Photo credit: Whittier Parent Committee