RYH Newsletter 6.12.20
On Saturday, we hosted a virtual event, Reimagining Public Safety in Schools. We provided an opportunity for folks to listen to youth leaders, parents, educators, and stakeholders discuss their experiences with SROs, the current organizing around removing SROs in schools, and why they believe police officers should be out of schools. [SROs = School Resources Officers also known as school police.]
You can watch the event here. [We are working on a video with English & Spanish captions. We will also provide a resource guide. We should have this available soon.]
Consider signing this CPS student petition calling for CPD to be removed from CPS. This petition was organized by CPS students in the #PoliceFreeSchools coalition. RYH endorses this petition.
3 must reads to learn about and/or catch up on the issue
Chalkbeat Chicago: As conversation on school police in Chicago rushes ahead, here’s five things you need to know
Chicago Unheard blog: A CPS Mom Explains How the CPD Got Into CPS and How to Get Cops Out of Schools
Chicago Reporter: What’s the alternative to police in schools? Restorative justice.
Recent articles on SROs with so much #youthvoice:
On Friday, June 5, there were two marches led by youth:
On Saturday, June 6, there were two marches that converged into one. CPS students quoted here were speakers at our event, then went to the march and spoke:
Third Coast Review: Activists Continue to Call on CPS to Cancel its Contract with CPD
On Tuesday, June 9, more youth hosted a press conference and march:
Articles with more Chicago #youthvoice:
Chicago Tribune: Teen activism in Chicago spurred by police killing of George Floyd: ‘We are fed up and this is the last straw’
A look at the national landscape from Education Week: Do Cops Belong in Schools? Minneapolis Tragedy Prompts a Hard Look at School Police
For the second year in a row, the Sun-Times wrote an editorial supporting #PoliceFreeSchools:
Schools are for education. No child walking through the door should get the unsettling feeling that they’re under the distrustful eye of law enforcement, no matter how friendly Officer Friendly may be.
Next week the #PoliceFreeSchools coalition is hosting a week of action. We will be elevating the actions on our social media channels as well as participating in some of them. The week of action will kick off Sunday afternoon at 12:30PM with a Graduates March. Facebook event page here. The march starts at Hyde Park Academy HS, 6220 S. Stony Island Ave.
Grow With Us | #RYHGrow2020
RYH will be launching our online fundraiser, Grow With Us, Monday, June 15th! We will be sharing our work plus personal stories. Please connect with us and please consider supporting our work with a donation. Thank you.
Right To Recovery (R2R) Coalition
If you are a parent who wants to learn about broad multi-issue legislation/policy/organizing work, join our R2R parent leaders who will be joining the coalition calls and learning how they can plug in to fight for equitable recovery for all. If you are interested, please email Jianan at jianan@ilraiseyourhand.org.
.
LSC News
Weekly LSC Solidarity Zoom
Join us Th, 6/18, 6pm, on our weekly LSC Solidarity Zoom.
LSC Elections update
CPS provided this update to some LSC members and LSC candidates on May 27. Here is a Power Point from the LSCs.4.All coalition which explains a bit more.
Upcoming Event
The Gathering: Organizing to Win II, hosted by the LSCs.4.All Coalition
Tues, June 23, 4:30-6PM, via Zoom. Register here.
The Gathering will provide updates on Local School Council (LSC) Elections, work with LSC candidates to identify supporters and create a virtual campaign plan for their race.
Special Education News
Weekly Special Ed Parents & Supporters Zoom
Note the new time for our weekly Special Ed Parents & Supporters Zoom: 12 - 1:30PM, Tuesdays. Please join us for our next Zoom, Tues, June 16, 12 Noon. Register here.
Special Education Resources
RYH Remote Learning SpEd Resources from CPS Parents, Teachers & Clinicians
CPS SpEd remote learning in one place: Special Education Guidance for Diverse Learners
Recent press
Chalkbeat Chicago: School therapists’ quandary: ethical hurdles, vague guidance, students left behind
CPSuccess!
WTTW: ‘I Want It To End On a High Note’: CPS Valedictorian Reflects on ‘Weird’ Year Crane HS
WBEZ: Unforgettable: Stories Of Local Grads And The School Mentors Who Changed Their Lives Ebinger ES
WBEZ: It Wasn’t Where She Wanted To Be 4 Years Ago, But Today, Her Neighborhood High School Is Home Julian HS
In other news
Chalkbeat Chicago: ‘They know what they see’: Chicago educators reach out to students about racism, police brutality after George Floyd’s death
Sun-Times: Illinois schools can reopen for summer classes with restrictions, Pritzker says
Pasi Sahlberg, Albert Shanker Institute blog: Five Things Not To Do When Schools Re-open
CPS Surveys
School Resource Officer (SRO) Survey: The CPS survey is now closed. This is the survey shared from CPD- the comment time has been extended.
CPS Capital Planning survey for CPS stakeholders. Survey open until June 15.
You can comment on the CPS Board of Ed’s proposed policies or rule changes. There are revisions to the Student Code of Conduct under “July Policies.” Comments open until June 19. You can find the proposed changes to the Student Code of Conduct here.
COVID-19 Resources
Food Assistance
Details will be coming soon on the CPS expanded summer meals program to address hunger in the midst of the pandemic. In the meantime, CPS Meal Sites are still open, Mon - Fri, 9AM - 1PM. We tried to put all the current CPS Meals info together in one RYH webpage: CPS Grab & Go Meal Sites: Basics + Sites + Delivery Form. Note: There is a new delivery form for June. You can also call 773 553 KIDS for meal delivery.
If you need additional food assistance, consider expanded SNAP benefits (Pandemic EBT or P-EBT) - applications available here. Brighton Park Neighborhood Council has flyers with a flowchart of how to apply here. The P-EBT application is available from the Illinois Department of Human Services: ALL students are eligible for the emergency food benefits (P-EBT) from the close of school in March through the end of the school year regardless of income or national origin. The March/April payments amount to $182.40 per child. The benefit is $5.70 per school day per eligible child (school aged child). Basically, this benefit is open to ALL CPS students and is retroactive to when school closed. Families can participate in both P-EBT and any meal distribution program that is currently available at their school. They do not have to choose one or the other, as these programs operate independent of each other. Flyers in English & Spanish here.
Unemployment Assistance
The State of Illinois has expanded its eligibility criteria for its Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program to include parents and guardians who have been unable to work due to child care needs. More information can be found here.
Chicago COVID Resource Finder | Text "covid" to 312-436-2280 to access via phone.
Things change day to day & we can not get everything into this newsletter. Here are all the ways you can stay in touch with RYH!