RYH Newsletter 11.18.20

Nov 18

LSC Elections are TODAY at CPS elementary schools and TOMORROW at CPS high schools. Polls are open at the schools from 7AM - 7PM. RYH resources for LSC Elections:

If you are voting in person, CPS health protocols include social distancing, face-covering requirements, a health screener to be completed prior to arriving at any and all schools visited, and a temperature check upon entering school buildings.

Voters with questions or concerns about the LSC elections can call or text the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee (CLC) hotline at 262-729-3082 for free and immediate non-partisan assistance. Spanish-language assistance is available upon request, thanks to MALDEF. CLC’s non-partisan poll watchers are trained to help answer voters' questions, and to respond in case of electioneering, poll worker misconduct, and other interference with voters’ rights.

Every eligible voter should be able to cast their ballot in the LSC elections on Nov 18 and 19. Please spread the word about the CLC hotline: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

More LSC Elections Resources:

Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights blog: Everything You Need to Know About Chicago's Local School Council Elections
CPS’ LSC Elections FAQ doc: English | Spanish
Chalkbeat Chicago: LSC Election Guide

Chalkbeat Chicago: It’s harder than it should be to vote in Chicago’s Local School Council elections

Our Urban Times: Local School Council membership and elections are not just for parents

CPS’ BIG Announcement

While Chicago is under a Stay-at-Home advisory and on the same day that Governor Pritzker announced that the entire state was moving back to Tier 3, CPS announced a reopening “plan” for PreK - 8 + cluster program students. PreK and cluster program students will return on Jan 11. K - 8 students will return Feb 1. The CPS blog post of the announcement is not the same as the email parents received. The email is here- make sure you read the 2nd to last paragraph closely as it includes the data CDPH will look at to help determine if schools will reopen on these proposed dates:

While the science is clear that school can proceed safely with mitigations like the ones we have implemented, CDPH is closely watching the citywide growth in cases — as determined by the amount of time it takes for case counts to double — because case growth can disrupt educational activities as more staff and students need to isolate due to exposure outside of school. For that reason, CDPH has determined that in order for schools to reopen, the length of time over which cases double will need to extend by at least a 50 percent, which will indicate that community spread is stabilizing and the curve is flattening. In Chicago, that will mean moving from the city’s current doubling rate of 12 days to at least 18 days by the time classes begin.

Note: Quarter 2 ends on Feb 4; Quarter 3 starts Feb 8. Press coverage of the announcement:

Sun-Times: CPS to bring back elementary students Feb. 1

WBEZ: Chicago Public Schools To Resume In-Person Classes In January

Chalkbeat Chicago: Chicago sets January 11 school reopening date for pre-K, some students with disabilities

WTTW: CPS to Bring Back Some Students for In-Person Learning As Soon As Jan. 11

ABC 7: Chicago Public Schools Board meets after announcement of reopening in-person learning

Follow RYH on social media. We share news & upcoming events daily.

Search @ILRaiseYourHand: Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram | Linktree

CPS Board of Ed Meets Today, 10:30AM

We are speaking at the CPS BOE meeting today. We will publish our statement here later this morning. The meeting starts at 10:30AM and it is live streamed on the CPS YouTube channel.

Do you have a written comment you want to share with the CPS BOE? Use this Google form. This form will close Th, Nov 19, 5PM.

Special Education News: Meeting with Dr. Jones + Transition Resources

Conversation with Dr. Jones, ODLSS Chief
- Th, Nov 19 | 4-4:45PM
  - Register here- read carefully & sign up now.
At our newish webpage RYH Special Education Parent Resources for Remote Learning and More you can find the following new resources:
- RYH Special Ed Community Call: Access Living Presentation on their Transition Programs VIDEO, Nov 2, 2020
  - Youth Team Presentation (slide show from presentation above)
  - Y.I.E.L.D. flyer
  - Other Mentoring Programs doc
  - Youth Enrichment Program Fall 2020 brochure
  - Fast Track Program 2020-21 brochure
  - DJMC Mentoring Program flyer

CPS Enrollment + Citywide LSC Letter

Chalkbeat Chicago analyzes CPS’ enrollment decreases in this article: Chicago's steep enrollment losses hit high-poverty schools hardest

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

Brighton Park Neighborhood Council’s (BPNC) Remote Learning Survey

Our friends at BPNC are conducting a community survey on CPS Remote Learning. Please consider taking it & sharing! Survey here.

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!