Technically, it was Lewis who extended the branch. But give the board members credit for resisting the effort to whack her over the head with it.
Given the state of affairs at the Chicago Public Schools, this counts as progress in labor relations.
The rare point of agreement was over a state law designed to create more charter schools across Illinois, whether or not local districts want them.
“This is an area where you and I can walk hand in hand to Springfield,” Lewis said at the meeting. “I will sit on that table with you, begging and screaming to get rid of that law. I bet you if we worked on that together, Springfield would respond.”
To which board president David Vitale replied, “Let’s join hands.”
That’s when Lewis and Vitale jumped to their feet and started singing in unison: “Put your hands in the hands of the man who stilled the waters . . . ”
OK, that last part didn’t happen. But all kidding aside, the law that has Vitale and Lewis united in opposition is one that created the Illinois State Charter School Commission. It just may be the dumbest idea to come out of Springfield since legislators gave a huge tax break to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
I’m still not over that one, folks.