CPS Budget is Out

CPS Budget – Hearings this Week

This week's schedule for Elected School Board Campaign

There are two ways you can help:

1) Meet up with us either;

Monday - 7/9 Bridgeport - 6:45pm - Bridgeport Coffee (31st and Morgan)

Thursday 7/12 - West Lakeview - 7pm - Paulina/Barry

Saturday 7/15 10am - Andersonville 5400 N. Clark

OR) if you want to handle your own precinct, email us and we will prepare a petition for you. Wendy@ilraiseyourhand.org. We will give you instructions on how to collect signatures.

On the Elected Representative School Board Campaign

We are working with a coalition of many community groups (CODE) to get an ERSB on the November ballot as an advisory referendum. This is a non-binding referendum to gauge popular opinion at this time. We feel that the current school board needs changing and does not reflect Chicago public education stakeholders.We will be collecting signatures through the end of July. If you'd like more information, email us at info@ilraiseyourhand.org.

The Current CPS Board

CPS Dept of Arts Education - parent input needed on Arts Education Plan

CPS Department of Arts Education is launching the first district-wide CPS Arts Education Plan. This plan will

Chicago Reader lists Raise Your Hand as one of the "Best Public School Parent" Groups

Hey Raise Your Hand Advocates,

We got a nice shout out from the Reader in their "Best of Chicago 2012" issue along with our friends from KOCO and the 19th ward parent group.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/best-public-school-parents/BestOf?oid=6677001&keywords

It's nice to have all of our efforts recognized. Let's keep up the hard work together in fall 2012!

CPS cancels public meetings on Contract Negotiations

A FACE manager at CPS had contacted us a few weeks ago and told us CPS was going to hold two meetings open to the public on contract negotiations. We put an email out to our membership about the first meeting scheduled at Gage Park High School for June 25th. Robocalls also went out to the parent community inviting them to these meetings. On Monday of this week, CPS emailed us to tell us that they changed their minds and will postpone these meetings until after the fact-finding process is completed in July.

Letter from RYH Director, Wendy Katten

What a year it has been! For RYH, it has meant non-stop advocacy work on a daily basis. We are at a critical juncture now where we need your support to continue at this pace and are asking for you to make a small donation today to help fund our work for the year ahead.

On the Robocalls that Many CPS Parents Received this Week

Many RYH parents emailed us to complain about a robocall made by a group called DFER that went out this week.

On the strike authorization vote

We have received many questions on whether we support today’s strike authorization vote. Many parents are confused about what this vote means. Here is our viewpoint:

The vote today does not mean that there will definitely be a strike. It only authorizes a strike in the event that the two parties cannot come to an agreement when fact-finding is completed later this summer. We urge both sides to take every measure possible to avoid a strike.

RYH Forum - Monday 6/11 in Logan Square - Haas Park at 6:30pm

Next RYH Forum – 6/11 in Logan Square at Haas Park, 2409 N. Washtenaw

Come join us for an important discussion – “Changes and Challenges at CPS”– with a focus on the parent-teacher connection during tough times, what’s at stake during contract negotiations, how state law SB7 impacts the process, hear from parents and classroom teachers about their perspective on what’s important for next school year and beyond. Rod Estvan from Access Living will be on the panel along with a rep from Logan Square Neighborhood Association and others.

 

Place: Haas Park

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