Education and child development will now come
to order today.
At this meeting, votes will be taken on one item,
the appointment to the board of trustees
of community College District number 5 0 8.
Ordinance number A 2 0 2 5 dash
0 0 2 1 6 7 5 Fernando Diaz,
we will now do a roll call vote to establish Quorum
Vice Chair Clay Alderman Yancy
Alderman Hall Alderman Bill
Alder woman Lee Alderman Quinn
Alderwoman Gutierrez Alderwoman Coleman
Alderman O'Shea
Alder person Es Alderman,
Tyler Farro, Alder Woman Sanna Rodriguez.
Alderman Gardner.
We have eight members present.
We have a quorum pursuant to Rule 40 59.
Alderman, uh, Chico would like to participate remotely.
Can I get a motion? No. So moved by Alder Woman Rodriguez.
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Those opposed, there are none non-members who are present.
Alder Woman Mi and Alderman Spto.
At this time, we'll begin the public comment period.
This period is limited to 30 minutes outta
respect for everybody's time.
Each speaker is limited to three minutes.
First, we'll have Reverend Phyllis Harrell.
Good afternoon. Good afternoon to all
of the aldermans to the committee.
It's a pleasure to stand before you.
I am here to represent the Safe Passage program
of 17 various agencies throughout the city
of Co uh, Chicago.
We understand that there's been serious budget
cuts through education.
There's been serious budget cuts throughout, uh, CPS,
but we are standing in the gap for our communities
and for our children.
So we would like to ask you to consider the reinstatement
of this program from the $13.5 million that we are now to
where we were cut from at 26 million.
I know you didn't fix, you didn't ask
for the budget to be in a deficit.
I know this is a, a major problem throughout the city,
but we're asking for you to at least consider the funding
of this program because now we're not only Safe Passage.
We are there to inform schools of ISIS coming
to remove families and children.
And we're looking out for the safety of all
of our residents and communities.
So we're asking you to reconsider
or to think about where we can find money.
We're going to philanthropists, we're going to corporations,
and we are fighting to keep this program alive,
but it is difficult to do
so at 13.5 million 17 agencies.
It was started out at 18.
We lost an agency last year that could not fund the program.
One because the PTO pay time leave off, uh, is, is in effect
to all the state employees that we must cover.
And we have not gotten a raise
or any increase for this program
for administrative costs since Dr.
Barbara Bur Benning, which has almost been 10 or 15 years.
So we're asking for reinstatement of the program.
We're asking for funding.
And if you've got any suggestions to where we can go,
we've met with the mayor, we've met with various boards
and some of you the aldermans, uh, throughout the wards
to think about refunding, where we can go,
where we can find some money to reinstate it.
We're not asking for much.
$13.5 million would reinstate us back at the
26 million that we had.
We are not the crossing guard. We are a separate entity.
We are up under safety and security.
I know there's a bad taste with people giving
CPS anymore money.
However, we're asking if you don't give it to CPS, give it
to an agency that can fund it this way
so we can keep our children safe.
We are dealing with a safety issue for our young people.
We are only in, uh, 191 schools.
There are 634 CPS schools where you've got two
or three charter schools that's covered.
So it's, it's a very rarity that even schools are asking
for this program and there's no money.
They're calling the vendors.
The vendors are trying to do the best we can
besides robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Thank you and, uh, alderman Nicole Lee for taking time
and Sanchez for taking time for meeting with us.
So we could just see if we can come up with a plan.
We're not trying to throw anyone up under the bus,
but we need help and we need this program to stay alive.
If not, then you need to cut the whole program
until our children, they're on their own
and nobody wants to see that happen.
I'm going to deflect now to my, uh,
colleague Dr. Carolyn Day of Black United Fund.
Thank you for your comments. Hold on.
You're Dr. Day, you're next. Ms. D.
Good afternoon again. I am Carolyn Day.
I'm the executive director
of the Black United Fund of Illinois.
We are one of the 17 agencies that provide
the services for Safe Passage.
Many of you don't know that.
Uh, black United Fund, affectionately known as Buffy,
is the founder of the Safe Passage program as a result
of a young man getting shot on his way to school.
So I just want to reinstate the fact
that we are in a public safety crisis for our children.
Um, you've seen in the news some incidences
that have happened recently with our schools.
Uh, we have schools that are not covered.
We have people working less, uh, for the wage than folks
that work at Starbucks.
And they're out there committed to take, uh, care
of our students as they travel to and from school.
It is a urgency that we get some help
with our Safe Passage program.
Um, we have a concern
because it's not just Chicago Public Schools,
but it's alternative schools.
Our charter schools, our people
that are homeschooling their children will have to come
to our school system for multidisciplinary meetings.
So everyone is in danger in terms
of the safety of our children.
We, again, we have spoken to board members.
We have spoken at, uh,
Chicago public school, public speaking.
We have just kind of knocked the doors of anyone
that can help us with philanthropy, public offices,
or any kind of supplemental income
that can help this program.
Again, black United Fund is a citywide program.
So although our agency sits in South Shore,
we cover a great deal of the city, Northwest and south
and um, further east.
So I thank you for your time. Please feel free.
We've passed out our information to just, uh,
give us some advice, direct us.
We'll follow up on every single thing.
We're not trying to again, throw someone under the bus,
as my colleague said, but we're just advocating
because who will step up if we don't?
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments Jessica Jackson.
Go that move. Go that move. Go the move.
Okay. So education
of course we know is very, very important.
Very important. Um,
and I'm glad to see these sisters here today talking about
the Safe Passage program.
I used to work for LA Unified
and I remember that program back in the day
and it is a very, very good program.
Um, back then it would be the kids coming from the area town
that I'm sure a lot of you are familiar
with called The Jungle and they would be going to Audubon
and Dorsey, right?
You all are familiar with those very popular schools.
And I remember when the Safety Passage program you out Safe
the Passage Program, you're absolutely right.
It does work. It does work.
And it was one of those programs that should not have gotten
their funds taken from them.
Okay? So I'm hearing what you're saying
and you all are making valid and very good uh, points.
However, you all are missing some very key things.
That's why you're not getting results, okay?
This body is concerned about illegal immigrants only.
So when you have black in your title,
nothing is going to happen for you.
It's sad, but it's true.
That's the area that we are living in right now in the city.
All money is going towards illegals.
So you know, however you may feel about ice coming into the
schools and getting the illegals out.
I mean, you know, that's your opinion.
But a lot of people feel the way that they feel about that
because the reality is all this money going
to illegals take away from our children learning.
And our children have been failing in these schools
for a long time
and no one has given any interest to having,
helping our kids do better.
Now, I saw Yancy run over here and give you his car.
Yancy is not going to do anything. I live in South Shore.
I've been going to him about the fact
that they're still in our property
over there in South Shore.
I'm sure you all know that about
how our property taxes are steadily going up,
but that property taxes money is not going into our schools.
Instead, this affordable housing junk is being filtered all
through our schools so
that people don't own over there in South Shore.
Therefore, more property taxes,
even though they raising our property taxes are
not going into our schools.
So you all need to understand the hook Wing
Sanchez ain't for you.
I tried to get a hate crime bill
through Sanchez for black people.
She refuses to do it. She refuses to entertain it.
When you talk about education, half
of them don't even know the uh, United States Constitution.
That's why they holler due process all day
for these illegals
'cause they don't even understand what due process is.
So I want you all to get that free passage program back.
It's a good program. What I'm saying to you is
that's not the way to go about it.
You gotta go about it through the other party
that's really trying to get money for nonprofits right now.
Yes, I
give it to them up there.
Okay? What just Ms. Jackson say, say,
PA pastor program is very important for our kids.
But the problem with this is, is the funding
and the education with the funding.
So what they doing is that they cut the funding
for proper education
and then they give it to, they stack it all up
for these illegal immigrants.
If you know every black schools,
they got Hispanics in there.
Now they're going to try to fo force us
to speak the language that we wasn't born to speak in.
And this is where the problem is.
You have a social study teacher who's a mayor
of the city of Chicago.
He failed his kids because guess what he did?
Did not pa he passed a kids to the next grade level
'cause the curriculum was racist.
And that's what it is. But he's the true racist
because he don't want our black kids to, uh, pass.
He don't want our black kids to be educated.
He don't want our black kids to compete in the real world.
And what he do, he overhear SPT
and uh, budget proposal through C
because of the CTU
and Stacey Davis Gates over here don't even live in Chicago.
She live in Indiana somewhere, whether it's Gary
or Hammond to avoid.
So she won't have to pay property tax her son go
to a Catholic school.
So where is the proper education for our kids?
Remember what Rob Emanuel did? He closed 51 school.
He closed 51 because he say it's poor performance.
It was not the school that teach the kids.
Now parents have the pro have a responsibility
to teach our kids,
but the school are not babysitters for those
who don't wanna teach the kids.
But another thing with this is that
no matter what we say, no matter how much we beg
the city, the city council
or the committee, what are they gonna do for our kids?
They're not going to do it.
That's the reality right now here until the election come,
then they want your, now they want your votes.
But why about our kids? These kids can't even know how
to do cursive right?
In a grade level. And 40% of these kids cannot even read
or do math.
See, there's a problem there.
You got these schools up on the north
side all the way up to the suburb.
They excel 'cause their money is funded, but ours are not
because it's going to these illegals.
So you, we gotta be careful who we,
who we dance with to deal with it.
Well, I just wanna say hello to everyone
and I wanna just honor the Lord first.
Um, I honor the council
and all the, um, organizations as I always do
that are represented here.
And so my name is, um, a Dr. Apostle Sandy Norman.
I'm the founder of Life Beyond Limits Inc.
Chain Breakers, VIP, violence Intervention and Prevention.
And so we are are a Chicago, um, grassroot,
boots on the ground based, um, operation
that served the south side
and the west side of Chi of Chicago.
One thing I do wanna say to the council, I know
that sometimes when we have these meetings, you know,
we can get so accustomed to coming to meetings that a lot
of times things that people are trying to convey,
sometimes it may go over our heads.
And so what I wanna say, um, to those of you,
because I deal in violence prevention,
I can tie it into education
because a lot of the violence that you see on the city
of Chicago, when you look at, uh, some of the people
that are committing the violence, it is as a result also of,
um, education.
I can tell you that, um, when I go to some
of the Chicago public schools, it's not the same as going
to the suburban schools.
When I go to the suburban schools, I see gyms, I see tracks.
I was taught that the atmosphere you create will create the
product that you produce.
And so your atmosphere has a lot to do with
who you are and who you become.
And when you're giving, um, opportunities,
when you're getting, when certain funding goes into certain,
um, neighborhood, those things benefit.
You know, children because your environment is important.
And so when I'm on the street, I don't see young black men,
you know, that are involved sometimes in gangs
and violence as lazy because many of them wanna work.
But I will tell you that part of the problem is
because we failed our young people.
Um, there's been failure within the public school systems.
We do a lot of times, you know, voting politicians
that don't care, that are out of touch with reality.
And so I always tell you, listen,
if you're gonna be in a a position, if God puts you there,
it's not just for you, it's for the people.
And so we do need to have, um, more educational funding.
I have an organization and I keep coming here to advocate
because a lot of the people, as I keep saying
that are actually out here doing the work.
They are not getting funded.
I educate young men
and I'm gonna start bringing these young men off the street
because part of their education is gonna be
to get in these rooms and to come
and learn what you guys are doing behind those seats so
that the next generation can be educated.
And so I'm just here, um, you know, advocating
and I invite you guys to come out, you know, come out, see,
um, some of the programs and people like myself,
and a lot of times we have a lot of disunity.
But at the end of the day, when you have people
that actually do the work and they care
and you brush them off, this is why you have groups, okay?
Like flip red. Because when people come
and you don't listen,
and even though it may not be the way you want it
to come out, the Bible says,
in all thy get, and at least try to
Thank you for your comments. I wanna
recognize Alder person, ES
and alder, Alder woman Gutierrez for ko.
Um, Mr. Blakemore, um, hold on. Mr.
Blakemore, before you speak, Mr.
Blakemore, I saw you when you came in
and I'm saw you fill out your form.
I'm going to let you speak,
but please be respectful to the gentleman
that's doing security.
They had already given me the forms
and while we weren't up for the 30 minutes, I saw you
and we were going to address you we're never gonna
be unfair to you.
And so I'm gonna let you speak i i this time,
but he had already collected,
but we weren't past the 30 minutes. So I saw you
Yes, and that's the point for 30 minutes.
There was not, the rules did not say it,
it said it starts at at at one.
But if I, if, if the citizens come in out one
and fill up, uh, fill out their slips,
they should be allowed to speak.
So you're not doing me any favors.
I was entitled to speak the miseducation
of the black man and woman,
Mr. BeMore. I just
want to let you know you
using your time. Wait
A minute. The miseducation
of the black man
and the black woman college g Woodson says, so we,
we cannot, we cannot expect
the Klan members, uh, to free us.
Racism was alive and the buck stop with us.
We cannot abolitionists.
These were good white folks back then.
But these, this is another breed today, the abolitionists,
they wanted to free the black men.
They really believed in religion. But these today do not.
So the miseducation of the black men, the buck stop with us,
with us black people.
We have to educate our children.
And if our children is getting an inferior education, it's
because of us black people was reading
and writing and doing everything.
Chemists, doctors, scientists, long
at the beginning of time.
God, we are God chosen people.
So if our people are not excelling, it's because of us.
We have black faces in high places selling black people out
for whatever reason, whatever reason we have fallen
or fell in love with our enemy.
And sometimes we look in the mirror
and we are our own enemy.
So I always says this, love your big nose,
your thick lips, your nappy hair,
and your black, uh, a-hole.
What's wrong with that? Oh, oh, the political correct. Mr.
Blakemore learn how to engage with, with other people.
The first people that we should engage with is, uh,
and if our children are failing
because we have failed to teach them.
So we have black faces in high places selling
black people out.
So that's why it's very, very important for a man of Mr.
Blakemore cattle, uh, uh, uh, uh, categories that he's in.
You know, I really think I'm somebody.
So we had Black Wall Street
and black, uh, uh, achievers, uh, when we was sending to our
business, not the democratic business,
not the Republican business,
but our own business though.
If you don't use what you got to get what you want,
you don't need what you got.
Now
This concludes the public speaking comment.
Thank you all for, for our speakers today,
our first order of business.
Can I get a motion to approve the rule 45.
So moved by Alderwoman Lee.
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Those who oppose say nay,
and the opinion of the chair of the ayes have it.
Second, we will hear from our appointee, Fernando Diaz Diaz,
to ask the body for his favorable consideration.
This reappointment to board
of Trustee Community College district number
5 0 9. Mr. Diaz,
Good afternoon and thank you chair, uh,
person Taylor, members of the committee.
My name's Fernando Diaz.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
I'm honored to be considered for appointment as a trustee
for City Colleges of Chicago.
This opportunity is especially meaningful to me,
both personally and professionally.
I'm a pride li, lifelong Chicagoan.
I was born in Humboldt Park, raised in Little Village
and later in the east side.
Today, I'm happy to call Bronzeville my home.
Chicago's neighborhoods have shaped who I am
and city colleges has been a constant presence
throughout my family's life.
As a student, I grew up playing soccer at city colleges
fields, and participated in the Ford Academy
of Manufacturing Sciences at Daily College, uh,
which helped me exposed to higher education
and opportunities as a kid.
Later, I completed my master's practicum at
Harold Washington College, gaining firsthand experience how
to support diverse working and first generation students.
More recently, my ch my own children participated in science
programs at Olive Harvey.
As you can see, city College is,
is not just an institution I respect.
It is one that has supported my family across generations.
Professionally, my career has focused at the intersection
of finance, higher education,
and public finance, public fi uh, public policy.
I currently serve as a deputy treasurer at the Illinois
State Treasurer's Office, where I led the restructuring
of the state's 5, 2, 9 college savings programs,
helping make them among the best in the country.
I also led the teams that launched innovative savings
programs for people with disabilities
and retirement accounts for low income workers.
This work required balancing fiscal discipline,
transparency, innovation and access.
Ensuring families across Illinois
could better plan for their future.
Previously, I spent over a decade at Chicago State
University in leadership roles across student affairs
and enrollment management.
That experience grounded me in the real challenges students
face, affordability, persistence,
and completion, as well
as the operational realities colleges face in a highly
competitive and resource constrained environment.
These experiences would guide my service as a trustee.
First student success must remain central.
Access without completion is not enough.
Policies and resources must align with outcomes that matter.
Credentials earned and careers launched.
Second, strong financial governance
and long-term sustainability are essential.
Trustees must be disciplined stewards
of public resources while advancing equity and impact.
And third, workforce alignment
and economic mobility must remain core priorities.
Community colleges play a critical role in connecting
education to good paying jobs.
I view disappointment as a public trust.
My lifelong connection to Chicago
and city colleges gives me personal stake in ensuring
that CCC remains strong, accountable,
and responsive to the community it serves.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
I'm happy to answer any questions.
Questions for the body.
I have one question at a time
where we're not gonna receive federal fundings.
What are you willing to do as a trustee to reinsure
that we're able to offer city colleges
like we have in the past?
That, that's a great question. Chairwoman.
Um, my time, commitment
and experience, uh, to help the team find innovative ways,
uh, whether it is, uh, advocating for more funding
or bringing my background in financial, um, planning, uh,
to the, to the team, to the board,
and to the executive team at city colleges.
Thank you. We'll take a roll
call for, for this appointment.
Alder Woman Clay. She left
Altman Alderman Chico.
You not on Alder woman Lee Alderman Quinn,
Alder woman Gutierrez Alderman.
Osha Yes. Alder person
Es Alderman.
Tyler Farra. Alderman Gardner
2 3 4 5 2 9 9.
We have nine yays and no nays.
Um, this motion, um, has passed.
Seen no other business before the committee.
Do I have a motion to adjourn? So move McQuinn.
This meeting, this committee is adjourned.