Outgoing Chicago Public Schools CEO tapped to lead Massachusetts education agency
EVERETT, Mass. - Outgoing Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez was recommended to be the next head of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to recommend Martinez as the agency's next leader on Tuesday.
What we know
The final decision will be up to Massachusetts Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, who voted in support of the recommendation, according to a news release.
Martinez was fired by the Chicago Board of Education last December amid a clash with allies of Mayor Brandon Johnson over whether or not to take out a loan to finance a new contract with CPS teachers. He was expected to remain on the job as the head of CPS through the rest of the school year.
What they're saying
Massachusetts board members praised Martinez and what he'll bring to the commonwealth.
"Mr. Martinez is a proven, nationally recognized education leader who has a successful track record of closing student achievement gaps, creating innovative educational pathways and paying particular attention to children with special needs and English language learners," said Board Chair Katherine Craven, in a statement. "Mr. Martinez will add valuable insight and perspective to the immediate tasks of formulating shared expectations around high school graduation requirements."
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Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Advocates call on Michigan lawmakers to condemn ICE detention of Detroit student
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Immigration advocates are now calling on Michigan's governor, several Democratic members of the state's congressional delegation, and Detroit school district leaders to fight for Maykol's release so he can complete his schooling in the U.S. 'At this time of the year, students should be focused on graduation and summer,' said Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, who is representing Maykol. 'And here we have a student on precious time who is being deported. He should be able to finish his studies.' Maykol is only 3.5 credits away from graduating, Robinson said, and would likely be able to finish school around the end of the calendar year. His attorney said he is asking to be released and granted a stay of deportation to see his studies through before returning to Colombia. Maykol was arrested on May 20 after he attempted to join a school field trip to Lake Erie Metropark, about 25 miles from Detroit. While driving with three other students in the car, Maykol was pulled over for tailgating another vehicle, said Robinson. The teen was asked to provide his driver's license but only had a City of Detroit identification card. Michigan does not currently issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. The local police officers who pulled Maykol over could not speak Spanish and had trouble communicating with him, Robinson said, so they called Customs and Border Protection. 'An important aspect of this story is that local police, instead of relying on internal translation services, were relying on Border Patrol agents to interpret for them,' said Robinson. The practice of calling on Border Protection for traffic stops with people who can't speak English could be interpreted as racial profiling, the attorney said. Randy Krause, chief of the Rockwood Police Department, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Maykol, who came to the U.S. at 16, received a final deportation order in 2024. After that, Maykol was working with ICE and the Colombian Consulate to obtain the travel documents he needed to depart the country, according to his attorney. 'We were in compliance with their order,' said Robinson, adding the documents are required in order to board an airplane out of the country. 'It takes time for those documents to be generated.' He was still in the process of arranging to return to Colombia with his mother when he was arrested. It's unclear if he would have been able to graduate before leaving. On Monday afternoon, Robinson and Maykol's family didn't know where he was. They believed he was being moved from the Chippewa County Correctional Facility to another location early Monday morning, the attorney said. 'We expect when he does reach where he will spend the night tonight, we will be able to find him, or he will be able to make a phone call to us or his mom,' said Robinson. The attorney said because of the high number of people detained by ICE, the agency places them wherever bed space is available. 'We're seeing people detained in far parts of Michigan,' he said. 'We're also seeing people being sent to Ohio and other places as well.' By Monday afternoon, nearly 900 people had signed a petition asking Michigan officials to condemn Maykol's arrest, urge for him to be released to complete his high school education, and 'to put preventative policies in place to better support immigrant students and families.' Three advocacy groups — 482Forward, MI Students Dream, and the People's Assembly — created the petition. Lindsey Matson, the deputy director of 482Forward, said the advocacy effort is aimed at raising awareness of the issue and the petition, if it gains traction, will put pressure on those who have the power to intervene. 'Even a statement from the school board will be helpful,' Matson added. The petition calls for action from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, U.S. House Reps. Shri Thanedar and Rashida Tlaib, and the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Thanedar, in a Monday evening post on X, formerly Twitter, responded to the detention, saying: 'ICE should not be detaining high schoolers! Maykol Bogoya-Duarte just needs 3 credits to graduate, but was put in detention by ICE. He should be released immediately and allowed to get his diploma.' Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the district, told Chalkbeat last week that the school system's police department had advocated on the student's behalf. But the district did not notify students and families of the arrest because Maykol was not 'under the protection and responsibility' of the school system when ICE detained him, said Vitti. Robinson said notification about the incident or future instances like it would provide reassurances to families about how the district responds in these situations. 'I think people are looking for something like that from the school district,' said Robinson. In addition to advocating for Maykol's release to allow the teen to finish school, the attorney said the district should ensure its policies and practices support the needs of community members with immigration challenges. That includes making sure students and staff understand their rights in interactions with law enforcement, he added. In New York, the detention of a student has gained widespread attention and calls from advocates and political leaders for his release. (A second teen has since been detained.) Similarly, the detention of a teenager in Massachusetts prompted rallies. Less attention has been paid to Maykol's plight in comparison. Matson said his case isn't less important than what has happened in the other states. 'I feel like Democrats in Michigan have not really stood up for our immigrant population here,' she said. The advocacy groups calling for Maykol's release are asking community members to attend the Detroit Public Schools Community District board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Martin Luther King Jr. High School to urge school leaders to make public statements. Immigration advocates are also encouraging community members to call the offices of state and national lawmakers, as well as ICE. Lori Higgins is the Detroit bureau chief. You can reach her at lhiggins@ Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@ Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Detroit's population is growing − a strategy to welcome immigrants helps explain the turnaround
A section of Detroit's northeast side has a significant immigrant community. | Ken Coleman By Paul N. McDaniel, Kennesaw State University and Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez, Kennesaw State University Detroit's population grew in 2024 for the second year in a row. This is a remarkable comeback after decades of population decline in the Motor City. What explains the turnaround? One factor may be Detroit's efforts to attract and settle immigrants. These efforts continue despite a dramatic national shift in tone toward new arrivals. This includes executive orders from the second Trump administration targeting immigrant communities, international students and their universities, and cities in which immigrants live. We study urban geography and immigrant integration. Despite these federal policy shifts, our own research and that of others has found that local leaders in cities across the U.S. are actively working to bring immigrants in and help them become part of local communities, generally for economic reasons. Our recent publications on immigrant integration and immigrant community engagement show how and why cities adapt to changes in their population and economies. Detroit and other former immigrant gateway metro areas such as Buffalo, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri experienced significant immigration in the early 20th century. These population booms were followed by a period of decline in immigration numbers. Now these cities are using branding strategies to construct inclusive identities designed to attract and retain immigrants. It may be surprising to think of a city branding itself, but local governments often work with private nonprofits to shape and manage their city's image. They try to build a unique and desirable identity for the city, differentiate it from competitors, and attract new businesses, residents and tourists this way. Here are three reasons why Detroit and other cities want to welcome immigrants: Immigration has a positive impact on the economy, research shows. Local leaders in Detroit recognize that in a global economy, a thriving industrial sector and robust labor market are linked to the contributions of immigrant communities. They also understand that the growth of these communities brings positive economic ripple effects. Immigrants are more likely than the general population to own their own businesses. Organizations such as Global Detroit encourage entrepreneurship through programs such as the Global Talent Retention Initiative, Global Talent Accelerator and Global Entrepreneur in Residence and provide resources for small businesses. Immigrants also fill labor needs, from high-tech fields such as engineering and research to manual labor sectors such as construction and food service. The City of Detroit Office of Immigrant Affairs promotes economic development and immigrant integration through education, English as a second language programs, economic empowerment and community resources. These efforts are paying off by attracting immigrants to the city. This economic impact extends to tourism as well. The region's marketing campaigns embracing diversity shape how visitors perceive the region. The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau spotlights the unique experiences the city's diverse neighborhoods offer to tourists. Regional resilience describes a region's ability to withstand and adapt to challenges such as economic shocks and natural disasters. Cities like Detroit that are still trying to bounce back from deindustrialization know from experience how critical this is. Immigration contributes to regional resilience, research shows. In addition to supporting local economies and strengthening the labor force, the arrival of immigrants in Detroit has helped offset native-born population decline, stabilizing the overall population and bolstering local tax bases. According to our analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area grew by 1.2%, from a total population of 4,291,843 in 2010 to 4,342,304 in 2023. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the Detroit metro area's native-born population decreased by 58,693 people during that 13-year period, while the foreign-born population increased by 109,154. The top five countries of origin for immigrants in the metro area are India, Iraq, Mexico, Yemen and Lebanon. From 2023 to 2024, the metro area's population gained 40,347 immigrants and lost 11,626 native born residents – resulting in a population gain of 28,721. Efforts to welcome immigrants in Detroit and its surrounding communities contributed to this trend of immigrant population growth offsetting overall population decline. Successful place brands are rooted in inclusion and a strong civil society. Detroit's rich tapestry of cultures in areas such as Dearborn and Hamtramck creates a vibrant regional identity. Organizations such as Global Detroit's Welcoming Michigan actively support local grassroots efforts to build mutual respect and ensure that immigrants are able to participate fully in the social, civic and economic fabric of their hometowns. Examples include Global Detroit's Social Cohesion Initiative, Common Bond and Opportunity Neighborhoods. These initiatives help bring neighborhood residents of various backgrounds together to share their cultures, support each other's small businesses and socialize. Such programs strengthen the region's democratic foundations and enhance its appeal as a welcoming and inclusive place to live. Detroit has found that welcoming immigrants and integrating them into the life of the city is one way to navigate the economic, political and cultural challenges it faces. And it is not alone in embracing this strategy. Other cities practicing similar strategies include Baltimore; Boise, Idaho; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas; Dayton, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans; Pittsburgh; Roanoke, Virginia; and Salt Lake City. Although not all cities choose to pursue such strategies, in those that do, local leaders signal a region ready for a globalized future. Paul N. McDaniel, Associate Professor of Geography, Kennesaw State University and Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez, Associate Professor of Social Work and Human Services, Kennesaw State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Inside the US Telegram group chats Hamas is trying to radicalize
Telegram group chats with hundreds of thousands of subscribers are posting daily propaganda directly from Hamas — and potentially radicalizing anti-Israel activists here in America. The Post monitored two major English-language Telegram networks — Resistance News Network and Gaza Now In English, with more than 100,000 and 200,000 subscribers respectively — over the past week and observed dozens of daily updates purporting to be from spokespeople for Hamas, Hezbollah and terrorist military brigades. 10 The Post identified announcements from Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas' military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, in several large Telegram groups. Telegram 10 Updates from the Mujahideen Brigades, an armed wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, were posted to the Resistance News Network roup chat on Telegram. Telegram Resistance News Network, which describes itself as 'the pulse of the resistance,' posted two dozen briefs from Gaza, translated into English, on June 4. The group has more than 165,000 subscribers. Updates called deceased Palestinians 'martyrs' and frequently referenced the 'fascist zionist enemy,' and consistently put 'Israel' in quotation marks in an apparent effort to delegitimize Israeli statehood. On June 5, a posted statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces announced a drone attack on the Ben Gurion Airport, which was confirmed by multiple media outlets. Several updates 'from the front lines' also arrived from the Al-Quds brigades, the paramilitary armed wing of the Islamist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad. 10 Tarek Bazrouk was allegedly a member of a chat group that received updates from a Hamas spokesperson. DCPI 'Our fighters confirmed that they managed to detonate a zionist military vehicle with a highly explosive barrel device,' read a June 5 message from the Al-Quds brigades, who reported they were returning from the front lines south of Khan Younis. While subscribers do not have permission to send messages in the channel, they are able to react with emoji. Messages reporting Israeli casualties are littered with hundreds of celebratory reactions, including flames, hearts, clapping hands, and various other symbols of approval. Military updates also poured in from the Islamic Jihad Movement, the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas), the Mujahideen Brigades (an armed wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement), and the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades (the armed wing of the Marxist–Leninist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). 10 Users have reacted with celebratory emoji to messages on Resistance News Network's Telegram group chat reporting attacks against Israeli targets. Telegram Daily statistical reports from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza and images of injured children and civilians flooded the channel too. The Post identified 206 messages reportedly from Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida in Resistance News Network's thread from January 2024 to present. The most recent was sent on May 23. Tarek Bazrouk, an agitator who protested at Columbia University and now faces three federal hate crime charges, allegedly was 'a member of a chat group that received regular updates from Abu Obeida,' the official spokesperson for Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades militant group, according to allegations in federal documents. It's not confirmed whether Bazrouk, who reportedly boasted about having family members affiliated with Hamas, was in either of the group chats identified by The Post, however they both appear very similar in spirit to the chat described in the federal documents. 10 Both Resistance News Network and Gaza Now In English's group chats on Telegram have posted statements from Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas. Telegram 'Telegram channels are one of the go-tos for terrorist organizations to provide their propaganda to Americans and people around the globe,' Oren Segal, Senior Vice President for Counter-Extremism at the Anti Defamation League, told The Post. 'They want people to see it. They want to put as much hate out there as possible.' The Resistance News Network group chat first appeared on Telegram in 2022, according to the Anti Defamation League, and soon began engaging in 'explicit promotion of US State Department-designated foreign terrorist organizations, often providing translations of communiques and propaganda.' Multiple experts said it is all but impossible to identify the founders or moderators of Resistance News Network. The ADL reports that materials from the Resistance News Network have reached American students. Posters and material were posted by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the University of Washington and to bulletin boards at the Aurora Campus in Denver. 10 An announcement from the Yemeni army was posted in Arabic on Resistance News Network's Telegram group chat. Telegram 10 Some updates on Resistance News Network's Telegram group chat have included video footage from various military operations by the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades. Telegram SJP chapters at Wellesley College, University of Washington, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of California-Irvine, John Jay College and Brandeis University have all also shared Resistance News Network content on their social media channels. Lara Burns, Head of Terrorism Research at George Washington University's Center for Extremism, told The Post that college students are prime targets because they are sympathetic to oppressor-versus-oppressed narratives. '[Hamas propagandists] are purposely targeting groups by using terms that they think would appeal to them, and their favorite term is 'oppression,'' Burns said. 'They claim that 'the Palestinian people are oppressed, and you are oppressed, so let's be oppressed together. But hey, let's work on our cause first, right?'' 10 Gaza Now In English's Telegram group chat regularly feature graphic photos and videos of individuals allegedly injured in conflict in Gaza. Telegram Another even more popular channel, topping 200,000 members, is Gaza Now In English. The channel is affiliated with the Gaza Now News Network, founded in 2006 by Mustafa Ayyash out of Gaza. Ayyash, a Palestinian Muslim journalist, was sanctioned by the US and Britain in 2024 for allegedly providing financial assistance to Hamas. In November 2023, Gaza Now-affiliated Telegram channels became briefly unavailable on the mobile app (the platform has not said why), but they are presently available on both the mobile and the desktop version of Telegram. Though Gaza Now In English seems to have less frequent military updates, The Post identified announcements from Abu Obeida, Hamas, Saraya al-Quds and the Al-Qassam Brigades. 10 Posts to Gaza Now In English's Telegram group chat regularly get around 20,000 to 40,000 views. Telegram The group also frequently shares graphic images and videos of injured people and sends out names of the deceased, referred to as 'martyrs.' 'Yemen answers the call,' a message in the channel read after the Thursday airport attack, followed by a statement from Hamas: 'We salute our honest brothers in #Yemen who continue to launch rockets despite what they are exposed to.' Most messages on the channel have 20,000 to 40,000 views. 10 Telegram group chats with hundreds of thousands of subscribers are posting daily propaganda directly from Hamas — and potentially radicalizing anti-Israel activists here in America. AFP via Getty Images The Post has reached out to Telegram for comment. Jonathan Schanzer, the executive director of Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warned these channels can be a pipeline for radicalization, even here in the United States. 'They are filled with sophisticated propaganda,' he told The Post. 'And they are dangerous because they really do invite the viewers, even if you're kind of casually lurking, to go down a rabbit hole of Hamas propaganda.' 'It's very granular stuff. They're giving lurkers the sense that they are part of the battle landscape.' Lorenzo Vidino, director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, confirmed that Hamas and Hezbollah's 'app of choice is Telegram,' a free encrypted-messaging platform available on the App Store and Google Play. 'Hamas and Hezbollah have networks of random supporters who don't really have physical or direct contact with people inside the organization,' Vidino explained, 'but they also have very extensive digital networks inside the United States of people who have family connections to them.'
