RYH Newsletter 9.23.20
We are 20 days away from Raise a Glass! Thank you to everyone who has bought a ticket, become a sponsor, bought an advertisement or given an in kind donation for our auction- over half of our support comes from donors like yourselves. As we continue our work on remote learning, school funding, local school councils, and special education, we cannot do it without your support! We are 35% of the way towards our goal. We are shipping out our swag so this week, can you support Raise Your Hand by buying a ticket? Thank you for supporting our work!
CPS BOE Meets Today
“School Reopening Update” is on the agenda. The meeting will be live streamed on the CPS YouTube Channel starting at 10:30AM. Sometimes they are a few minutes late so keep refreshing the page until the live feed shows up. You can follow us on Twitter for some live tweeting: @ILRaiseYourHand. For more live tweets, please follow the #ChiDocumenter assigned to the meeting: @_KellyGarcia_. We will post our statements later this morning plus any press coverage here.
Do you have a comment you want to share with the CPS BOE? Visit www.cpsboe.org, scroll down to “Written Comments” and click on “Board Meeting Aug 23 Form” (yes, this must be a typo). This link takes you to a Google form. If you have trouble accessing the form your CPS child might be logged into their CPS account on your device- log them off, then proceed again.
Follow RYH Social Media!
We share news and upcoming events daily: Search @ILRaiseYourHand | Direct links: Facebook Page, Twitter, Instagram. Our Facebook group is where lively discussions occur.
Illinois Standardized Testing News
Press coverage from Chalkbeat Chicago:
We created this RYH webpage where we compiled some SAT information for IL Class of 2021 (senior) parents.
And here’s some coverage on other IL standardized tests this school year: Illinois wants to delay decision on spring testing, keep fall kindergarten assessment
Chicago Connected One Month Update
Chicago Connected presentation slides, Sept 22, from the Local School Council Advisory Board (LSCAB) meeting. Chicago Connected webpage here.
LSC Events & News
We are hosting a series of virtual workshops providing Local School Council (LSC) basics, candidate and election support. These sessions are intended to connect and empower parents and caregivers, community members, advocates and alum to engage schools through LSCs.
LSC 101: LSC Basics- we’ve added 2 more sessions!
Thursday, September 24th at 6:00pm | Register
Monday, September 28th at 5:00pm | Register
LSC 201: LSC Campaign Support
Saturday, September 26th at 10:30am | Register
Wednesday, September 30th at 7:30pm | Register
LSC 301: LSC Elections Support
Tuesday, October 6th at 6:00pm | Register
Wednesday, October 14th at 7:00pm | Register
Candidate Nomination Period Reopened | LSC Elections in November
Check out our Local School Council Resources on the RYH website to learn more about LSCs, campaigning as a candidate, and voting. Images below are on our LSC 101 page.
Which LSCs can you serve on (& vote at) as a community member? Use this cool tool & search.
Helpful article from Chalkbeat Chicago: Chicago’s school council elections are around the corner. Here’s your guide
Special Education Resources, News & Events
We have a new RYH Special Education Parent Resources for Remote Learning and More webpage. This is a work in progress and we will be adding resources. If you have any suggestions, please pass the links along to Mary at faheyhughes@gmail.com.
Chalkbeat Chicago has a survey for families of children with disabilities here and some press coverage here: For parents of children with disabilities, remote learning feels like another full-time job.
Sun-Times: Some special ed students could return to schools for in-person services under CPS proposal
ABC 7: CPS remote learning proves challenging for parents, children with special needs
➡️ RYH Special Ed Community Training on Transition with Equip for Equality
Tues, Sept 29 | 6PM | Via Zoom | Register here
Did you know your child with an IEP may be eligible for post-high school job skills training and supported work experiences (among other things) until they turn 22 years of age? Emily Wilson with Equip for Equality will present and answer questions about transition programs for students with disabilities.
➡️ SAVE THE DATE! Sat, Oct 17, 10AM - 12PM. Special Ed Legal Clinic with Loyola School of Law Civitas ChildLaw Center and Equip for Equality where you can speak 1:1 with an attorney or advocate about your specific special ed concerns. More details coming soon!
Remote Learning: Resources + In The News
In August, we hosted a webinar with Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA) and Grassroots Education Movement (GEM). You can find slides & small group discussion reports from the event here. We hope you will take some of these ideas back to your own school!
WBEZ: The Toll Of Remote Learning On One Chicago Teacher: ‘I Am Learning Everything Again’
Chalkbeat Chicago: I’m a Chicago principal overwhelmed by ‘what ifs.’ Here’s how I got unstuck.
Chalkbeat Chicago: When a child's first teacher is onscreen: In Chicago, questions about the payoff of virtual preschool
Parents! The Press Wants To Hear From You!
WBEZ's Curious City is looking for parents, students, and educators in the Chicagoland area to share a voice memo (no more than 1 minute) expressing your thoughts, concerns, and feelings about the coming school year. You can find some prompts, instructions, and guidelines here if you'd like to participate.
Chalkbeat Chicago: Chicago families: How is virtual special education going for your child? | Familias de Chicago: ¿Cómo funciona el aprendizaje a distancia para su hijo/hija con necesidades especiales?
In Other News
Sun-Times: Top CPS high schools vow changes after racism charges, but problems persist
Chicago Tribune: Less than a quarter of CPS students recommended for summer school completed it
Upcoming Events
➡️ Fair Tax: Learn, Share, Vote
Hosted by Illinois Families for Public Schools
Virtual Info Session + Phone Banking | Sun, Sept 27, 6-8PM