The plan presented to the Waukegan School Board was for Waukegan College Prep to open its doors this fall in rented classroom space on the second floor of Waukegan’s Shiloh Baptist Church. The first student body would consist of 150 ninth graders, and each year the school would add another class of 150 students until it contained all four grades. There would be no admission criteria, and a lottery would be used if demand exceeded capacity. The Waukegan school district would give Chicago International roughly the amount of money it would have spent if the kids had remained at Waukegan High—about $7,700 a head, according to the school district. Chicago International would bear the cost of building or buying a permanent site.

Lake County United members, veterans of battles for affordable health care and housing, began soliciting support. In July ’07 ’08 they unveiled the plan at a town hall meeting at the Holy Family Catholic Church. About 900 people packed the pews.

The Reverend Melissa Earley took the microphone and cried, “I’m ready for a radical change in education in Waukegan. Are you ready?”

The crowd roared its assent.

Soon after, the Lake County Federation of Teachers cut its ties with Lake County United. A letter to the Waukegan school board from Deborah Phelps, president of the Federation of Teachers unit that represents office workers, leveled charges often made by charter foes.

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ed. note article is very long but well worth reading.