Castro emite declaración sobre las acusaciones contra César Chávez

ELGIN — La senadora estatal Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) emitió la siguiente declaración el viernes en respuesta a las acusaciones recientemente publicadas sobre abusos sexuales y conducta inapropiada por parte del ya fallecido César Chávez.

“Es muy triste que Dolores Huerta y otras mujeres que vivieron lo mismo hayan tenido que soportar durante décadas el peso de abusos que sufrieron y se hayan visto obligadas a guardar silencio al respecto, debido al estigma que existe en nuestra cultura por alzar la voz.

“El hecho de que sean capaces de resistir el estigma y expresar el dolor que han sufrido demuestra la valentía y la fortaleza de estas mujeres; una acción profundamente vulnerable por la que les felicito.

“Haber conocido a Dolores Huerta ha sido un honor y un privilegio. Haber podido escuchar sus historias personales y sus propias luchas dentro del movimiento de los trabajadores agrícolas ha tenido una gran influencia en mi vida. Es precisamente al conocer sus historias por lo que el comportamiento descrito sobre Chávez resulta especialmente indigno e inaceptable.

“Debemos dejar algo claro: esto no debe manchar el arduo trabajo y el esfuerzo que los trabajadores agrícolas han dedicado durante décadas en nombre de este movimiento. Dolores Huerta y los trabajadores que lideraban el movimiento por la justicia para los trabajadores agrícolas comprendieron que esto solo podría lograrse si se basaba en los valores que destacan las fortalezas de la comunidad latina: la resiliencia, la compasión, el respeto y la integridad.

“Me solidarizo con Dolores Huerta y con todas las víctimas de las presuntas acciones cometidas por César Chávez. Espero que el hecho de que ellas cuenten su verdad anime a otras personas a hacer lo mismo."

Castro issues statement on Cesar Chavez allegations

ELGIN — State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) released the following statement Friday in response to newly published allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct by the late Cesar Chavez.

“It is tragic that Dolores Huerta and other survivors carried the weight of this abuse done to them for decades and were forced to keep silent on this issue, given the stigma of speaking up in our culture.

“Being able to push back against the stigma and voice the pain they have gone through speaks to the courage and bravery of these women – a deeply vulnerable action that I commend them for.

“Getting to know Dolores Huerta has been an honor and privilege. Being able to hear stories about her own personal life and her own struggles with the farmworker movement has been influential in my own life. It is in knowing her stories that makes the behavior described about Chavez especially reprehensible and unconscionable.

“We must make one thing clear: this should not tarnish the hard work and effort given by farmworkers for decades in the name of this movement. Dolores Huerta and the workers leading the movement for farmworker justice understood that it could only happen if it was rooted in the values that highlight the strengths of the Latino community – that of resilience, compassion, respect and integrity.

“I stand in solidarity with Dolores Huerta and all survivors of the alleged actions taken by Cesar Chavez. I  hope that by them speaking their truth, others are encouraged to do the same.

Castro fights for improved charter school oversight

SPRINGFIELD — To promote accountability, State Senator Cristina Castro is sponsoring a bill that would transfer oversight of state-run charter schools to local school boards.

“Oversight from a distance is not the best way to promote a high-quality, comprehensive education for charter school students,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “This bill would ensure accountability and safeguard the efforts made by taxpayers and students to foster great learning environments in each respective school.”

Senate Bill 4040 would automatically transfer any state-authorized charter school located outside of the geographical area of a school district back to the local school board or boards.

The vast majority of charter schools in Illinois are locally authorized – meaning they apply directly for authorization with their local school board. The other nine are state-run charter schools with ten campuses total. State-run charter schools apply for authorization through the Illinois State Board of Education rather than their local school board. Because current law does not allow school board oversight of state-run charter schools, Castro’s legislation aims to provide this mechanism for the local community.

This bill is intended to improve the relations between local school districts and the state-run charter schools within their boundaries. This would give local school boards more autonomy to manage schools and advocate for better funding for their students while also creating a path for the local community to have a seat at the table.

“Handing over the reins to local school boards and districts is the sensible thing to do as the students who attend charter schools are from those same districts,” said Castro. “These school districts know their students’ needs the best.”

Senate Bill 4040 passed the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday.

Castro invites residents to Mobile DMV event

STREAMWOOD — State Senator Cristina Castro is hosting a Mobile DMV event in Streamwood to give area residents the opportunity to access vehicle services at a location in the community – without the wait time or commute often associated with visiting a typical facility.

“Having to wait in line at a driver services facility is often tedious and time consuming,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “We’re making the process easier for Streamwood residents to renew their driver’s license, vehicle registration and more.”

The event will be held Friday, March 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Meeting Room 1 at the Poplar Creek Public Library, located at 1405 S. Park Ave. in Streamwood.

The unit operates like a driver services facility and offers driver’s license and state ID renewals, REAL ID processing, vehicle registration stickers and more. Certain services will require documentation and applicable fees, which can be found at www.ilsos.gov.

Space is limited and appointments are required as walk-ins are not guaranteed service. Residents can schedule an appointment by calling the Poplar Creek Public Library Reference Desk at 331-808-3543.