There is outrage in Chicago over plans to close more than 50 public schools - most of them in poor and minority neighbourhoods.<br /><br />Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel says the closures are tough but necessary in order to deal with a $1bn deficit and what he called "underutilised" schools. He also says the change is necessary to provide students with a better education.<br /><br />But an analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times shows that just one-third of students will be sent to schools that are deemed to be better-performing.<br /><br />And the majority of the school closures will be taking place in poor minority neighborhoods prompting critics, including the Chicago Teacher's Union, to call the policy "classist and racist".<br /><br />So, what motivated the city's decision and what does it mean for the tens of thousands of students who will be forced to relocate?<br /><br />To discuss this, Inside Story Americas with presenter Shihab Rattansi is joined by guests: Michael Klonsky, the national director of the Small Schools Workshop - a consulting firm helping school districts create smaller learning institutions; Jitu Brown, an education organiser at the Kenwood Oakland Community organisation; and Jason Richwine, a senior analyst at the Heritage Foundation which specialises in education policy.
