Daley, Emmanuel, Duncan attack 'Naysayers' at dedication of Chicago Marine Military Academy


By George N. Schmidt
Substance News Service

CHICAGO. OCTOBER 15, 2007. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley used the
opportunity of the dedication of the nation's first Marine Corps military academy public
high school to attack critics of militarization of the Chicago public schools
during the 11:00 a.m. dedication ceremony at the former Grant Elementary
School at 116 S. Campbell in Chicago.

Speaking to an audience of more than 200 students in U.S. Marine Corps
uniforms, parents, and active duty Marines and soldiers, Daley praised Chicago for
expanding the military programs which have been a hallmark of his regime.

"And I say to the naysayers," Daley intoned after presenting the audience
with statistics which he claimed showed the success of Chicago's military
programs, "that this is not a recruitment effort. This is to education and give our
young people bigger opportunities."

Daley specifically singled out people who had organized protests against the
opening of the Rickover Naval Academy at Senn High School in his attack. At
the time of the opening two years ago, Daley had his staff direct his limosine
around three blocks to avoid protesters. At the Senn High School event, as
reported exclusively in Substance (see www.substancenews.com, Past Issues), Daley
deployed three different security teams to keep protsters away from the
dignitaries who showed up for the event.

There were not protests today at the west side school.

Daley was praised for his courage by U.S. Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D. Illinois 5th
Congressional District). Emmanuel said that he had been warned by Chicago
Schools CEO Arne Duncan that he would be sticking his neck out if he supported
Duncan's request for federal funds to open the Marine Military Academy, which
becomes the sixth military high school in Chicago. Emmanuel said that Duncan
warned that heated protests against the opening of the Rickover Naval Academy at
Chicago's Senn High School were intense.

Emmanuel said that he fully supported the expansion of the military programs
in Chicago's public schools.

Duncan also spoke. The opening of the Marine Military Academy, which has 130
students this school year, brings to five the total number of military high
schools in Chicago's public schools system. The other military academies are
Bronzeville Military Academy (Army); Carver Military Academy (Army); Phoenix
Military Academy (Army); and the Rickover Naval Academy (Navy).

At a press conference a week before the opening of the Marine Military
Academy, Schools CEO Arne Duncan announced that the Chicago Board of Education would
be opening an Air Force Military Academy High School at a site yet to be
determined at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year.

According to Duncan, Daley and Emmanuel, the military academies are providing
Chicago public high school students with "college preparatory" options they
would not otherwise have had. Daley told the audience at the Marine Academy on
October 15 that last year there had been 7500 applications for 700 9th grade
seats in the city's existing military high schools. He stated that this was
proof that parents and students wanted the option to attend the military high
schools.

Daley also told the audience that the Chicago Board of Education was
currently sponsoring an $8 million renovation of the old Grant Elementary School
buidling, which currently houses both the Phoenix (Army) Military High School and
the Marine Military High School. After the ceremony, Daley and others broke
ground for a new complex that will expand the site of the Military schools to
encompass the two square block area extending east from the Grant school building
all the way to Western Ave. According to Daley, the project is being paid for
by the State of Illinois.

At press time, Substance had not been provided with a copy of Daley's
prepared remarks, despite a request to the Mayor's Press Secretary, Jacqueline Heard.