RYH Newsletter | 5.10.19
As you know, Jennie Biggs, our Communications and Outreach Director, participated in the three meetings of Mayor-elect Lightfoot’s Education Transition Committee. There were about 50 people in the Committee. We shared information about this Transition Committee and a link to the RYH Memo to the Mayor here. We were skeptical and wary of the process and we still are. We are dedicated to our parent powered and informed advocacy in Chicago and Illinois and we will continue to hold elected officials and decision makers accountable.
You can find a public, shared Google Drive folder which will serve as a record of the Education Transition Committee's work here. In the folder, you can find meeting materials, survey results, feedback from committee members, education memos, and other documents referenced and used through the transition process. After the Education Transition Report is released, there will be a copy in this folder as well. All Transition Reports will be presented to Mayor-elect Lightfoot on Friday, May 17.
Please join us for our #OnTheTable2019 discussion of our #MemoToTheMayor! We consider our Memo to be a living document and will take feedback at this event. This BYO lunch On The Table discussion will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 12:30 - 1:30pm, downtown. More details and registration here. Because of space, we do have limited capacity. Please register soon if you can make it.
If you would like to discuss the Education Transition Committee process with Jennie, please email her at jennie@ilraiseyourhand.org.
Special Education news
Attention CPS Families who have Kids with Nursing Needs: Access Living (AL) is trying to identify CPS students who have problems with nursing services so AL can possibly include these families in a plan to compel CPS to improve nursing services. Please consider completing this survey if your child is not receiving reliable nursing care at a CPS school. ALSO, please consider passing this info on to other parents who may be impacted.
We’ve also created this webpage which you can share: CPS Nursing Care Survey / Cuestionario de atención de enfermería de CPS / 芝加哥公立学校 （CPS）护理服务调查问卷.
Read this NPR Illinois story about how a school nurse in East Moline, IL, saved a student’s life using glucagon which belonged to another student. This school nurse, then, pushed her state representative to sponsor a bill allowing schools to purchase glucagon and have it on hand. The bill is HB822 and many of you have been filling out witness slips thanks to Raise Your Hand Action keeping us updated. HB822 passed the House and is on its 3rd reading in the Senate.
This article from KQED created a lot of buzz in our Facebook group: How Schools Struggle to Serve Gifted Students with Disabilities.
Springfield news
Stay in touch with our hardworking sister org, Raise Your Hand Action (RYHA), to keep up with the latest developments! RYHA travelled to Springfield with several parents from across the city on Wednesday to speak to IL State Senators about the RYHA legislative agenda and, specifically, HB3606 (Protect students’ data privacy) and HB254 (Class Size Goals.)
Please make sure you sign up to receive updates from RYHA. You should also like & follow RYA on Facebook and Twitter. RYHA is your main source for action alerts and legislative updates!
Check out this blog post about the Inclusive LSCs bill, SB453 from our friends at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights: State Bill Reducing Barriers to Local School Councils Moves to Final Vote.
IL State Board of Education news
The IL State Board of Education (ISBE) meets next week, Wednesday, May 15, in Springfield. Details here. ISBE says that ESSA will be the main topic of discussion at the meeting.
You can listen to the audio live stream of the ISBE meeting each month. We find the live stream link difficult to find because the link pops up when the meeting starts. We think the link will appear on the ISBE meetings webpage OR on the ISBE homepage. If able, we will tweet a direct link to the audio live stream when it is up and when the streaming is happening.
ISBE is also hosting several meetings across the state to get more feedback on how the current ESSA state plan should be changed: Support and Accountability Listening Tour. The Chicago meeting is Mon. May 20, 5-7 p.m. at CPS Board room, 42 W. Madison. For both the May board meeting and the listening tour, you can also submit feedback via email to essa@isbe.net
ISBE would like comments on “overall weighting of academic vs. student success indicators, weighting of individual indicators, assessment policies for newly arrived English Learners, and summative designations” in order to improve IL’s “approach to measuring and supporting school performance.”
Here’s some info we shared in the past about IL’s ESSA plan:
RYH Action: Update: ISBE rule change on state testing and SAT for graduation
Fair Test State ESSA Plans: Uneven Progress Toward Better Assessment and Accountability
RYH Comments on Draft IL ESSA Plan
Parent statement on ISBE's new accountability or school ratings system, Nov 2018
Our report on an ISBE Q & A session on their new accountability system, Oct 2018 (This was part of an email newsletter so please scroll down.)
CPSuccess!
We are THRILLED to see so many #cpsuccess stories in the news! Here are just a few...
Hyde Park Herald: Murray students visit Paris on Spring Break
The Gate News: Culinary students at Richards Career Academy cook healthy recipes for Fresh Attitude Week
WTTW: Teens Ditch fast Fashion, Food for Fair Trade (students interviewed: Young HS & Kenwood AC)
ABC 7 Chicago: Chicago high school provides college essentials for graduating seniors (King HS)
Sun-Times: Lane Tech debater 1st ever to win back-to-back national titles, team 1st to win 3
Sun-Times: Back of the Yards student among 100 in the world to ace AP Spanish exam
Check out & follow our @CPSuccess Twitter account here.
In other news
A MUST READ… Chicago Tribune: How did a CPS high school get in line for a $13M gym to lure a star basketball coach? All one of Rahm Emanuel’s campaign donors had to do was ask.
WBEZ: When Migrant Students Come To Illinois, Schools Adjust And Embrace
Chalkbeat Chicago: Strikes of multiple charter and contract operators end with raises, class size caps
WBEZ: Study: 45% Of Young Black Men In Chicago, Out Of School, Out Of Work
Chalkbeat Chicago: Chicago is throwing its smallest high schools a lifeline. But is it enough?
Sun-Times: Students walk out at Homewood-Flossmoor HS after blackface controversy
Block Club Chicago: Teens Can Work Out For Free All Summer During Planet Fitness’s ‘Summer Challenge’
Chalkbeat Chicago: Early kindergarten, grade skipping: Chicago considers new options for gifted children
Worth a read
Chicago Tribune: The survivors of Colorado's deadly school shooting don't get to move on. Neither should we.
Next City: Offering Childcare at City Meetings May Be Key to Diversifying Civic Engagement
South Side Weekly: The Robeson Issue
The Hechinger Report: Teachers go to school on racial bias
Chicago Reader: How #NoCopAcademy shook the machine
The Atlantic: The Other Segregation
Upcoming events
⟹ RYH #OnTheTable2019 #MemoToTheMayor!
Tues May 14, 12:30 - 1:30pm
Novel Coworking
73 W. Monroe, 3rd floor conference room
Due to space limitations, spots are limited. Register here.
⟹ Webinar: Protecting our children’s data-- What parents need to know
*New Tentative Date!*
Tues May 14, 8 - 9pm
Hosted by Raise Your Hand Action.
Register and find more details here.
⟹ Remake Learning Days Chi
May 16 - 19
Various locations in Chicago and Evanston
Find a full festival schedule here.
Presented by Chicago Learning Exchange
⟹ Special Education Workshop- Navigating the Special Education Process
Sat May 18, 11am - 1pm
O.A. Thorp Elementary • Library
6024 W Warwick Ave, Chicago, IL 60634
Register here by May 10.
Sponsored by the Thorp Diverse Needs Committee.
⟹ Unelected CPS Board Of Education Meeting
Wed May 22, 10:30am
CPS, 42 W Madison
You must register online to speak. That registration begins on Mon May 20 at 10:30am.
Online registration to speak or attend is here. If you plan to attend, it is best to also register online in advance and starting Mon May 20 at 10:30am at the same link.
We will be there so please contact us if you need assistance: jennie@ilraiseyourhand.org
Note: The agenda for the meeting is available at www.cpsboe.org at 10am on Mon May 20.
⟹ Wed May 22: The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools (AROS) and #WeChoose National Day of Action: #WeChoose Equity -- So Fund Our Future! As local events solidify, we will share them via our social media channels: RYH Facebook and Twitter.
⟹ Keeping The Promise: Rally for a Fair Contract
Wed May 22, 5:00-6:30pm
Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph
Hosted by the Chicago Teachers Union.