Voters Weigh Emanuel's Record on Schools, Crime

Voters in Chicago are judging Mayor Rahm Emanuel's record on education, crime and jobs as they weigh whether to give him a second term in office.

Fifty-four-year-old homemaker Madeline Parks voted for Emanuel on Tuesday at a senior center in the Woodlawn neighborhood.

She said he was right to push for all-day kindergarten and to close dozens of neighborhood schools where enrollment was falling despite objections from the Chicago Teachers Union and many parents.

Parks and several other voters cited other tough choices Emanuel made, like addressing problems inherited from his predecessor, Richard Daley.

But 66-year-old retired school teacher Janice Beckham sees it differently. She voted for one of the mayor's opponents, Cook County Commissioner Jesus Garcia, and said she feels Emanuel is "anti-teacher."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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