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Parents continue to speak up about special education at City Council this week and Chance the Rapper also weighs in at the meeting
Parents from RYH joined the #freethefunds coalition to put pressure on the city to release more funds for CPS as City Council votes on a city budget this month. The city had promised $270M in local revenue to CPS but backtracked after the state funding bill passed, claiming CPS didn’t need the additional local revenue. The city does have about $70M in TIF funds allocated for CPS for next year’s budget but this is way short of the amount they originally promised.
In addition, the city has not responded to the letter RYH delivered three weeks ago about the special education crisis and the need to fix and fund special education. A RYH parent spoke at a press conference before the City Council meeting and another RYH parent spoke during public comment at the City Council meeting about the urgent need to fix and fund special education:
Video here of RYH at City Council
Video here and here of RYH at the #freethefunds coalition press conference
RYH is hosting a special education forum next Thursday with a great panel of experts. Share with your contacts who have kids with IEPs or 504 plans.
More details about our Special Education in CPS Forum & registration for this free event here.
Chance the Rapper also spoke during public comment this week at City Council. He asked the city to fund schools instead of a $95M police training facility. His appeal didn’t win over the City Council, as the vote was 48-1 to purchase the land for the training facility, but he brought a lot of attention to the plight of chronically underfunded schools in Chicago.
Chance the Rapper at Chicago City Council press:
Billboard: Chance the Rapper Speaks Up at Chicago City Council Meeting to Slam Proposed $95M Police Academy
Entertainment Weekly: Chance the Rapper surprises Chicago City Council meeting to argue against ‘cop academy’
Salon: Chance the Rapper shows up to Chicago City Council meeting, but not everyone was happy to see him
Giving Tuesday
November 28 is Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. Be a part of this movement and the impact it will have on our work! Please consider a tax deductible donation to RYH on #GivingTuesday or as part of your year end charitable giving. Thanks in advance for supporting us in our work!
In other news
Sun-Times: CPS rips inspector’s report, reinstates Cook Co. Jail school principal
WBEZ: CPS Rejects IG Finding Of Fraud At Jail School And Returns Principal
WBEZ: At Some Chicago-Area Schools, It’s The Students Who Decide If There Is Homework
Metropolitan Planning Council: Latino Enrollment Declines in CPS for the Fourth Year in a Row
Sun-Times: 99 to 1: Foreman’s Damari Hendrix returns 14 months after being shot in the head
Chicago Now: Why I stopped asking students, “How are you?”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: GOP tax reform bill helps DeVos’ school choice agenda, but worries public education advocates
U.S. News & World Report: High School Safety Includes Protecting Teens’ Data
Upcoming Events
⟹ Education Town Hall Meeting & Forum sponsored by Rep Harper & Sen Hunter
Sat, Nov 11, 3:00 - 4:30pm
Bread of Life MB Church, 1924 W. 63rd St
Parents and Teachers Driving Testing Policy
Mon Nov 13, 6pm
CTU Center, 1901 W. Carroll
Speaker: Denisha Jones, Trinity Washington University and Defending the Early Years
You can read a recent essay from Jones about early childhood education and the global ed reform movement here. Raise Your Hand is collaborating with FairTest and the Chicago Teachers Union on a series of community discussions on assessment policy. This session will focus on assessment in early childhood education. RSVP via email to martinritter@ctulocal1.com.
Thurs Nov 16, 7pm
Jesse White Community Center, 410 W Chicago Ave
RSVP online here. This link also provides downloadable flyers in Spanish & English.
⟹ Progressive Democrats of America Governor’s Forum
Sat Nov 18, 4pm
Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 Knox Avenue
Raise Your Hand is co-sponsoring this event. Register for this free event here.
⟹ Backpack Full of Cash screening in Hyde Park
Sat Dec 2, 9:30am
Harper Theater, 5238 S Harper Ave
Tickets are $5 for this screening. Buy them in advance online. We expect this showing to sell out.
⟹ Nov/Dec consolidated meeting: Chicago Unelected Board of Ed
Online registration to speak or observe Mon Dec 4, 10:30am
Meeting Wed Dec 6, 10:30am
CPS, 42 W. Madison
Please contact us at info@ilraiseyourhand.org if you need more information.
⟹ The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
Presentation by Richard Rothstein and response by Natalie Moore
Wed Dec 6, 5:00 - 8:00pm
CTU Center, 1901 W Carroll
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