RYH Newsletter 11.11.20
It has been a challenge trying to figure out the 2020 LSC Elections. We have some info & links below. We will also discuss this at our 2020 Local School Council Candidate Meet & Greet.
Join us! Sat, Nov 14 | 10:30AM - Noon | Register here
Hereâs what we know about LSC Elections:
Elementary School LSC Elections are Wed, Nov 18
High School LSC Elections are Th, Nov 19
In-person polls are open from 7AM - 7PM
- Parents, legal guardians, or temporary custodians should have received mail-in ballots via the mail | The info used to determine who would receive these & where they would be sent was taken from Aspen | Parents, guardians, or custodians can vote in-person instead
- Teachers & staff should have received mail-in ballots via the mail | The info used to determine who would receive these & where they would be sent was determined via the CPS Talent Office | Teachers & staff can vote in-person instead
***Newish: Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by election day to count. Nov 30 is the last day for mail-in ballots to arrive to be counted.
- High school students will receive an electronic ballot from their school
- Community members can only vote in-person | Curbside voting is available | Any community member who is 17 years or older & resides in the schoolâs LSC Voting District may vote
Where can you VOTE in a LSC Election as a community member?
Use this tool created by Josh Kalov. Youâll be surprised to see how many schools you can vote at!
Many schools published candidate statements (and videos of candidate forums) on their school websites.
Please do your research & VOTE in next weekâs LSC Elections!
Parent & Community Voter Tips:
Make sure you only mark your choices with an X. Any other mark will not be counted as a vote & might result in your entire ballot being thrown out.
You can vote for up to 5 candidates- don't make more than five X's! Voting for more than 5 may result in your entire ballot being thrown out.
The up to 5 candidates you vote for can be a combination of parents & community members.
***Newish: Dec 1 is the deadline for LSC election judges to review, verify, & certify all mail-in & in-person ballots. Principals post the election results for their school by 5PM, Dec 1.
Learn more here:
Chicago Lawyersâ Committee for Civil Rights blog: Everything You Need to Know About Chicago's Local School Council Elections
CPSâ LSC Elections FAQ (published on or around Nov 9): English | Spanish
Chalkbeat Chicago: LSC Election Guide
Chicago Lawyers' Committee blog: CPS Agrees to Expand Voter Access in LSC Elections
- Chicago Lawyersâ Committee for Civil Rights is seeking volunteers for Nov 18 & 19 to be available for non-partisan poll watching at CPS schools across the city during the LSC elections. Read more here.
- Nice interview with a CPS parent and 1st time LSC candidate from the Chicago Tribune: School police votes put spotlight on Chicagoâs Local School Councils. Why one parent is running for the first time in this monthâs elections
Please do your research & VOTE in next weekâs LSC Elections!
Remote Learning Continues in CPS
Great piece (with excellent tips from a PreK teacher) from WBEZ reporter & CPS PreK mom, Adriana Cardona-Maguigad: Pandemic Preschool: 4 Remote Learning Tips For Parents.
There is still no set date for PreK and cluster program students to return to in-person learning during Quarter 2- and there are still many unanswered questions. [To note: Quarter 2 ends on Feb 4; Quarter 3 starts Feb 8]
Chalkbeat Chicago: Reopening questions: Six issues Chicago preschool teachers are weighing as the first to return
WTTW: Amid COVID-19 Surge, CPS Timeline for In-Person Learning Unclear | CPS Agrees to Mediation With CTU, But Not Over Decision To Reopen Schools
Brighton Park Neighborhood Councilâs (BPNC) Remote Learning Survey
Our friends at BPNC are conducting a community survey on CPS Remote Learning. Please consider taking it & sharing! Survey here.
Illinois Is Now Releasing School-Related COVID-19 Data
Chicago Tribune: Hundreds of Illinois schools potentially exposed to COVID-19 in last month, new contact tracing data shows
Chicago school data is tracked separately from the state. This article from Chalkbeat Chicago reflects data through Oct 17: Chicago day cares and private schools reported 495 COVID cases, but numbers donât tell the whole story.
At the end of this Chicago Tribune article, you can find some CPS school specific data: Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she canât yet put a date on Chicago Public Schools' reopening: âThatâs still very much a work in progressâ.
Follow RYH on social media. We share news & upcoming events daily. Search @ILRaiseYourHand: Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram | Linktree
Special Education News & ODLSS FAB Meeting
RYH Special Education Parent Resources for Remote Learning and More
ICYMI, this article from Chalkbeat Chicago is worth a read: Chicago, Illinois students with special needs face difficult transition after age 21.
Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services Family Advisory Board (ODLSS FAB)
Virtual Meeting & Workshop | Th, Nov 12 | 6PM | Register here
Citywide LSC Letter- Please Share with Your LSC
Our LSC Connection Google group has 600+ LSC members from across the city. The Group has written a Citywide LSC Letter that any LSC can sign. LSC members are asking CPS to freeze enrollment counts from SY20 for schools that experienced an enrollment drop in SY21 as not doing so would negatively impact SY22 school level budgets. So far 19 LSCs have signed. Please share these links with your LSC: LETTER English, Spanish | Form to sign on
Journey for Justice Alliance National Survey
What is your vision for equity in Public Education? Click here to take the National Grassroots Education Survey in English or Spanish. Journey for Justice is committed to getting feedback from Grassroots voices on their vision for America's public schools. We invite you to encourage, Black, Brown Indigenous parents and youth to take their National Education Survey!
In Other News
The Triibe (READ THIS): As if a pandemic isn't enough, North Lawndale residents are now fighting against three possible Chicago Public School closures ⢠The TRiiBE
Chalkbeat Chicago: Proposed West Side tech academy would be built on school campus slated to close
Sun-Times: Suburban school board member spoke up about racial injustice, then board tried to silence her
WBEZ: Feds Hit An Illinois Charter School Chain With A Big Fine After A Corruption Investigation
Worth A Read
Chalkbeat: Betsy DeVos is on her way out. What will her legacy be?
The Washington Post: Perspective | What public education advocates want to see in Bidenâs pick to succeed Betsy DeVos
Chalkbeat: Biden has promised a different approach on COVID and schools
Upcoming Events
âĄď¸ Elected Representative School Board (ERSB) Meeting
Hosted by Lugenia Burns Hope Center via Zoom
TONIGHT, Wed, Nov 11 | 6PM | Register
âĄď¸ Local School Council (LSC) Training | Module 2: Meetings
Hosted by the LSCs.4.All coalition via Zoom
Th, Nov 12 | 6PM | Register
âĄď¸ Monthly CPS Board of Education Meeting
Wed, Nov 18 | 10:30AM | Online registration to speak
Online sign up to speak starts Mon, Nov 16, 10:30AM. The agenda will post at 10am. Sign up + meeting details here. You can try to register via the phone (312) 989-7313- check the links here to make sure this is the correct number on registration day.
You can submit comments to the BOE via a Google form which will be linked toward the top of the homepage of the CPS BOE webpage (this link to the form will probably go live on Mon, Nov 16, and you have until the day after the board meeting, 5PM, to submit comments) OR send them via US Mail at 1 N. Dearborn, Suite 950, Chicago IL 60602.
The meeting will be live streamed on the CPS YouTube channel.
Proposed board policies and/or rule changes that were open to public comment here.
Please contact Jennie if you have any questions about the BOE meetings: jennie@ilraiseyourhand.org.