Gary School To Be Renamed for Michael Jackson

[CherubimII]

:clapping:Gary School to be renamed for Michael Jackson :clapping:
By Carole Carlson ccarlson@post-trib.com July 22, 2014 10:56PM
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Katherine Jackson (2nd from left) sits in the yard watching the performers on stage at the Jackson house in Gary on Thursday August 29, 2013. | Jim Karczewski\For Sun-Times Media

GARY — A city school will soon be renamed in honor of Michael Jackson, Gary’s most famous native son.

It hasn’t been determined which school will bear the Jackson name, said Gary Community School Corp. Superintendent Cheryl Pruitt.

The school board set the plan in motion Tuesday when it approved a memorandum of understanding with Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson.

The front-runner to be named after Jackson is Roosevelt, the aging high school that looms behind the humble, white ranch Jackson family home at 2300 Jackson St.

Pruitt said the district is working with the Jackson family to select the school building. “A close relationship with the Jackson family to improve the quality of programs for the Gary Community School Corp. can mean tremendous gains for the school district and the city as a whole,” Pruitt said.

Michael Jackson, the eighth child of Katherine and Joe Jackson, moved away from Gary as a youngster as the Jackson 5 gained fame in the 1960s. While he never attended Roosevelt, he performed on its auditorium stage in a local talent show with his older Jackson 5 brothers.

Michael Jackson turned solo in 1971 and went on to win 13 Grammy awards. Hailed as the King of Pop, he was credited with 750 million record sales worldwide before his death in 2009.

Jackson received a warm welcome upon his 2003 return to Gary and he received an honorary diploma from Roosevelt, one of the stops during his visit. Jackson also received a hat and leather letterman’s jacket with the inscription “To the King of Pop, a true Panther.”

He encouraged students to stay in school and study hard during his visit.
Pruitt said the renaming came about in a conversation with Katherine Jackson, who’s been a supporter of the school district. She donated $10,000 during the Gary Promise scholarship event, hosted by Magic Johnson, earlier this year, Pruitt said.

“She’s always wanted something left here. She’s really dedicated to the Gary Community Schools,” Pruitt said of Katherine Jackson.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by Katherine Jackson on June 6.
It states it does not establish any contractual relationship between the parties. It also says “the Gary Community School Corporation seeks to honor Michael Jackson and to inspire children to excel in the arts and education.”

There’s no mention of financial assistance specifically in the memorandum.
The school district is struggling financially, battling a $27.3 million deficit that forced the closing of five schools in June, including Lew Wallace High School.
The closings and reassigning of students to other schools has officials worried that enrollment could slump even lower. Officials are keeping a close watch on enrollment figures and campaigning to keep their students from transferring to charters or other schools.

While Roosevelt might seem a likely candidate to be renamed for Michael Jackson, it isn’t operated by the school district. In 2011, the state took the school over because of poor test scores. It could return to the district by 2016.
Meanwhile, the city is working with a not-for-profit group to demolish and renovate homes on Jackson Street to stimulate development.

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/l...chool-to-be-renamed-for-michael-jackson.html#

 

[angelofhope]

I think this a lovely and fitting tribute to MJ. Glad folks are showing respect for MJ and what he did for the world.

 

[GreenEyes]

I think this is nice. It's such a shame that the town of Gary is an absolute rundown mess though. It's just sad.

 

[Petrarose]

What is going on in that area? Schools are closing and I don't exactly understand what they are doing to stimulate development. If schools are closing due to poor tests scores, renaming a school is not going to do much to stimulate economic development or help improve tests scroes. I see they are building homes, but what people really need is work. I am glad they are honoring Michael by naming a school after him, but I wonder what type of school are they really attaching his name to? Good that Katherine donated 10,000 to the district. I hope the money was used to provide afterschool educational projects that focus on tests. I know that some school have kids with low grades get instruction after school and they spend time going over tests and practicing the skills that will bring up the tests scores. It seems the officials in that area need to sit down and plan some sustainable projects that will generate jobs.

 

[GreenEyes]

What is going on in that area? Schools are closing and I don't exactly understand what they are doing to stimulate development. If schools are closing due to poor tests scores, renaming a school is not going to do much to stimulate economic development or help improve tests scroes. I see they are building homes, but what people really need is work. I am glad they are honoring Michael by naming a school after him, but I wonder what type of school are they really attaching his name to? Good that Katherine donated 10,000 to the district. I hope the money was used to provide afterschool educational projects that focus on tests. I know that some school have kids with low grades get instruction after school and they spend time going over tests and practicing the skills that will bring up the tests scores. It seems the officials in that area need to sit down and plan some sustainable projects that will generate jobs.

Unfortunately, the decline of Gary has been a long time in the making. And it doesn't appear it's going to get any better. I've talked to a few fans who were too frightened to even go into that place. It was a town built on the steel industry, and now that's gone so the town is in a continual decline with crime, crack houses, abandoned homes, graffiti... you name it. People are moving out (the ones who are lucky enough) and moving to better areas.

Here is a article published last year about it. http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/in-p...rs-shrinking-40-percent-save-itself-v18956862

A few folks continue to talk hopeful for it, but it takes a lot of political might and tons of money to make any of that happen. The people that work in Chicago and live in the burbs are not commuting from Gary.

The only thing that city has going for it is the Jackson house.

 

[Petrarose]

Unfortunately, the decline of Gary has been a long time in the making. And it doesn't appear it's going to get any better. I've talked to a few fans who were too frightened to even go into that place. It was a town built on the steel industry, and now that's gone so the town is in a continual decline with crime, crack houses, abandoned homes, graffiti... you name it. People are moving out (the ones who are lucky enough) and moving to better areas.

Here is a article published last year about it. http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/in-p...rs-shrinking-40-percent-save-itself-v18956862

A few folks continue to talk hopeful for it, but it takes a lot of political might and tons of money to make any of that happen. The people that work in Chicago and live in the burbs are not commuting from Gary.

The only thing that city has going for it is the Jackson house.

Well if it is as dangerous and dismal as you make it sound, then what is the idea of the shop going to help and how is renaming a school in such an area after Michael going to help? It seems the people need to focus on more important things.

 

[GreenEyes]

Well if it is as dangerous and dismal as you make it sound, then what is the idea of the shop going to help and how is renaming a school in such an area after Michael going to help? It seems the people need to focus on more important things.

Maybe they think it will help stimulate tourism. But I don't know. Like many cities who became victims of the decline of the steel industry (Pittsburgh PA, Cleveland OH), some areas of those huge cities never have recovered either. There isn't a easy answer and no easy fix.

Just look at this article to see how it's doing now. It pains me to see this. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-heart-Americas-proud-industrial-centre.html

Like I said, the Jackson house is one bright side of the city... so focusing and spending a bit of money on that will help trickle some tourist dollars in. But not much... not to save the city, that's for sure.

I still think it's an honor to name the school after Michael. It's where he is from so it's appropriate. When his family was there, Gary was doing much better.

 

[Petrarose]

Maybe they think it will help stimulate tourism. But I don't know. Like many cities who became victims of the decline of the steel industry (Pittsburgh PA, Cleveland OH), some areas of those huge cities never have recovered either. There isn't a easy answer and no easy fix.

Just look at this article to see how it's doing now. It pains me to see this. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-heart-Americas-proud-industrial-centre.html

Like I said, the Jackson house is one bright side of the city... so focusing and spending a bit of money on that will help trickle some tourist dollars in. But not much... not to save the city, that's for sure.

I still think it's an honor to name the school after Michael. It's where he is from so it's appropriate. When his family was there, Gary was doing much better.

Sorry I won't click on a daily mail thingy. About trickling tourism, if the picture you paint of this place is true about crime, etc., then tourist will not go there in large quantities. Good schools will bring families with children there, if it is safe and the parents have good housing that fits their budget. However, the families have to have work there or have easy commute to another area to go to work. I know economic development is a difficult task in any place, but my issue is these little gestures usually don't help. This article should just talk about the school being named and leave out all the other things from the write up, because it makes no sense to write about the renaming in the context of poor scores, school closures, economic decline, housing because the renaming is not going to help the socioeconomic life or educational progress in Gary. Just give a nice article how a native son did well and now the town is naming a school after him. Talk about all the things the native son accomplished. Show a photo of the school and show how the mother of the native son is giving some money to help an afterschool program or something like that. Actually Michael is the native son and he has an estate, so if they wanted to really do something to help those children educationally, they could have sat down with Michael's estate and explore some ideas. The estate likes to work with A listers and they would want the school to do something of quality. They could probable hook the school up with some good corporations that could sponsor certain programs. My sister's job does something like that with one particular school. Anyway I guess this is more a Jackson-Gary endeavor than a Michael-Gary endeavor.

 

[SheilaMJFan4Ever]

The only thing that city has going for it is the Jackson house.

That's a damn shame! If/when people get desperate enough, that place (and the historical sentiment/value of it) won't be immune to the crime surrounding it. I'm actually surprised that house is still standing, still intact.

 

[Bubs]

"Jackson&#8217;s life was riddled with strange lawsuits, but this has to be the strangest. In 1984, a library accused him of owing over a million dollars in overdue book fines. What books Jackson had checked out were never revealed, but we can only assume it was every copy of Peter Pan they had. It would have to have been thousands of books over a prolonged period to get up to a million in fines. We never knew Jackson was such an avid reader. Thankfully for him and the worried American public, officials said they&#8217;d drop the fines if the books were returned autographed, proving once again that even the most rigid of national agencies will bend the rules when it comes to the King of Pop."
-----------------------------------------
They should have re-named that library after Michael

 

[Petrarose]

Well hopefully now they know he was an avid reader and no the books were not all about Peter Pan. I am tired with foolishness.

 

[#MJforever57]

Sorry I won't click on a daily mail thingy. About trickling tourism, if the picture you paint of this place is true about crime, etc., then tourist will not go there in large quantities. Good schools will bring families with children there, if it is safe and the parents have good housing that fits their budget. However, the families have to have work there or have easy commute to another area to go to work. I know economic development is a difficult task in any place, but my issue is these little gestures usually don't help. This article should just talk about the school being named and leave out all the other things from the write up, because it makes no sense to write about the renaming in the context of poor scores, school closures, economic decline, housing because the renaming is not going to help the socioeconomic life or educational progress in Gary. Just give a nice article how a native son did well and now the town is naming a school after him. Talk about all the things the native son accomplished. Show a photo of the school and show how the mother of the native son is giving some money to help an afterschool program or something like that. Actually Michael is the native son and he has an estate, so if they wanted to really do something to help those children educationally, they could have sat down with Michael's estate and explore some ideas. The estate likes to work with A listers and they would want the school to do something of quality. They could probable hook the school up with some good corporations that could sponsor certain programs. My sister's job does something like that with one particular school. Anyway I guess this is more a Jackson-Gary endeavor than a Michael-Gary endeavor.

I agree with you on this 100% and above their need you Petrarose; because you make a whole lot of sense that is exactly what their should be doing. Have their forgot how dear the children are to Michael if the ppls would just stop and think about that. It would be in honor to have a school rename after Michael Jackson in Gary that would be so beautiful to see and if their could have sat down with the Estate i am sure the Estate would be willing to help with programs,etc. When you mention the negative things you will turn ppls away. Like you mention in you post about the native son who live there that what the article should be about plain and simple. And the last part in the bold that what it look like to me too and that is sad to see.


One day the Jackson who knows will do something in Gary in honor of Michael Jackson and stop doing this Jackson-Gary endeavor