RYH Newsletter | 6.7.19

On Monday, Mayor Lightfoot officially appointed the new CPS Board of Education: Miguel del Valle (president), Sendhil Revuluri (vice president), Luisiana Melendez, Amy Rome, Lucino Sotelo, Elizabeth Todd-Breland, and Dwayne Truss.

We are pleased by the appointment of Dwayne Truss, former vice president of the RYH board. He played an instrumental role in shaping our organization and is a phenomenal human and advocate for public schools. Read this from Austin Talks to learn more about Dwayne: Austin Resident Dwayne Truss appointed to the Chicago Board of Education.

While this interim CPS BOE holds a place until Chicago wins democracy in our school system, we’ll continue our work of strengthening public education for every child in Chicago and Illinois. And, yes, we will still be fighting for an elected representative school board. Our board president wrote an OpEd in Crain’s Chicago Business: We’re done waiting for an elected school board.

You can find our statement on the new unelected CPS BOE here.

Here’s some more press:

FOX 32 Chicago interviews Jitu Brown: What to expect from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s appointed school board

Sun-Times: Lightfoot names new school board

Chicago Tribune: As mayor taps Miguel del Valle to lead Chicago school board, she vows collaboration, 'not a dictatorship'

Chicago Reporter: Miguel del Valle could mark the end of a school board of ‘yes men’

Grow With Us Spring 2019 fundraising campaign continues!

Be part of keeping RYH going by donating today! RYH work this spring includes: TIF lawsuit, mayor’s education transition committee, education equity conversations with parents, and our ongoing work on special education, data privacy, and LSCs. Every donation helps! 🌼 Grow With Us by donating today.

TIF lawsuit in the news

Need another reason to consider a donation to RYH? Seven weeks ago, an unprecedented lawsuit was filed by the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and the national Lawyers Committee for plaintiffs Grassroots Collaborative and RYH. The suit charges that a $900M TIF subsidy approved by the City Council to unlock the development potential of the $6 billion Lincoln Yards project violates both the Illinois Civil Rights Act and the “but, for” requirement of the Illinois TIF statute. Help support this work with a donation today! Learn more:

Sun-Times: Inspector general urges Lightfoot to deliver TIF reforms Emanuel promised

Next City: This Lawsuit Is Putting a Racial Equity Lens on Economic Development Incentives

The Ben Joravsky Show starting at 1:36:00.

So much happened since our last email newsletter…

GoCPS study released

A recent study released by the University of Chicago’s Consortium on School Research and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago scrutinized the 2017 launch of GoCPS, for students who entered the ninth grade this school year. It found that families learned the GoCPS system but access to CPS high schools did not improve for low-income and African American students.

WBEZ: New CPS Application Didn't Improve Access For Black Students In First Year

Sun-Times: GoCPS easy to learn, but new application process needs work: study

School level layoffs

What’s happening at your school? This article has a list of “Impacts by School.” Find out when your school’s LSC meets next and go ask some questions.

Sun-Times: CPS laying off 220 teachers, 498 support staffers

CPS Pre K… so many questions

Chalkbeat Chicago coverage of a meeting about CPS Early Childhood Education hosted by the Chicago Teachers Union: ‘I don’t understand how it works’: Parents voice frustration during decision week for Chicago preschool.

Here’s a handy Q & A about Chicago’s “universal Pre-K” system from Chalkbeat Chicago: Here are 12 things Chicago parents want to know about universal pre-K.

New equity tool for CPS?

CPS named a chief equity officer, Maurice Swinney, 9 months ago. Check out the coverage below from Chalkbeat Chicago on some plans Swinney has for CPS moving forward: Chicago schools equity chief promises new decision-making tool this summer.

IL capital budget includes some CPS schools

There’s a list of CPS schools in this Chalkbeat article: Nearly 40 Chicago schools, including charters, to get building boost from state capital plan. 

Special education news

Hey, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) found that, for many students, CPS illegally delayed and/or denied (1) busing services; (2) paraprofessional supports; (3) extended school year (ESY) services; and (4) therapeutic day school placement.  Do you think any of these services for your child may have been wrongfully denied any time from September 2016 to June 2018? We are hearing that CPS is going to reveal instructions for how to possibly get Compensatory Education services for your child who had services delayed or denied.  Per CPS and ISBE, this process will be communicated to parents in the Fall of 2019.  

Springfield news... lots of bills!

RYH Action successes!

A great big THANK YOU and congratulations to Raise Your Hand Action! Check out their Springfield round-up: our student data privacy and class size goals bills pass both houses!

Here are some links to other updates on noteworthy bills:

HB2830: It will now be illegal in IL for an employer to fire a parent for attending their child’s school conference, academic or behavioral related meeting.

HB3302 and HB3586: Legal Council for Health Justice blog: PROGRESS FOR ILLINOIS SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS

These bills eliminate barriers to parent participation in education decisions for their children, and provide opportunities for redress to families of children who were harmed by Chicago Public Schools’ illegal delays or denials of special education services.

Chicago Tribune: Bill with changes spurred by Chicago Public Schools student sexual abuse scandal headed to Gov. Pritzker

WBEZ: Gov. Pritzker Backpedals On Plans To End State Private School Scholarships

Chalkbeat Chicago: Illinois sends bill to abolish state charter commission to Gov. Pritzker’s desk

One Illinois: Charter commission out, but private-school scholarships retained

NPR Illinois: Class Dismissed: Lawmakers Leave With No Sure Cure For Teacher Shortage

CPSuccess!

Sun-Times: Lindblom twins set to graduate as co-valedictorians: ‘We’re successful because of ourselves’

Chicago Tribune: Column: Bring back the plaque! Chicago students are on a campaign to revive the memory of Gold Star WWII veterans

Chicago Citizen: South Side Senior Prepares For High School Graduation And Starting College

In other news

Chalkbeat Chicago: Illinois top educator wants to revamp state testing

Block Club Chicago: Overworked Social Workers, Underserved Kids: As CPS Works To Fill 100+ Vacancies, ‘Kids Are Getting Shortchanged,’ Teachers Say

Chalkbeat Chicago: A lot of iPads, little research: Inside the movement to build the classroom of the future

Chalkbeat Chicago: By next school year, federal police monitor expects Chicago to revamp school police program

WBEZ: Chicago Charter Schools Accept Chicago Public Schools Funding Plan

Chalkbeat Chicago: For 23 years, I’ve had to create curriculum from scratch. Here’s my advice as Chicago revises that approach.

Upcoming events

⟹ Unelected CPS Board Of Education Meeting

Wed June 26, 10:30am

CPS, 42 W Madison

Note: The date, time, and below tips may change since there is a whole new unelected board.

You must register online to speak. That registration begins on Mon June 24 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 June 24 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 June 14.

⟹ Grow With Us Spring 2019 RYH Fundraiser!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to learn all the great things we’ve done in the past year. Then, donate to support our work!