New here! And another CPS question.. (Chicago, Evanston: transfer to, schools, living)

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Drover

"Choice" or "sane leaders" or not... if the residency requirement is ever lifted I'm getting the hell outta here because a lot of middle-class neighborhoods will collapse overnight.

I was going to say - when they mentioned something about lifting the residency requirement during the elections I definitely did a double-take and shuttered.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Drover

"Choice" or "sane leaders" or not... if the residency requirement is ever lifted I'm getting the hell outta here because a lot of middle-class neighborhoods will collapse overnight.

food for thought: we had an apartment building across the street from my dad's Lake View 2-flat and my dad would often joke we must have the safest block on the City as there was a constant stream of cops going there.

however - what they were doing was sharing the address and picking up their mail, none of them actually lived there.

so did that really make us safe (dubious), and more importantly, how many city workers still are?

I think the entire concept is debatable as we just don't really know. You have similar practices with people that use grandma or auntie's address to get their kid in a better public school.

[tomcho]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

food for thought: we had an apartment building across the street from my dad's Lake View 2-flat and my dad would often joke we must have the safest block on the City as there was a constant stream of cops going there.

however - what they were doing was sharing the address and picking up their mail, none of them actually lived there.

so did that really make us safe (dubious), and more importantly, how many city workers still are?

I think the entire concept is debatable as we just don't really know. You have similar practices with people that use grandma or auntie's address to get their kid in a better public school.

Safety of cops actually living there isn't the main issue, though it might help. On my particular block there are 2 CPD officers, a retired lieutenant, a state police officer, and a fireman. Not to mention the small arsenal I may or may not keep in my closet. The biggest issue is the large solidly middle class, job holding, mostly reputable city workers that live in these neighborhoods. You remove them and housing inventory grows, prices drop and perhaps less reputable people move in.

[Savoir Faire]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Even then, my relatives who are young firefighter/paramedics in Chicago are truly in an awful state of being forced to give up ALOT of the things they had growing up if they remain in Chicago with kids as REQUIRED by their employment OR face BIG risks to their employment by trying to work in other town...

It's obvious that you don't like and don't live in Chicago. That being the case, why do you even visit the Chicago forum?????

[Brian45919]

Originally Posted by Drover

"Choice" or "sane leaders" or not... if the residency requirement is ever lifted I'm getting the hell outta here because a lot of middle-class neighborhoods will collapse overnight.

100% true statement! Anyone (like me) who lives on the southwest or northwest side knows very well that lifting the residency requirement would kill middle class families in Chicago. Places like Dunning, Garfield Ridge, Clearing, Mount Greenwood, Edison Park and Norwood Park would be hit really hard. BAD IDEA.

[tomcho]

Originally Posted by Savoir Faire

It's obvious that you don't like and don't live in Chicago. That being the case, why do you even visit the Chicago forum?????

It's become clear to me, he's on a mission to save people from the day to day horrors of living in Chicago.

[chet everett]

Not so much that I don't like Chicago, as I really do enjoy working in the loop, as well as taking in the dining and entertainment options throughout the city. It irks me to no end when folks gloss over how horrorifically difficult CPS makes it for those who are contemplating relocating to Chicago, the huge number of highly dysfunctional schools doing a miserable job of preparing students for the realities of life beyond school, and the unconcensionable waste of lives that go along with crime that is a by product of failed education.
I suspect some suburbs are racing toward non- performance that is every bit as galling as that of CPS and when people bring up those 'burbs as "low priced alternatives" I generally rally just as strong against putting up with the corruption and dysfunction in those areas.

I find it curious that people would rather question my motives than offer evidence to suggest that what I say about dysfunction and Byzantine methods of schools selection are doing anything other than perpetuating the mess...

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by tomcho

It's become clear to me, he's on a mission to save people from the day to day horrors of living in Chicago.

Nice snark!

[ajolotl]

There is no evidence to offer. CPS is just something that you ignore and work around.

People with kids who live in the city obviously do so in spite of CPS. Your bias is that you don't see any of the counterbalancing benefits (vs. living in the burbs). That's an understandable preference, but a lot of people don't feel that way. You often present your advice with no appreciation of what some people would perceive the advantages of city living, and rarely mention that aspects of even nicer suburbs that people might like to avoid.

Originally Posted by chet everett

Not so much that I don't like Chicago, as I really do enjoy working in the loop, as well as taking in the dining and entertainment options throughout the city. It irks me to no end when folks gloss over how horrorifically difficult CPS makes it for those who are contemplating relocating to Chicago, the huge number of highly dysfunctional schools doing a miserable job of preparing students for the realities of life beyond school, and the unconcensionable waste of lives that go along with crime that is a by product of failed education.
I suspect some suburbs are racing toward non- performance that is every bit as galling as that of CPS and when people bring up those 'burbs as "low priced alternatives" I generally rally just as strong against putting up with the corruption and dysfunction in those areas.

I find it curious that people would rather question my motives than offer evidence to suggest that what I say about dysfunction and Byzantine methods of schools selection are doing anything other than perpetuating the mess...

[patshuca]

Originally Posted by chet everett

So far as I know only The City of Chicago enforces a residency requirement of Teachers, and all municipal employees. Even in regard to "public safety employees of the Chicago Fire Department and CPD the residency requirement is rather unique. I personally have relatives that work as fire fighters or police officers in towns such as Oak Park, Burbank and Homewood that live in far flung places like Johnsburg, Homer Glen or Maple Park.

It is about CHOICE, a concept that is well supported by most sane leaders.

Yes it is about CHOICE. You can choose who you work for and the job profession you are in. If you don't like the job requirements of a city employee or have difficulty meeting them, you're more than welcome to work for someone else or pursue another line of work.

The residency requirements are there for a simple reason - it requires those people who are being payed by the City of Chicago to personally invest and support the city. As a city taxpayer - out of my own self interest - I fully support this principle. If you don't like the terms of employment, feel free to quit and leave so someone who really wants the job can get it and save us the drama.