Education News

VOYCE Meeting with CPS Official Drew Beres

Fri, 07/09/2010 - 10:43am — Becky Wanberg

by Theo Carter

Youth representatives from Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE) had a meeting scheduled on June 21 with Drew Beres, Special Assistant to Chicago Public Schools’ Chief Executive Officer, Ron Huberman. The purpose of this meeting was to secure funding for VOYCE-sponsored freshman retreats at several CPS high schools throughout the city. At 10:00, VOYCE youth from seven different community organizations marched upstairs and waited, only to be disappointed by Mr. Beres not showing up. Bernard McCune, acting director of the CPS Office of College and Career Preparation, arrived in place of Mr. Beres. As the meeting started, VOYCE youth were informed that the department Mr. McCune heads cannot fund VOYCE retreats. As a result, VOYCE youth mobilized a plan to attend the upcoming board meeting in order to express their need for financial support from CPS.

The day of the board meeting was June 23. Some VOYCE youth woke as early as 4:00 in the morning in order to be in line at 5:30 a.m. so they could secure a position on the meeting agenda. Youth wore VOYCE t-shirts in an array of colors, showing their unity and strength. When the board meeting started, Mr. Beres approached VOYCE youth to ask them not to speak during the board meeting. After seeing all the different colored VOYCE shirts in the room, Mr. Beres pledged to meet with VOYCE in the next week. In spite of Mr. Beres’ plea, VOYCE youth testified to the board. The powerful pleas of the youth caught the ear of Mary Richardson-Lowry, President of the Board of Education.

On the day of the scheduled meeting with Mr. Beres, VOYCE youth filled a conference room at Dyett High School and gave a powerful presentation on VOYCE and its impact. As the meeting concluded, CPS officials asked VOYCE youth to submit budget reports and told them to expect funding soon. By organizing and unifying around one common goal, VOYCE youth have shown CPS the seriousness of supporting young people and their ideas on education reform.

To learn more about the June 23 CPS Board Meeting and view VOYCE representative Theo Carter’s comments regarding tenured teacher layoffs, go to Channel 7 link: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7516536 .

Education

Goudy School Parent Fair

Thu, 07/08/2010 - 1:46pm — Becky Wanberg

By Afsheen Naeem

This year, for the first time, Goudy School’s No Child Left Behind Parent Advisory Committee hosted a Parent Fair. The fair was very successful because it was attended by parents and community members alike. Organizations presenting at the fair included Alternatives, the Vietnamese Association of Illinois, Christopher House, LIFT, Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Northside Community Federal Credit Union, Asian Human Services, the Chicago Fire Department and more. All of these organizations came and shared resources, informing parents and community members of different programs available in our community. The success of this fair is a great achievement for the Goudy School NCLB/PAC.

Education

The Boone Community School: An effective bridge between the school system and the community

Mon, 06/21/2010 - 11:36am — Becky Wanberg

By: Salvador Perez, 6th Grade Teacher
Daniel Boone Elementary School

“ A community school? In our school? It doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“It will increase the operating costs and these people are going to be
using our classrooms and facilities. Who is going to be supervising them?”
“Are the instructors qualified to teach these children?”

These were some of the staff comments and questions that arose at Daniel Boone Elementary when we received the proposal to implement a Community School Program in our school in 2003. A significant portion of the faculty was resistant to the idea of other members of the community “invading our school.” Finally, after several meetings in which the potential benefits of the Community School were analyzed, we decided to give it a try.

It was worth it. After six years of service, the Community School has proven to be an extremely effective way of providing academic and extracurricular activities and services for our students and their families.

Prior to the implementation of our Community School, teachers provided some after-school programs, but these were mostly limited to remedial academic programs.

Through the Community School program, our school now offers a large variety of programs for diverse ages and interests such as the “Stretch and Grow” and the “Clap, Sing and Read” programs for kindergarteners and the Homework Club, Book Club and Drama Club for older students. Soccer, Gymnastics, Yoga and Volleyball classes are available for those students who prefer kinesthetic activity. For our diverse community, we offer computer classes and language programs such as English as a second language, Spanish, Arabic and Assyrian.
I am one of two teachers working in the 5th and 6th grade Homework Club and I love it. It has giving me the opportunity and the luxury to work on a one-to-one basis with some of the most needy students in our school and really make a difference in their education by been available to them when they need me. The Community School program has proven to be an effective way of providing essential academic and extracurricular opportunities for our students and their families.

Education

From Progress Illinois: Chicago Group Wants Intransigent Lawmakers To Pay "Political Price"

Tue, 06/08/2010 - 4:38pm — Cory Muldoon

Photo by Progress Illinois (A.Doster)Board Member Jennifer Sierecki announces the new mission statement of ONE.

Original Article can be found at http://progressillinois.com/posts/content/2010/06/08/chicago-group-wants...

Chicago's Organization of the North East is planning a large voter mobilization effort to express their dissatisfaction with Illinois lawmakers for failing to close the state's budget deficit.

At its annual convention last evening in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, the 80 diverse groups that constitute the Organization of the North East (ONE) had plenty of victories to celebrate. In the past year, members secured funding for affordable housing units and the Grow Your Own Teacher program, ensured that neighborhood residents will have first priority for jobs at the new Wilson Yard development, and helped organized a massive immigrant rights march in Washington, D.C. and a budget protest in Springfield, among other projects. But none of roughly 1,000 attendees think their work is anywhere near complete.

After a moving invocation and welcome message (spoken in 12 different languages), ONE organizers unveiled their central targets for 2011. The group's primary focus is the state's wretched budget, which threatens crucial services in many of the North Side neighborhoods ONE represents. With State Reps. Greg Harris (D) and Harry Osterman (D) looking on, Chicago residents and service providers detailed how the ongoing fiscal instability impacts their lives. One woman from the Jane Addams Senior Caucus pointed out that a reduction in funding for the Community Care program threatens home care service for 40,000 seniors statewide. "It would be very difficult for me to exist," she said, "without that care." The problems extend into education and mental health care, where agencies and schools long-underfunded by the state are being forced to tighten their belts further because of declining tax receipts.

At the event last night, ONE members chastised the state legislature for failing to approve a responsible budget and unveiled plans for a "democracy project" to register and mobilize new voters around these issues. "We look to show our dissatisfaction with their leadership," said Centro Romero's Abel Nunez, "and that there is a political price to pay." Watch it:

The idea is simple: If Democrats in Springfield think kicking the can down the road is the right way to benefit the party this November, grassroots groups will instead direct their support at those legislators willing to face the state's fiscal problems head-on. Attendees signed postcards pledging to register new voters, both in their local communities and throughout the state as deputy registrars. ONE says the voter mobilization drive will kick off this summer and run through the city's aldermanic elections in 2011.

At the city level, the organization is also continuing its push for the Sweet Home Chicago ordinance, which would set aside 20 percent of all new tax increment financing (TIF) revenue to jumpstart affordable housing projects. Representatives from the Ezra-Multi Service Center said that 22 aldermen have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill. While only 26 are needed to secure its passage, organizers are trying to generate support from 34 aldermen to protect against an inevitable veto from Mayor Daley. Ald. Eugene Schulter (47th Ward) promised to attend last night's gathering but backed out at the last minute.

Closing the Gap on Latino Student Achievement: ONE Leaders Meet with Senator Steans

Wed, 05/26/2010 - 8:45am — Becky Wanberg

On Saturday May 8, 2010 ONE leaders from Centro Romero, Truman College as well as a representative from the Rogers Park Community Council met with State Senator Heather Steans to discuss the barriers Latino students face in pursuing educational opportunities. Senator Steans thoughtfully listened as students, parents, and community leaders presented research and personal testimonies about the disparity of Latino students in completing high school and college.

Maria Estrada, a parent, expressed her struggle to support her sons and their academic pursuits. She shared the story of the high academic achievement of one of her sons and how he became discouraged upon realizing the financial difficulty in going to college without having access to student loans because he is undocumented. Elisa Marca, a college student, also shared her struggle to work and continue to study without having access to student loans due to her legal status. She went on to share that she knows that even if she does complete her college education she will still have to face the challenge of obtaining a job without having the proper legal documentation. The group shared that Latino students in high school are fully aware of this struggle and, as a result, feel that completing high school is a futile effort and so drop out.

Senator Steans, the vice-chair of the state legislature’s education committee, expressed her commitment to improving public education as well as addressing the plight of Latino students. She expressed her desire to work with the group to address the issue and committed to identify other officials within the Chicago Public Schools and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to address it on a city and state level.

Senator Steans was the first public official with whom the group has met regarding this issue. We are excited to have her as an ally and energized about moving forward.

“WHEN PARENTS ORGANIZE THEY HAVE POWER AND CAN MAKE A CHANGE” by Sumerah Hameed

Fri, 05/14/2010 - 12:26pm — Aga Kusmierz

The aspiration behind the parents’ campaign for the Local School Council election was to strengthen Boone Elementary School and have a positive impact on student education. We parents are confident that the LSC, which is made up of the principal, six parents, two teachers and two community representatives, is one place where our communal efforts can boost productivity and learning standards.

A special workshop was arranged for the parent leaders in order to give them an understanding of the work of the LSC. Parents learned the importance of the upcoming LSC election and how it is vital that the very diverse population at the school is represented on the LSC. They also learned that parents can make decisions about the budget, the school improvement plan, and can help to shape a better educational institution for their children.

“How to Run a Successful Campaign,” was the main goal of the training session organized for parents who decided to run for the LSC. Important strategies illuminated how to connect with parents and community members and garner support and votes on Election Day. Parents utilized the valuable training in the most effective ways. Parent leaders embarked on their campaigns during drop off and pick up times by mingling with other parents and circulating flyers elaborating why the LSC is important for parents and persuading them to participate in the election. The diverse makeup of our school is reflected in the many different languages spoken by the students’ parents: Urdu, Spanish, Hindi, and Arabic. Parent Leaders set out across Devon Avenue to distribute handouts to local businesses and to ask for votes on LSC Election Day. Neighborhood churches, libraries and social service agencies were approached by these parents going door to door enlightening the community of the significance of the LSC and seeking encouragement and support on Election Day.

A subsequent focal point was the Candidate’s Forum where parent candidates provided extremely confident and commendable presentations.

At last the anticipated day commenced with more striving efforts. Dressed in beautiful white T-shirts with a logo “Do you want your voice to be heard?” parent candidates sat on a table on the public side walk in the cold, chilly and windy weather. These parents interacted more than ever. They distributed flyers and sweet treats for the kids. They appealed again to all the parents arriving to pick up their child’s progress report and convinced them to cast their vote in the LSC election.

Our faces brightened up with beam and laughter. All our hard work paid off. To our delight, all our four parent candidates were elected to the LSC. These parents represent a diverse group of individuals from India, Assyria, Venezuela and Serbia. Having firm faith, “WHEN PARENTS ORGANIZE THEY HAVE POWER AND CAN MAKE A CHANGE”, parent leaders triumphed.

Uptown Students and Parents Walkout Against CPS Budget Cuts

Fri, 04/16/2010 - 3:42pm — Hina Mahmood

By Miguel Nabor

On April, 2010, a group of Uplift Community High School sat impatiently and watched the clock. Waiting on exactly 8:46, the second period bell rang and we simply walked. Not to class or to the washrooms but instead we walked out of the building. All of the "secret" meetings during advisory and talks at lunch led to this one moment. Being affected by the budget cuts were the reason we walked out. We walked out to save our after school sports & stop our peers from hanging out on street corners. We walked so that our younger brothers and sisters’ didn’t have to fight for an education in a class of 37 students. We walked to make change, and that’s exactly what we did.

Arriving downtown to hundreds of students showed CPS that we as students care a lot more about our education than they give us credit for. Marching around the CPS headquarters drawing attention from everyone around downtown, boosted our momentum. Hopefully CPS takes us seriously and notices that they are affecting our futures.

By Georgina Sandifer

April 9th was an awesome day, not only did I get the opportunity to do my part in the fight for justice and equity but I was also able to create a learning opportunity for my son. When we arrived downtown, the crowd was small at first, but we were mighty and determined, we started things off by introducing ourselves and talking about why we were here, how we heard about the protest and how important this action was, we then began to march in a small circle in front of CPS headquarters, chanting “hey, hey, ho, ho, budget cuts have got to go”. Not too long after, the other buses began to arrive, and so did the news vans, and other supporters. The feeling was almost electric, we marched, and shouted, and chanted, about what these budget cuts would mean to us all and as we walked around the blocks cars blew their horns, and people their shouted support, newspaper reporters stopped to do interviews, camera men moved throughout the crowed to get a real feel for the movement. Not only was this a very moving and wonderful experience for me, it was a great experience for my son he is now part of a movement for education equity and reform. Although we were many, on that day, at that moment, we were one, united for a common purpose.

Education

Our Community School: Providing lasting benefits for students and parents

Wed, 03/03/2010 - 11:09am — Anonymous

By: Savitha Kowligy
Parent Volunteer
Daniel Boone Community School

Daniel Boone Community School collaboratively works with the parents, students and the Organization of the Northeast to provide a fulfilling educational experience for our students and parents. Our school welcomes parents to volunteer and participate in classroom activities that allow them to connect with their children to enhance the learning experience. Also, our students participate in fun and educational extracurricular activities that go beyond the classroom to teach them new and exciting skills.

Parent and community member involvement is an important feature of Boone Community School. The Parent Mentor Program assigns parents to different classrooms to assist the teachers and children. In ESL classes, the parent mentors speak Spanish, Urdu, Assyrian and Arabic, which help students feel comfortable. Among the classes for our adults, Boone Community School offers ESL as well as an exclusive class for parents of Burmese origin. Community members also enjoy Yoga for physical fitness and stress relief and this year we plan to introduce Basics to Computers classes.

Our school also offers a variety of programs after school for our students. For example, we have activities for students in kindergarten such as Stretch ‘N’ Grow, and Clap, Sing, and Read where kids learn while doing physical activities. For 1st through 8th grade students we offer a number of programs such as Homework Club and Hip Hop Yoga, a class where students spend time learning mind-body exercises to center and relax them and hip hop choreography to prepare them for an end of the year ensemble performance. In addition to the above programs we also offer Broadway Kids, Gymnastics and Volleyball for Girls. For our diverse community we have a language program involves Arabic, Assyrian, and Arabic ESL.

By providing these classes for students, parents, and adults we believe the entire community can grow and achieve together. If you have any questions about the programs at Daniel Boone Community School please e-mail Sandra@onechicago.org.

Education

Reflections from Grow Your Own Rally in Springfield

Fri, 02/26/2010 - 5:24pm — Hina Mahmood

(Justin West, ONE leader and GYO Candidate, testifies at Grow Your Own Rally in Springfield, IL)

Reflections from Grow Your Own Rally in Springfield
Feb 25, 2010
by Georgina Sandifer

Grow Your Own day in Springfield was truly an awesome and sobering experience, the reception we received by our elected officials ranged from eager and open to lukewarm and annoyed. There were families there, neighbors and friends, to see community organizing in action was really something; there were people of every age, race, creed and color gathered together for a common cause. On Tuesday, every GYO Consortia from across Illinois, came to Springfield to rally for continued funding for GYO, we came with our feet to walk to every elected officials office to make sure that we were seen and our presence felt. We used our voices to cheer and be heard that GYO must continue to be funded at the same level; Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, $3.5 for GYO, we came with the faith that organized people have power and together we can make a difference.

There were fantastic speeches, haunting chants and melodious songs booming in the rotunda of the State Capital but were we effective, did it do any good? Only time will tell. I am proud to be apart of the work that was done yesterday, and to those of us who were able to make the sacrifice of getting up before 5 am (in some cases), leaving our warm beds and our families behind, traveling for hours to Springfield, to make heartfelt appeals and giving our testimonies for a program we all believe in, bravo! For those who believe in this work and move behind the scenes to make it happen daily, (Hina and everyone at ONE) you rock!

In addition, for those of us who could not be there, there is still much work to be done, and there is still time to play a part in this. We must bombard, our local officials, call them, email them, stop by their offices, and ask your family, friends and neighbors to help. We must ensure that our voice is heard and GYO remains funded at the same level.

Reflections from Grow Your Own Rally
by Curtis Smyles

There are times during your life when you know what you want and what believe in. GYO Day at the state capital was one of those times. The day was challenging from the start, but I was determined to be with my fellow candidates to let our legislators know that GYO was not going away without a fight. We are the future teacher’s for Chicago Public Schools and other struggling school districts across the state. The three hour bus ride was very informative Cohort Coordinators Hina Mahmood and Bridget Murphy provided instructions about how to engage with our elected officials as well as the importance of why we were going to Springfield. I was assigned as a leader of my group which included Hialma Westby and Andrea Lewis. These two ladies helped me stay focused on all the activities of the day. The rally was full of positive energy and enthusiastic speakers who all helped me see the depth of GYO and how many communities it positively effected. Even though this was my second time attending the rally in Springfield, it felt brand new. Hearing all of the speakers and representatives made my heart fill with pride and knowledge that I'm doing the right thing for the community and children of Rogers Park. This day was one of the most inspiring days of my life and I just pray that all candidates involved will continue to work hard to keep our dream alive to have quality educators of color in our communities. GYO will change lives and make the children of the future leaders themselves.

Education

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