"The question is whether or not there is a continued commitment to mass education anymore," said Armstead Allen, chair of Olive Harvey's African American Studies Department and program moderator. "We have to compete with other educational options being prioritized by the state. We're competing with the private sector for public dollars."

The harshest criticism of the problems came from Dr. William Watkins of the University of Chicago at Illinois. Author of "White Architects of Black Education," Watkins said public education is always about politics, "and in this city, it's about lowdown, dirty politics.

"Why does the corporate community want to participate so much?" he asked. "They're interested in profits and the bottom line. It's because they're involved in social engineering and the reshaping of this city."

Privatization
Education reform
Access to education