Saving Dyett: Are Public Schools Being Taken Over By Private Business?

Has public education become big business at the expense of our children? Dyett High School in Chicago is just one of many public schools in danger of closing and being reopened as a privately owned institution. Some say that's good - the more private institutions we have, the more control we have over our children's education. But private schools, unless heavily financed by large corporations, tend to fail because schools rely on families to meet budget requirements through tuition. When tuition costs rise, families leave the school and this creates a greater financial burdon on the remaining families. The downward spiral effect leads to good private schools closing. In areas where coporations have taken over the schools and made them private, many local children are excluded from attending. Jitu Brown, National Director for the Journey For Justice Alliance, is working with the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) to insure that Dyett remains a viable public school, and is not closed and reopened as a private, corporately owned school that excludes neighborhood students.