Dyett Drags On

I must confess that I've only followed the events with Dyett High School on a limited basis. Dyett has had a declining enrollment for some time and CPS has had its hands full trying to quell the cry to make the school an open enrollment "green technology school." For the past nearly three weeks Dyett activists have held a hunger strike to make their point.

CPS had to do something. The pro-activist coalition has taken their position to Arne Duncan in DC, descended on Mayor Emanuels headquarters at City Hall, and have been vocal at Town Hall meetings this week.

Forrest Claypool, CEO of the public schools, yesterday, announced that Dyett will re-open as an open enrollment high school but it will be an "arts-focused neighborhood school." The brass at CPS feels that this arrangement will satisfy the demands of the Dyett coalition. That remains to be seen but at first glance the move does not seem to have quelled the demands of those on the hunger strike.

Nerves are frayed on the Dyett issue and much works remains to be done to fix the situation.

Dick