This Week in Ed 10.13.17: RYH brings need for local revenue to mayor and city council

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RYH testifies at city council on need for more local revenue to fund schools

RYH Board member and director of 19th Ward Parents for Special Education, Mary Fahey Hughes, spoke during public comment at the City Council meeting and addressed aldermen and Mayor Emanuel about the need for more funding at our schools. We joined our friends at Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Parents4Teachers, Action Now and Northside Action for Justice at the City Council meeting on Wednesday and returned again on Thursday for the City Council Finance Committee because the city has backtracked on their promise to add $269M in local funding to schools this year. They claim the state funding bill is sufficient, but we know that our schools are not fully funded in any way, shape or form.

Students from NTA also testified on Wednesday and did a remarkable job of getting their message out. You can watch video of their speeches here.

Also this week, CPS held two hearings on their amended budget. RYH Board member Deb Hass spoke during the public comment periods. You can read Deb’s budget hearing statement and Mary’s City Council statement here. You can watch a video of Mary’s testimony here.

In addition, on Thursday another report came out about the need for equitable education funding in Illinois.

Sun-Times: CTU, community groups demand more funding for CPS

Sun-Times: Report: For Illinois youth, future success tied to education funding

Tribune: CPS lays out specifics of tax hike during public hearings on revised budget

Special Education Survey

We have a new survey to gauge what is happening with special education in CPS at the school level. The survey results will help us be more effective in our organizing around special education. If your child receives or is trying to receive special education services, please consider filling it out. You can find the survey here.

In other news

WBEZ: CPS Pre-K Glitches Make For Frustrating Start To School Year

South Side Weekly: Opening Closed Schools: At the former Overton Elementary, students and residents reflect on what the building could become

Sun-Times: Parents protest plan to turn National Teachers Academy Elementary School into a high school

Washington Post: Why the school accountability movement based on standardized tests is nothing more than a charade

New York Times: Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety?

Events

Tuesday, October 17: DePaul College of Education presents Racial Segregation and Racial Justice in Chicago Schools Today, 5:30pm, DePaul University Student Center Room 120B, 2250 N. Sheffield.

Saturday, October 21: Screening of ‘63 Boycott, 1:00pm, Rainbow/PUSH, 930 E. 50th St.

Wednesday, October 25: Grassroots Education Movement (GEM) screening of Backpack Full of Cash, 6:00pm, SEIU at 2229 S. Halsted.

Thursday, October 26: Raise Your Hand’s Forum, The Promise and Pitfalls of Ed Tech, Pizza at 6:30. Program at 7:00pm, Haas Park, 2402 N Washtenaw Ave. Free but please RSVP. You can help us make this forum as relevant and useful as possible by letting us know what you know and what you want to know about ed tech by taking this survey.