CPS reopens meal sites | RYH Updates | School Police Officer Surveys | Orgs to follow now

Written By Guest User

We sent this email Monday, June 1, 2020, 6PM.

RYH Program Updates

  • Tomorrow’s Special Education Zoom is canceled. We will resume next Tuesday, June 9, at 12PM- please note the new time. The link to register is found here.

  • Today would have been the launch of our Grow With Us fundraising campaign. While we will reassess in 2 days, we urge folks to donate to the Chicago Community Bond Fund. Raise Your Hand staff and board members are committing to give over $1,000 today - join us.

  • ICYMI… please read our statement posted to Facebook on Saturday morning: Black Lives Matter.

 

CPS Meal Sites will reopen tomorrow, June 2!

Late this morning we launched a petition, demanding CEO Jackson reopen all CPS Meal Sites. Right now it has 2700+ signatures and 16 endorsing organizations- Access Living, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, Black Women Organizing for Power (BWOP), Blocks Together, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago United for Equity, Illinois Families for Public Schools, Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization (KOCO), Legal Counsel for Health Justice, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Northside Action for Justice, Northwest Side Housing Center, Parents 4 Teachers, and Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education. This is pretty incredible.

UPDATE: The petition wound up receiving 5631 signatures by the time we shut it down! Thank you.

Thank you to all who signed & shared! You can find the CPS announcement of the reopening here. Please note that if families want or need food delivery, they should call CPS at 773-553-KIDS. We put all the CPS Meal Site information here: Basics + Meal Sites + Delivery Form link.

Do you need food assistance?

  • Call CPS 773-553-KIDS for meal delivery. Please share this number with other families.

  • You can also sign up for CPS food delivery using this form (can take up to 4 days for first delivery.)

  • Spreadsheet of Where to Access Food in Chicago Today. We believe this was created by CPS teachers & staff.

  • City Bureau's Chicago COVID Resource Finder | Text "covid" to 312-436-2280 to access via phone.

  • Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) application 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.

 

What do you think about police in schools?

There are 2 surveys active NOW & both have a deadline of tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2. For background, see this story in Chalkbeat Chicago: Chicago has new school police rules. The public has until Tuesday to comment. Here are the 2 surveys you should take:

If you want to dig more into this, check out this blog from CPF Insider (formerly Chicago Public Fools)- so many links to learn more about this issue. 

 

Organizations on the ground

There is so much going on right now. This list is from Chicago Votes: “For on the ground updates and actions, follow the groups listed below!”

 

Letter from principals

We'd like to uplift this letter sent to several school communities on behalf of several principals: 

We, the leadership of local public schools, are united in support of our families, students and community during this difficult time. Understanding that our public schools are a direct link to our community, we recognize we have a critical role to play to ensure the safety and emotional well being of those we serve. We recognize the grief, outrage, fear and confusion brought about by systemic racism, disproportional casualties from the coronavirus pandemic and most recently, the murder of George Floyd. Our children, families and staff are struggling to reconcile the gravity of the subsequent events and we stand ready to support in any way we can. We are all hurting.

We want to express solidarity with the individuals, families, and communities of color who continue to be victimized unjustly. We commit to support and responsiveness when it comes to providing social emotional guidance through resources provided by our district. We also commit, as a unified public educational community, to actively pursue training, structures and supports that forward equity and fairness in our school communities and help our community address the realities and dangers of racism. We must address this because this is what we are called to do.

In the coming days, weeks and months, we will be there to support you, your children and your families through navigating this complex and tragic time. We look forward to listening, growing and working toward a more inclusive and equitable world for our children and families.

Ms. Kia Banks, Principal - John H. Vanderpoel Humanities Magnet Academy

Ms. Meg Burns, Principal - Elizabeth H. Sutherland Elementary

Ms. Chalese Conley Dunbar, Principal - Keller Regional Gifted Center

Ms. JaMonica Marion, Principal - Henry R. Clissold Elementary

Ms. Amy O'Connor, Principal - Barbara Vick Early Childhood Center

Dr. Cory Overstreet, Principal - Kate Star Kellogg Elementary

Dr. Femi Skanes, Principal - Morgan Park High School

Dr. Angela Tucker, Principal - Esmond Elementary

Ms. Kate Valente, Principal - Alice L. Barnard Elementary

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