RYH Newsletter 5.19.21
For the past 2 years, Lightfoot's Administration has continued to ignore the demands of its people. This administration has failed on multiple issues - from environmental justice to education to policing to housing and COVID recovery. Join over 34 organizations in calling out Mayor Lightfoot on her 2 year anniversary and demand that she fulfill her broken promises. #2Years2Much
Raise Your Hand will be highlighting
the TLC platform, developed by Chicago parents, caregivers, and youth, which Lightfoot has ignored;
the need for an elected representative school board (ERSB) which Lightfoot campaigned on but, instead, Lightfoot wants to maintain mayoral control via a hybrid model;
and the need for #PoliceFreeSchools as demanded by Chicago youth.
Join us! Th, May 20 | 6PM | Logan Square Monument | Facebook event page
ACTIONS & News: Elected Representative School Board (ERSB)
We will be canvassing this Sat, May 22, 1-3PM in Austin. If you are interested please email rousemary@ilraiseyourhand.org.
Have you done the following yet?
Call your IL State Senator today & ask them:
to support a fully elected school board (SB2497), and
to ask Senate President Don Harmon to call the bill.
Sample script:
"My name is XX and I am your constituent. I support a fully elected school board in Chicago. We have been fighting for an ERSB for over a decade now. We are the only school district without an elected school board. Will you demand that Senate President Don Harmon call SB2497 and give Chicagoans the right that every other Illinois voter has?"
Email your state senator and tell them to support SB2497, a FULLY elected CPS school board. Please do this no matter where you live in Illinois. Takes 2 minutes! Thank you.
Breaking this afternoon…. The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus supports a fully elected school board for Chicago. Read their press release here.
Instead of pitting families against each other with disingenuous attacks on an elected school board, we urge everyone concerned about immigrant rights and representation to join the Latino Caucus by supporting SB 1565, to give undocumented immigrants the right to vote for elected school board members, and SB 148, sponsored by Senator Omar Aquino which would make it easier for undocumented parents to serve in Local School Councils.
The Daily Line: Open a path for non-citizen CPS parents to vote in school board elections
Once an elected school board in Chicago is passed, we will work to pass SB 1565, to ensure non-citizens can vote in school board elections. Nothing in federal law prohibits non-citizens from voting in state and local elections.
We were part of a powerful press conference Tuesday at Senate President Harmon’s office. You can watch it here. Picture below of the passionate participants!
Springfield News, Including New ISBE Resolution for SY2021-22
IL State Board of Ed (ISBE) meets today. Read the draft resolution about the 2021-22 school year on the meeting’s agenda and discussed in the article below here.
Chicago Tribune: Illinois could require schools to teach fully in person this fall but has not issued a COVID-19 vaccine mandate
Chalkbeat Chicago: Illinois is loosening mask rules — but changes won’t apply to schools, daycares for now
Chalkbeat Chicago: This family fought a West Side school’s ban on Black hair styles — and now Illinois could ban hair discrimination
Sun-Times: Illinois coronavirus: U of I rapid tests to be used at middle, high schools statewide this fall
Chalkbeat Chicago: Thousands of students with disabilities are set to ‘age out’ of school. After a pandemic year, they may get more time to prepare for what’s next.
New Pandemic Resources
The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
Official website of the program here.
Chicago Tribune: Millions of Americans can apply for $50 off their internet bill
CPS + CTU + CDPH + CTA Team Up To Vaccinate!
WTTW: Mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Sites Coming to CPS Schools Over Next 3 Weekends
CPS Board of Ed News: Monthly Meeting | Comments | CEO Search Focus Groups
On Wed, May 26, the mayor appointed CPS Board of Ed will hold its monthly meeting. Online sign up to speak begins Mon, May 24, 10:30AM. If you have any questions about this process please email jennie@ilraiseyourhand.org. The meeting will live stream on the CPS YouTube channel. You can submit written comments via a Google form which will be linked at cpsboe.org starting Mon at 10:30AM; you have until Th, May 17, 5PM, to submit a written comment.
You can also comment on CPS proposed policies or rule changes. Currently, you can view and comment on annual revisions to the student code of conduct and the appreciation and recognition policy. Comments due by Fri, May 21.
Worth noting: Chicago Public Schools CEO Search webpage
Special Education: News | Event | Resources
Read this! The Triibe: Complaint against top CPS official alleges verbal abuse of employees and toxic work environment • The TRiiBE
Chalkbeat Chicago has two stories: Understaffing, allegations of abuse: Illinois will remove students from private facility | Thousands of students with disabilities are set to ‘age out’ of school. They may get more time to prepare for what’s next.
EVENT: ODLSS/MOPD Virtual Community Connections Expo Tickets, Fri, Jun 4, 2021 at 1:00 PM
FREE RESOURCE: Family Resource Center on Disabilities (FRCD) offers FREE virtual IEP support. More here.
#NoGoCPS
If you have an 8th Grader with an IEP in CPS who you believe was denied opportunity for appropriate high school programs due to NWEA and grade cut scores (for either application or acceptance), we want to hear from you at bit.ly/NoGoCPS. Thank you!
Upcoming Events
Laura Washington and Lynn Sweet At The Virtual Table
Live conversation with Stacy Davis Gates, Vice President, Chicago Teachers Union, Nader Issa, Sun-Times Education Reporter, and Sybil Madison, Deputy Chicago Mayor for Education and Human Services
Hosted by Chicago Sun-Times
Th, May 20 | 6:30PM
Register | Will live stream on Facebook and YouTube
On Fridays, #PoliceFreeSchools youth host a call for fellow students to learn more and get involved. 5PM | Register
The Gathering: Whole School Safety
Hosted by LSCs.4.All Coalition
Tues, May 25 | 4:30-6PM | Register
Worth A Read!
CPSuccess!
Art on theMart is featuring artwork from CPS students | May 20-June 26 | 9-9:30PM
The Sun-Times highlights two #cpsuccess stories:
Bronzeville music teacher wins coveted Golden Apple award Bronzeville Classical ES
Mural celebrates ‘building strong roots’ to help students grow in South Side school Randolph ES
Hyde Park Herald: Photo: Bret Harte gets new mural | Evening Digest | hpherald.com
In Other News
Chalkbeat Chicago: The struggle to close reading gaps in a pandemic year is real
Chicago Tribune: Will foreign language classes be a COVID-19 casualty? Some schools are reducing offerings in Latin, German and other tongues.
Chicago Tribune: Chicago kids can make pandemic time capsules for history (Organization here.)
Chalkbeat Chicago: What do Chicago students say they most need? Counselors, school board seats, therapy dogs
Chicago Tribune: Column: CPS clerk, disabled after a drunk driver hit her car, is fighting to keep her job. ‘The only thing that remains the same is my ability to work.’ (Petition here.)
Sun-Times: CPS to bring 31 ‘turnaround’ schools back under district management (AUSL news)
ICYMI… A Must Read
Jacobin: Financialization Created Chicago Public Schools' Fiscal Crisis
CPS: PreK Info | Meeting on Vaccines | Capital Plan Survey
PreK INFO: Apply Now Flyer and the FCRC/Library Flyer listing the libraries that will be providing enrollment support for our families. Before visiting a library, parents must make an appointment, here is a link to schedule their appointment: Spanish | English
Ask The Expert
Th, May 20 | 4-5PM
The Expert: Lurie's Children Hospital
Topic: Children Covid-19 Vaccine | Register
CPS hosted Capital Plan Meetings last week. The meetings are available for viewing on the CPS YouTube channel. We also recommend this Documenters webpage for the first meeting which includes notes plus a link to live tweets. Take the CPS Capital Planning - Public Input Survey here.
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Thanks for reading! We hope you are all well!