CHICAGO (AP) ? Hundreds of teachers, parents and other opponents marched through downtown Wednesday, vowing to fight a plan to close 54 Chicago Public Schools, despite Mayor Rahm Emanuel's comments that he's done negotiating and the closings are essentially a done deal.
Emanuel and schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett say the nation's third-largest district must close dozens of schools because CPS faces a $1 billion budget shortfall and has too many schools that are half-empty and failing academically.
At a rally before the march, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis called the closings "injustices" and said lawsuits are planned. Other speakers called for state and federal lawmakers to intervene.
"There are many ways that you can show that this is not over," Lewis told the protesters, whose march filled the street and stretched a full city block. "On the first day of school you show up at your real school. Don't let these people take your school."
Stopping in front of City Hall, the protesters chanted "Save our Schools" and called for Emanuel's ouster. More than 100 people who had planned to be arrested sat down in the middle of the street, where they continued chanting until police cleared them from the area and issued citations.
Retired teacher Gloria Warner, 62, was among those sitting arm-in-arm with other protesters in the roadway, which was blocked off to rush hour traffic.
"We need the mayor and CPS to invest in our schools, not take them away," the grandmother of two CPS students said. "We need our schools for the safety of our children."
A group of Chicago ministers also went to City Hall on Wednesday to deliver a letter asking Emanuel to halt the plan.
CPS and the mayor say the closings will save the district $560 million over 10 years in capital costs and an additional $43 million per year in operating costs. About 30,000 students ? almost all of them in Kindergarten to eighth grade ? would be affected.
At a press conference on an unrelated topic Wednesday, the mayor said he and Byrd-Bennett already are working out how to carry through on a pledge that every child who is moved ends up at a higher quality school. He said the closings already have been delayed too long.
"Keeping open a school that is falling short year-in and year-out means we haven't done what we are responsible for; not what our parents did for us and what we owe every child in the city of Chicago," Emanuel said.
Critics say the closings disproportionately affect minority neighborhoods and will uproot kids who need a stable and familiar environment in which to learn. They also worry that students will have to cross gang lines to get to a new school, and that the vacated buildings will be blight on already struggling communities.
Jonathan Hollingsworth III, a lunchroom manager at CPS, said he's also concerned that the plan will leave hundreds of workers jobless. He said he voted for Emanuel but won't do so again.
"He's downsizing everything in the damn city. It's take it or leave it," Hollingsworth said. "Keep this in mind: Come election time, all of these people will have the last laugh."
Opponents of the plan will get another chance to argue their case at a series of public meetings that will be scheduled in coming weeks, though the Chicago Board of Education ? whose members are all appointed by Emanuel ? is expected to approve the closings in late May.
The closings would take effect beginning at the start of the 2013-2014 school year.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/protesters-march-against-chicago-school-closures-235011077.html
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Y Combinator was tougher to get into than ever this season, and the quality showed on stage. 33 startups presented on the record at the incubator's Winter 2013 Demo Day today. Picking the most promising ones was no easy task. But after a team huddle and taking input from VCs and founders, TechCrunch chose seven startups that could disrupt big businesses and make the world a better place to live.
Dear Lifehacker,
You may not have to decide whether to use XBMC or Plex after all. Depending on the operating systems and devices you want to use with your HTPC, you may only have one choice. Both Plex and XBMC run on most anything, but some limitations apply for each:
Plex takes about five minutes to set up. XBMC can take five minutes, too, but can also take a lot longer if you want to configure additional features and customize your setup. If you're looking for a simple process, you'll probably prefer Plex. All you do is install the server software, tell it where to find your media, and create a Plex account that you can use to log in from the server and any client devices. When running Plex on a client computer, mobile device, television, or set top box, it'll automatically detect any servers connected to your account. From there, you can just start using Plex whether you're home or thousands of miles away.
XBMC offers a remarkably high level of customization, from plug-ins to skins to additional features like watching live television. If you can think of it, chances are XBMC can do it. It may not right out of the box, but because of its customization options you can add on almost whatever you want. On top of that, XBMC is filled with little settings and tweaks. If you don't like the way something works, you can most likely change it.
XBMC, through plug-ins, supports several internet video sites (on some platforms) like Amazon, Hulu, and YouTube. Just install the plug-in you want and you're good to go.
XBMC provides several remote control options. To start, you can get a ton of apps for your mobile device. The XBMC team created the Official XBMC Remote (Android, Free), which provides a standard remote and library-browsing functionality so you can easily choose TV and movies to play on your HTPC via your phone. XBMC Remote (iOS, $3) does the same thing, and Boxee, Plex, & XBMC remote (iOS, Free) offers a simple remote option. If you don't want to control XBMC using a mobile device, you can use several hardware controllers (e.g. a keyboard, mouse, or media center remote).
Plex handles remote streaming better than anything. Not only does it stream video reliably and in the original format whenever possible, but it'll also convert the video into a different format when necessary. If you want to stream a video from your home to your tablet while on vacation, for example, Plex will convert the video?in real time?to account for the slower connection speed. If your tablet doesn't understand the video's format, it'll convert it on the fly as well. If your tablet has a fast internet connection and understands the format, Plex will stream the file as-is. Unless you ask Plex to always handle streaming in a very specific way, it will choose intelligently on its own and rarely makes a mistake. Equally admirable is Plex's simple remote streaming configuration. Because everything runs through your Plex account you just need to log in on any device to access your media library. Everything else happens automatically. You can even stream on the web.
Both Plex and XBMC make great choices for your HTPC, so after reading all of this you may still find it difficult to make a decision. Here are a few more things to consider.