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HPKCC
Hyde Park Schools Committee, Schools and Education
homepage
site-http://www.cps.edu/About_CPS/Policies_and_guidelines/Pages/SchoolActionsFeedback.aspx
CLOSINGS-
see full and updated in Schools/Educ.
News.
3/21: CANTER MIDDLE
SCHOOL WILL DEFINITELY CLOSE. Reavis and Kozminski will stay open and
currently have 7th and 8th?.
Ray and Harte as receiving schools will add 7/8 grades. So, kids from
Shoesmith(?), Ray, and Harte will be at Ray or Harte for 7 and 8 grades
and current 7th graders at Canter can go to Ray or Harte for 8th grade.
To complete list.
Hearings- April 8, Monday 5-7, April 12, Friday, 5-7 at Kenwood
Academy 5015 S. Blackstone and April 17, Wednesday at CPS 125 S. Clark
St.
HPKCC
RESOLUTION SEEKING DEFERRAL OF CLOSINGS
HPKCC
STATEMENT FOR KEEPING CANTER MIDDLE SCHOOL OPEN
Link to
a petition asking City Council to vote (release from committee) on a
resolution for Moratorium supported by a number of aldermen: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/petitions/94-the-chicago-city-council-should-vote-on-the-moratorium-on-charter-schools
(This
is from a Hyde Park Herald Alert that has gone viral in the community):
By STATE REP. BARBARA FLYNN CURRIE (D-25)
I share the concern voiced by many in the community
about the Chicago Board of Education’s preliminary decision to
close Canter Middle School. In terms of becoming the first choice for
area middle-schoolers, Canter did not completely live up to its hope
and its promise. But by all accounts the school is vibrant, academically
sound and a credit to the community.
The
eighth-graders at Canter will finish school in June and then make their
individual ways to high school. But what about the seventh-graders?
The current Chicago Public Schools philosophy stresses continuity and
likes schools that cover the entire elementary school waterfront, from
kindergarten through eighth grade. Middle schools are no longer the
preferred model. In looking at the list of Canter seventh-graders, however,
it’s clear that closing the school before they enter eighth grade
is to consign most of them to a complete lack of continuity. They left
their home schools in September. Most will not be returning to those
schools for eighth grade. Harte and Ray are the receiving schools for
the Canter youngsters, but only 19 of the 105 Canter seventh-graders
started out at either Harte or Ray.
The
largest number of students — 38 — came to Canter from Shoesmith.
Under the current CPS plan, they can’t go back to Shoesmith. Nearly
30 of the youngsters came from schools in Woodlawn, South Shore and
other parts of the city. All of these students have one more year of
elementary school. They left their home school for a year, they’ve
had one year at Canter, most will find themselves in yet a third school
before they embark upon a fourth school, the high school they will enter
after the next academic year.
This
isn’t good for continuity. And I can’t believe that this
much disruption will provide these youngsters with the best education
our public schools have to offer. I have urged the Chicago Board of
Education to keep Canter open at least for the next academic year —
and to reconsider the decision to close Canter at all.
Editor’s
note: This column will appear in the April 3 edition of the Hyde Park
Herald.
Herald
editorial March 27, 2013
If
Chicago Public Schools administrators have their way, t his will be
the last school year Canter Middle school remains open. It was listed
as one of more than 50 schools CPS announced would close last week
because of underutilization. CPS is broke, we are told, and maintaining
underused buildings will mean fewer programs for the students in them.
There
may be school buildings in the CPS portfolio that are nearly empty,
but Canter, 4[9]59 S. Blackstone Ave., is not one of them.
Several
years ago, Canter was turned into a middle school into which all elementary
schools in the neighborhood would feed. In making the case for this
dramatic change (7th and 8th grade programs that were popular with
many parents had to be closed in these schools), we were regaled with
study after study explaining the specail needs of middle school-aged
students and the value of an environment tailor-made for them. Local
political leadership and public schools officials urged us to trust
them.
Some
six or seven years later, these students wil now be shuttled to Ray
and Bret Harte elementary schools. Apparently, how middle school-aged
children learn matters less to the current leadership, or the folks
who were making the case when Canter was developed were wrong. Either
way, it's a game of musical chairs these students cannot afford to
play.
The
negative effects of being moved to a new school on learning are so
well-documented at this point that it should be a decision of absolute
last resort. The network of support that parents, teachers and --most
importantly --students develop in their school community is irreplaceable.
Over time, new ties will be established, but inevitably teh damage
has been done.
Sadly,
the priorities of the decision-makers who oversee our public schools
are more bottom-line-oriented than education-oriented. At the very
least, we would hope that a "do no harm" to students ethos
would be a reasonable expectation from education officials. Obviously,
that is not the case.
Canter
is a school alive with learning, with a dedicated staff of educators
committed to making every day rich and rewarding for the children
in their charge. We have an obligation as a community to support these
teachers, who include our own neighbors and folks who have been teaching
in our schools for years and even decades. In short we must fight
for Canter.
Plans
are presented as a "done deal" so routinely in our city
that some residents have come to despair of having any input on important
decisions. But careful students of how politics really happen here
realize that with enough pressure, noise and press, many decisions
are eventually -- often quietly -- reversed that are initially presented
as inevitable. Let's make their decision to close Canter one of those
decisions.
Then,
once we reverse that decision, let's take a good, hard look at a few
of our own. This school is slated for closure because its student
population of 228 is well below the 390 that CPS thinks should be
enrolled there. Setting aside for a moment the contentious issue of
class size, we ned to confront the open secret in our neighborhood
that m any parents do not see Canter as a viable option for their
middle school-aged children. Why is that? And what can we do to rectify
it?
We
are stewards of the public schools in our community. Our responsibility
to them and the children that learn in them is redoubled when CPS
administrators try to take an axe to them. Let's treat this as a wake-up
call.
Let's
fight for Canter.
A
local teacher in an accompanying letter said tha the schol as not
underutilized and had a good program. There were bad breaks, CPS limited
resources and reneging on promises, insufficient support from (in
effect the TIF), prejudiced and uniformed parents- plenty of shame
to go around. Ant the kids may not get the special attention they
need in their receiving schools.
http://www.schoolcuts.org
has much information about school trends and studies, although its list
and evaluation of closing and receiving schools was not the latest (114
v. 61 final) as of March 23. This is not a CPS site. CPS site
on the matter is http://www.cps.edu/qualityschools.
To:
About the committee-short
in pdf. Full.
May 3 leaders/parent leader apprec.
dinner-Dr. Charles Payne of UC speaker
READ RELEASE
ON MAY 3 2012 APPRECIATION DINNER
Next full committee meeting
To Our Youth Programs
Databases
Return to Schools Hot
Topics and Issues. Hot
Topics home.
New HPKCC website and from/about Schools Committee- Home
or http://www.hydepark.org
Home of whole HPKCC neighborhood site Hyde Park Record- http://www.hydeparkrecord.org
To
page with dates of some LSC candidate
forums, SIPAA discussions
Read about Sept 2009 HPKCC Schools Networking Dinner in S
Comm. Reports page.
Scholarships for college are available- see in Education
Resources.
Visit the page about the new
Hyde Park Schools Initiative.
About and update from January
2011 Conference Reporter
Race to Nowhere.
To provisional Quick Directory
and Calendar of local schools 2011
Larger directories of schools,
lscs
HAVE
A HEART SUPPLY DRIVE AND FRIENDS OF HPK PUBLIC SCHS
PRESS RELEASE AND THANK YOU. Another is being planned for late summer
or early fall.
HPKCC
Schools Committee meets at 5221 S. Blackstone. tba.
CPS is
asking parents of currently-enrolled students to give survey input into
a best common calendar for all schools. Find it on cps.edu-
have your child's log-in handy.
See report
on ABCs of CPS in Friends-Drive
page.
DONATE
NOW TO THE SUPPLY DRIVE FOR HYDE PARK AND KENWOOD SCHOOLS- Back
to School Supply Drive:
With tighter budgets than ever, many local public schools will be starting
the school year with little or no money in their budgets for school
supplies. Since many of our schools serve students who are homeless
or low income, this places an even greater burden on their families.
OVER $1,500 GIVEN SO FAR.
Hyde
Park-Kenwood Community Conference received in September 2012 from Harper
Court Art Foundation a generous $1,000 check for the Schools Committee's
School Supplies Fund and Drive, and a very gracious letter. Thank you.
To
help meet this need, the HPKCC Schools Committee is organizing a Back
To School supply drive. For a $10 donation you can provide
pencils, pens, markers, crayons, spiral notebook and filler paper for
one child.
The
committee will accept monetary donations ongoing. Supporters
can donate online at http://www.hydepark.org/programs/schools.html
DONATE button or mail a check made out to the Hyde Park Kenwood
Community Conference-Supply Drive to the Conference office at 1525 East
53rd Street, #907, Chicago, IL 60615. All donations will be used to
purchase supplies which will be distributed to the participating Hyde
Park/Kenwood public schools. Questions? Contact Nancy Baum at HaveAHeart2012@gmail.com.
FLYER
Important
new studies out-see in UC
Research page
3 schools on probation....
Murray regains 7th and 8th grades- various reflections- see in School
News page.
A new CPS blueprint to integrating the arts
and sc. into curriculum
To
About the Schools Committee brochure (including pdf version and
to short version).
View Report on
February 23 2010 Recognition Ceremony and Talk, in pdf
To our recent reports
and minutes.
To More on assets building
collaborative, Promises
To Youth Programs Database
See what parents said about the school day in School
News page.
Meetings
and events
Here
are relevant meetings on the future of our schools or potential closings:
March
24, Sunday, 2 pm. Film preview: "180 Days in an American
High School." Sp. Illinois Network of Charter Schools. Logan
(Screening Room 201 Limited space) , 915 E. 60th St. Free but RSVP
required to laseals@incschools.org
(or Iaseals...)
HPKCC
Schools Committee meets tba
New!!
VISION OF THE CPS ARTS EDUCATION PLAN- approved by CPS board mid November
2012.
The
guiding principle of the CPS Arts Education Plan is that every CPS
student will receive ongoing high quality arts education both in
and out of the classroom.
Through
a comprehensive and sequential study of visual art, music, dance,
and theater from K-12th grade, all Chicago Public Schools students
will have the opportunity to develop into innovative thinkers and
creative problem solvers who are capable of expressing themselves,
understanding others and contributing to their city’s culture
and economy for years to come.
The
CPS Arts Education Plan honors and promotes the critical role of
certified arts instructors as anchors for building robust arts programs
and creating strong arts partnerships in schools.
Five
Guiding Principles
¦Provide
equity and access to arts learning for not just some, but all children
¦Return
the arts to the ongoing education and school day experience (adds
dance and theater to the mandated curriculum)
¦Provide quality sequential arts instruction
¦Prepare young people for life and work in the 21st Century
¦Support increasing high school graduation rates
THE
CPS ARTS EDUCATION
PLAN STANDARDS
The
CPS Arts Education Plan will focus on creating goals that will elevate
the following six standards in the arts:
¦District
Arts Policy
¦In School and Out of School Arts Guidelines
¦Arts Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
¦Data and Strategy
¦Arts Partnerships & Collaborations
¦Professional Development in the Arts
Also:
Common Core Workshop with experts for Public Schools arts partners.
Thursday, July 26, 10-noon. RSVP to get the location- eventbrite.com/event3578771201.
_________________________
There
was a wonderful appreciation dinner by HPKCC for outgoing and incoming
LSC, PTA, PAC, principals on May 3 2012 at Kozminski School. Dr. Charles
Payne of U of C was a terrific speaker, new and outgoing principals
shared their vision. All LSC members and PTA/PAC chairs were given
certificates.
LOOK
FOR THE LETTER FROM FRIENDS AND HPKCC AND OTHERS IN APRIL 11 HYDE
PARK HERALD- ON A FUNDED QUALITY SCHOOL DAY.
HPKCC
Schools Committee and UC Neighborhood Schools Program held a nice
reception May 17 for Kenwood Academy's new principal Gregory Jones.
Schools
co-chair Camille Hamilton-Doyle and Southside Schools Network CPS
college and Career specialist Julie Stanton said a few words and the
Kenwood Choir and Jazz Band performed.
The fight over
an unfunded 7.5 hour day vs. a quality day (with some wanting as short
as 6.5 vs. present 5.45) has now morphed into a 7 hour day for elementary
and 7 1/2 for high schools (with 75 min early release for hs once
a week) supported by the Mayor (April 10)-- but what can be done about
the funding and quality with huge deficits looming. Here is what the
city release says about details of increases in both school day and
instruction year:
Elementary
Full School Day:
•Students
will receive 52 additional minutes of instructional time each day.
•Students will receive 6 hours of instruction and 45 minutes
for recess and lunch.
•Students will be in school for 7 hours each day, an increase
of 75 minutes.
•Teachers will be in school for 7 hours and 40 minutes, an
increase of 85 minutes.
High School Full School Day:
•Students
will receive 46 additional instructional minutes four days a week.
•Students will receive 6 hours and 8 minutes of instructional
time four days a week.
•Students will be in school for 7 1/2 hours a day, an increase
of 36 minutes four days a week.
•One day per week the day will end 75 minutes early.
•Teachers will be in school for 7 hours and 40 minutes, an
increase of 39 minutes.
The Full School Day will provide significant benefits to all students
across the district, including:
•Elementary
students will receive an additional 207 hours of instruction each
year, and high school students will receive an additional 116 hours
of instruction. Principals will no longer have to choose between
reading, math or science because of limited time in the day.
•Additional time will create opportunity to add more intervention
to ensure students who are falling behind in math and reading can
get up to speed with their peers.
•Elementary students will have time for lunch and recess every
day to relax, re-boot and return to the classroom ready to learn.
The Full School Day was structured with an eye toward providing
teachers with adequate professional development and prep time to
support their practice. Benefits of the Full Day include:
•Elementary
teachers will have almost two additional hours of prep time each
week.
•Elementary teachers will have self-directed prep time in
the mornings, as well as additional prep time throughout the day
to meet with parents informally, prepare for their lessons and supervise
students who arrive at school early.
•Both elementary and high school teachers will receive an
average of 75 minutes for professional development each week.
Get
involved in the meetings of the HPKCC Schools Committee! Chair Camille
Hamilton-Doyle, Co-Chair
Nancy Baum.
Next Nov. 1 Thursday, 9:45 am at 5221 S. Blackstone.
The next Networking Dinner is to be announced.
Spring?
Schools
Committee fall 2012 Schools Networking Dinner defines college-readiness
and why grades and attitude toward learning top scores as preparers
and predictors.
From
article on the October 1 Dinner by Daschell M. Philips in the Hyde
Park Herald
The
Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference Schools Committee held its
annual networking dinner Oct. 2. Camille Farrington, research associate
at the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research
and assistant professor at the university's School of Social Service
Administration, was the guest speaker.
Each
year the schools committee hosts the network event as a beginning
of the school year meet-and-greet opportunity for administrators from
Kozminski..., Canter..., Dyett...,Bret harte...,Kenwood Academy...,Murray..,
Ray...,Reavis..., Robinson...,and Shoesmith...
Farrington,
[who] worked for 15 years as a public high school teacher an administrator,
spoke to the school leaders about the importance of college readiness
and shared some information on how to prepare students for college
life.
Farrrington
is a lead researcher for the Chicago Postsecondary Transition Project,
which is based at the School of Social Service Administration at the
University of Chicago. Her research interests focus on policy and
practice in urban high school reform, and particularly classroom instruction
and assessment, academic rigor, tracking and dropout. She also serves
as director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for the Network
for College Success at SSA, working with CPS Transformation high schools
as part of a federal School Improvement Grant.
[Her
conclusions included that developing confidence and attitudes and
approaches that lead to success as expressed in grades and a string
of successes is the best preparer and predictor for college and for
life. She gave many tips for parents, teachers, and administrators.]
Nancy
Baum, co-chair of the schools committee, said this year the committee
wil continue to focus on its ongoing school supply drive, which was
launched in August. the committee is asking the community to visit
hydepark.org and make $10 donations to purchase supplies such as pencils,
pens, markers, crayons, spiral notebooks an filler paper for public
schools in Hyde Park and Kenwood.
The
committee is also planning a forum from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov.
15, at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, 5480 S. Kenwood, titled "The
ABCs of Chicago Public Schools" for parents of young children
who want to know how to enroll them in schools [and how to negotiate
a best fit in school and program for their children].
HPKCC convenes quarterly meetings of the neighborhood's civic organizations.
Here is what the schools breakout group March 2012 reports and seeks:
Friends
of HPK Public Schools, connected to the HPKCC Schools Committee
organized a supply drive and will continue these, as well as community
meetings, maybe actions on schools questions.
It has an active google group.
A major goal is encouragement of parents to send their children
to local public schools- a means might be an all-schools fair.
They are pushing for a full signup to run for lscs, and making sure
schools are following the rules-- interest is needed by the public.
A school of concern at the moment is Murray-- including curriculum
and teacher assignment: children are being withdrawn over disputes
A
wonderful networking dinner with schools telling all was held Sept.
29 2011.
Networking
dinner shows schools alive with innovation, rich learning
On September
29 the Schools Committee of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference
held its annual Networking Dinner for area school principals and
school council or parent group leaders. The dinner was graciously
hosted by Ray Elementary and its new Principal Tatia Beckwith in
their lovely modern cafeteria. Schools represented included Bret
Harte, Canter, Kenwood Academy, Murray, Price, Ray, Reavis, and
Shoesmith.
The highlight of the evening was the reports from principals and
representatives on what they are doing to serve students, parents,
and the larger community. The lesson was that all the schools in
Hyde Park and Kenwood are adopting innovations and making great
strides to be schools any family would be proud to attend and worthy
of the community’s pride and support.
One of the most interesting programs is Reavis’ health clinic,
described by Principal Michael Johnson. Children of the various
schools can go to the clinic for treatment, immunizations, or broader
care. The school also seeks to engage families so children will
have the advantage of growing up in one school until ready to move
to the next-level school. This involves 1-creating safety nets and
continuous evaluation so the kids don’t fall through the cracks,
2-providing resources, 3-regular celebrations of accomplishments,
and 4-projects for which each student and teams are responsible,
from concept through research to creative presentations at student-led
conferences. The school has an expanded day and a strong summer
camp for students as well as a teaching program for parents.
Assistant Principal Karen Calloway described Kenwood Academy’s
7th and 8th grade Academic Center magnet program, which consistently
places among the very top schools in Illinois—and most of
these students are prepared to move on to the high school, and do.
Some of the programs in place in the high school include Freshmen
on Track to graduate, programs to help parents know the expectations
and track student progress, mentoring teams, and college readiness
and familiarity. Many Kenwood students excel at earning college
scholarships. Ms. Calloway said Kenwood enjoys being a neighborhood
school and encourages community members to be involved.
Principal Colleen Conlan showed how Canter Middle School has adopted
a high school model and a method for developing leadership skills
so that students will be ready for high school (and thinking about
college) even if they go a school in another neighborhood.
Shenethe Parks told how Bret Harte prepares students for middle
school. At the 4th grade students experience departmentalization
with assignment to four teachers who stay with them through 6th
grade. Harte has quasi-independence and uses an Options for Knowledge
lottery for half the students’ admission. She encourages all
to “come see the culture”- she prefers personalized
tours by appointment to open houses. She acknowledging excellence
takes constant work. They have many afterschool programs, but it’s
hard to maintain consistency year by year. University of Chicago
helps for clubs and University of Illinois Chicago provides classroom
interns. They use hands-on Everyday Math.
Tatia Beckwith,
new principal at Ray School stressed that one has to keep finding
new ways to manage changes and challenges. Key is to create a leaning
environment—“respectful learning.” One change
that has helped is reducing the number of classroom-change bells—rigid
45-minute periods weren’t working. Using intervention teachers
was also praised—pulling sets of kids out of classes for special
attention or projects—and self-directed projects for those
who have surpassed. Developing self-direction and personal responsibilities
are important goals.
Murray Language
Academy was represented by Principal Gregory Mason. Several ideas
were taken from LaSalle Academy. In restoring 7th and 8th grades
(which was a challenge), they eliminated preschool, making sure
that successfully moved to Ray. German was taken away, but now they
teach Mandarin. The school has a lottery but do not enter by test.
The school has added many afterschool programs, stressing development
and use of teamwork, math skills, including chess and robotics clubs.
They work on finding ways to keep the children learning year round.
Community Service including food drives (4,000 pounds collected)
is big. The 4th grade begins to experience departmentalization/rotation
and use of organizing binders. Parental help is critical to the
school.
Community
representative Hilliard (for new principal Sabrina Gates) told about
change and progress at Shoesmith School—a lot of buzz and
a lot new. The motto is “excellence without excuses”:
tell “how we will.” Newly introduced recess in a day
with an extra hour total has worked really well. (Recess uses a
separate set of monitors.) Friends of Shoesmith grants and volunteers
has helped. South East Chicago Commission provided a grant for exterior
murals that stress the themes of soaring and heritage. Students
built a garden, which is integrated with classroom learning. Again,
the culture is “all on board,” being respectful, responsible,
safe, and bully-free (“bully in a box” program.) Parents
come in and watch the classrooms, halls, drop off, etc. The school
utilizes technology, including new website shoesmithelementary.org.
Lingo Spanish is integrated into the curriculum. Scouts are active.
Asst Principal
Aisha McCarthy for Justin Moore spoke for Price. Price is working
on its climate and collaboration/co-education with other schools.
For example, the school serves only the upper elementary grades.
Students can take algebra at King. They have many field trips.
And so each
told how they make learning engaging and year-long, bring in specialized
partners and institutions, keep up with the needs and challenges
of the students, and involve families and neighbors. An especially
encouraging case is Shoesmith, where staff, principal, and enthusiastic
neighbors have “bought into” bringing this school to
the next level. A key player at several of the schools is the “Friends
of” which link neighbors and parents working in and supporting
the schools. The Schools Committee has been asked how this model
could be brought to other schools and whether we need a community
wide alliance of such groups.
Shaz Rasul, Director of the University of Chicago’s Neighborhood
Schools Program, told what they are doing to help all the schools
and encourage sharing of successful strategies.
The Schools
Committee works primarily with principals and parent support groups,
promoting networking and sharing while working with others on best
ways to create a community of schools collectively plugged into
the community at large and its resources. Presently, we are preparing
a Directory for use of the schools. We are planning a coffee with
principals to further mutual goals. The core members of the committee
are Nancy Baum, Camille Hamilton-Doyle (chair), Gary Ossewaarde,
and Ismail Turay. We need more members to effectively serve the
large number of schools in our neighborhood. Contact Camille Hamilton-Doyle
at 773 373-6944.
___________
March
10 2010 "A Race to Nowhere: The
Dark Side of America's Achievement Culture,"
was screened at
Kenwood Academy followed by a principal's forum. Sponsored by the
schools of HP-K, Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference, Hyde Park
Schools Initiative, and the University of Chicago Neighborhood Schools
Program. A panel of principals and Neighborhood Schools moderated
by Gabriel Piemonte of the Herald followed. ABOUT.
Watch follow
up forums et al.
VISIT
FEBRUARY 23 2010
CEREMONY AND FORUM page.
View
Report on February 23 2010 Recognition Ceremony and Talk, in pdf
See about
a move... movie, Race to Nowhere, against the push for more from the
kids. Tell the HPKCC Schools Committee what you think of this at
hpkcc@aol.com.
Find a description in Community
Schools page.
Local
School Councils- go to table in the LSC
page- always check with school. Note: Kenwood has changed to 2nd
Tuesday 6:30 pm.
Board
of Education usually meets 4th Wednesdays, 10:30 am, 5th floor of
125 N. Clark.
_________
The
December 8 2010 Herald carried an article about involvement of the
Schools Committee with schools and the Hyde Park Schools improvement
initiative. The article noted that the Committee was the first to
invite Jacqueline Edelberg (How to Walk to School) to Hyde Park (in
February 2010). The committee has a long record of working for school
improvement in Hyde Park and Beyond before LSCs started. The article
is incorrect in attributing to us the Canter Middle School initiative.
Noted was our annual networking dinners and drawing lsc members into
the committee while attending lsc meetings and learning about what
is in schools now--actually a lot--and how how they all can have such.
The article noted the importance of involving parents of pre-school
age. Two from the Parent Support Network of such attended the Committee
meeting of December 1. At that meeting the committee determined
to stress and get the word out about our ability to act as a resource
and facilitator and the connections we can bring. The committee will
prepare a directory of school contacts and information that wil be
printed as need be and online. Also discussed was ways to promote
joint grant-writing and joint partnerships with neighborhood businesses
to improve schools and extend hours of after school programs.
_________
August
8 we met with 4 principals on Friday morning last: Bernadette Butler
(Ray), Greg Mason (Murray), Patricia Watson (Shoesmith) and Shenethe
Parks (Bret Harte) and had a frank discussion about what the Schools
Committee of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference can do to
help.
One
suggestion was that the Schools Committee members attend the PTA/PAC,
LSC meetings. In order for us to do this we need to be reminded
of when the meetings are about to occur. Kozminski sends Nancy an
e-mail notification of the time, date and place of their upcoming
PTA/PAC meeting. Perhaps the other schools could follow suit.
Another
suggestion was to have a frank community discussion about the schools
to figure out ways in which the Hyde Park and Kenwood schools could
become more integrated.
Other
ideas included open houses, fundraisers, using schools to host community
events. A lot of discussion revolved around the new Reavis Medical
Center which allows parents to drop off an ill child to be cared
for during the day. This initiative needs more publicity.
We
hope to continue this frank sort of discussion with the various
principals and community leaders. Our mutual goal is to make the
community believe in the schools and help to make our schools stronger.
We
hope to hear from you and see you on the 29th at Shoesmith!
Nancy B. Baum
5221 S. Blackstone Ave
Chicago, Il 60615
nbbaum@sbcglobal.net
Home: 773-288-5464
Mobile:773-401-8151
Get that LSC
training-- lots of opportunities from CPS, KOCO, PURE and others.
HPKCC
Schools Committee Plans upcoming activities
The committee has met with a set of four principals
and is meeting with more. Their priorities are fundraising, community
outreach and in-reach: welcoming community members into their schools,
networking and more! Note, the networking dinner mentioned below is
changed to Wednesday, September 29, 6 pm at Shoesmith School, 1330
E. 50th St.
From
the August 2010 Conference Reporter (Vol. 16, No.2 ). By Nancy Baum
The
HPKCC Schools Committee is preparing for its annual networking dinner
at Canter Middle School on Thursday September 30, 2010, from 6-9 PM.
All the principals, assistant principals, LSC, PTA adn PAC members
will be invited to this event.
In
pursuit of a way to implement the Assets Program for Hyde Park children,
the Schools Committee has contacted Abby Hymen, director of Youth
Activities at teh Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, who will begin her
research of the assets Program. Abby cites a need for more parental
participation as a problem, and it seems that parental participation
and attendance are both problems that need to addressed in some schools.
The
Schools Committee visited a very well-organized before and after school
program conducted by Ravenswood School. We hope to set up a similar
visit to Ray Schools' program.
The
Schools Committee is planning August meetings with the principals
of Shoesmith, Canter, Ray, Harte, Murray, Kozminski, and Reavis [with
Kenwood] to find out what programs are offered by the schools, if
programs can be coordinated, and to ask how the Schools Committee
can help.
Our
mission is to make our local schools the kinds of schools any parent
would be proud to send their children to.
Tasks.
One of our tasks is to promote effective Local School Councils and
encourage committed parents and residents to run.
Recent
activities include visits to community and other enriched schools,
a tour of the neighborhood for intern teachers, promotion of involvement
in SIPAA planning and LSC elections, and planning our fall networking
dinner for LSCs and principals.
We will
help to organize a large fundraiser for area schools, as suggested
by principals.
We
feel that a lynchpin for educational success in neighborhoods is high
school readiness in the feeder schools, without which even the best
high schools have difficulty with their goals from order and creativity
to full college readiness, going, and success.
Visit
also Link
to Kenwood School Improvement Plan survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/33SSMNN.
View/print
pdf of flyer about Kenwood Academy and Kenwood SIPPAA.
Find
out all about any public school including detailed scores at www.cps.edu.
Search school.
Did
you know there are lots of ways for councils and schools to get freebees
or funds from CPS and others. One is to get your neighbors to donate
the "points" they earn from the weight of recyclables in
their blue carts--one Hyde Park already has! Find out in http://www.recyclebank.com/greenschoolsprogram.
Donated RecycleBank Points are matched with dollar donations by RecycleBank
to environmental initiatives at schools nationwide. RecycleBank will
donate $10 for every 100 Points donated to your school and double
it thanks to Gconony Visa and Coca Cola. They
are once again accepting grant applications from schools in RecycleBank
- serviced areas for the development of programs that empower youth
ages 6–18 through a focus on environmental awareness, education,
and action. Deadlines Oct. 15 and Dec. 15.
Access
HPKCC Youth Programs Database in PDF- All are encouraged to download,
print, and share: http://www.hydepark.org/schools
(printable
pdf)
That portal also leads to the complete topical, descriptive Afterschool
database (direct link).
The
Schools Committee of HPKCC
The Committee
had a long and illustrious history and citywide reputation in the era
well before elected local school councils. Today our revitalized committee
monitors developments and progress in our neighborhood's schools, shares
information about schools and educational resources and issues (including
through the website), seeks collaborations with agencies and local groups,
and most of all seeks to foster a conversation
about the direction of our schools. We are heavily involved
with promoting, growing and helping Local School Councils.
Our goal:
"Every school in the neighborhood one that every parent would be
glad to send their children to."
“The
mission of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference Schools Committee
is to provide community support for the schools and to provide a place
where Local School Council members can get together to share information.”
We propose that all schools be such as parents are proud to have their
kids attend and that all kids have available the means and programs
to build the assets and skills they will need for adulthood.
Our Committee
core members: Chair: Nancy Baum.
Members: Judy Dupont, Anika Frazier-Mohammad, Camille Hamilton-Doyle,
Irene Freelain, Zoe Mikva emerita, Julie Monberg emerita, Gary Ossewaarde,
Ismail Turay, The Reverend Larry Turpin, Julie Woestehoff emerita.
Sister
committee: Chicago Academic Games League. Chairs Judy
Dupont and _____. Visit the
CAGL homepage to learn how this math and life learning project
is being revitalized with the University of Chicago Service Center.
We
hope community members will want to choose a school and attend some
of their meetings to show community support. The Local School Councils
have many good-hearted people whose hard work deserves to be recognized
by all of us. Or join the Schools Committee.
From
the January 2011 Conference Reporter.
The HPKCC Schools Committee. Engaging communities and schools.
By
Gary Ossewaarde
The
HPKCC Schools Committee serves as a resource, facilitator and networking
provider for schools, school councils, parent groups and the larger
community. Our aim is good schools in which the community and parents
are engaged. To facilitate our goals, we meet with educators and school
reform experts, hold networking dinners and lectures, attend school
council meetings, and invite members of th latter to our meetings.
We
have online directories of resources and of the many enrichment programs
available to children and families during, after and outside of the
school day. (Visit hydepark.org/schools.) We want to make sure there
is a set of robust, varied programs, widely available. We are also preparing
a user-friendly print directory of schools' schools contacts and information.
And we are planning a forum/workshop on "Where are the Parents?
Help for parents to Become More Involved in Their Children's Schooling."
This will take place on March 29, or as announced.
We
are now ready to work with others to strategically bring community resources
and volunteer to specific schools and to the Hyde Park-Kenwood schools
as a group. In that regard, we were pleased to learn of and work with
a new community working group called Hyde Park Schools, convened by
the Hyde Park Herald and the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club and intended
to help Hyde Park and Kenwood schools discover common goals and resources
and marshal the community and its businesses in support of our schools.
Hyde
Park Schools has so far created focus groups of parents, educators,
and citizens evaluating arts; fundraising; special needs and technology;
curriculum; physical education, health and wellness. Joint fundraising,
grant writing, and program sharing are already being considered. There
is a growing consensus calling or such neighborhood collaboratives--from
experts, foundations, CPS administrators, teachers, parents, and community
organizations. Other neighborhoods have pilot programs; ours would seem
to be a likely prospect. Stay tuned!
What
we were working on summer 2010. Set up a convening of principals of
the schools that feed into Canter on and another (with a follow up with
principals of other schools then a meeting of reps with the high school)
on their extracurricular programs and how these can be shared and the
schools work together, what resources the schools severally and together
may need to ratchet the program or need of the high school, and how
we and the community can help. After this we will be assessing and meeting
with major potential providers of programs and/or resources.
Also being prepared is a school administrators-LSC/PTA/PAC networking
dinner for early fall. We are going into closer focus on assets building,
in and out of school needs, and Title I and open meetings mandates and
opportunities.
May
13 the committee played host to 20 student teachers who will practice
in several Hyde Park-Kenwood schools in fall 2010. Board member James
Withrow gave the history and character of Hyde Park and Paul Bruce conducted
an extensive bus tour through Hyde Park (CPS furnished the bus). Thanks
to Kenwood Academy and to CPS Human Development staff person Damica
Redic.
What
we were working on early 2010:
1.
A Forum /Awards Ceremony with speaker for principals, LSCs, public
encouraging participation in the coming election cycle, information
sharing, networking, an engaging speaker, and Kenwood Jazz Band.
September 30 we follow up with our annual Principal LSC Networking
Dinner
2. Promoting participation by enough and qualified candidates and
participation by voters in the Local School Council elections
3. Assets Survey progress and meetings incl. possibly with Canter
School; research on what schools need and the extra-curricular program
capacity and effectiveness in schools and out in the community. Visits
to "success story" schools.
4. School(s) with probation and issues we can help on
5.
Continued update, expansion and improvement to database for parents
and creation of an assets building collaborator (what's
this?).
7.
Aid and capacity-building help to Canter Middle School.
8.
Engagement/outreach to particular efforts such new intern teachers
coming to Hyde Park schools.
9.
Encouragement of community funding for school needs, such as from
the 53rd St. TIF.
Scuttlebutt
and Alarms
Our schools
are in deep crisis, with budget cuts threatening to undo all the efforts
of the past several years. Students and teachers have been marching
from the schools to the offices of elected officials.
Are "promise
neighborhoods" the way to go for poverty neighborhoods, and what
might be adapted here? See page
about. Schools Committee idea for our neighborhood-page
about. some, including at CPS, think we could do something like
that here.
BE SURE
TO SEE IMPORTANT SCHOOL RESEARCH FINDINGS FROM U OF C CONSORTIUM AND
URBAN EDUCATION INSTITUTE-
visit Organizing
Schools for Improvement, UC
Research Findings. And related Defining
Excellence.
At
the end of 2009, three local elementary schools (Shoesmith, Reavis,
Kozminski) were put on probation and middle school Canter was being
reviewed it for a combination of falling or non-advancing scores and
failure to meet on-time and attendance (95%) standards. The
scores certainly were not advancing (and many dropping for 2009),
thus not meeting the objective of the school "growing" with
real impact on student growth year to year. But, The
new practice of comparing two current years with the two before that
to get "trends" and of insisting all scores advance and being
picky on this (including meaningless statistical static), as well as
using the term"probation"-- which used to mean next step to
closing or cleaning house, were by some called a disservice (the Herald
said "staining" schools )that are trying mightily with limited
resources.
So,
what were the scores?
Shoesmith: ISAT reading: 2006 68.6%, 2007 59, 2008
73, 2009 63 (quite a see-saw)
Exceeding ISAT: 2006-07 11%, 2008 12.8, 2009 8.7 (is this a bump or
a setback?)
ISAT exceed state stand. highest grade: 2007 10.3%, 2008 9.3, 2009 8
(consistent drop)
Attendance : 94.3 vs req'd 95%
Canter:
ISAT reading: 2006 78.2, 2007 81.1, 2008 84.2, but in 2009 80.4 (does
this mean stagnant?)
ISAT Math: 2006-07 73%, 2008 77.7, but 2009 a modest drop to 75.6
Science: 2006 81.6, 2007-08 73, 2009 66.4 (looks like an ongoing slide)
Reavis:
ISAS Math 2006 43.3, 2007 51.7, 2008 57.4, 2009 53.5 (is this 1-year
slide meaningful?)
Science: 2006 46.2, 2007 44.4, 2008 41.1, 2009 35.3 (steadily from bad
to worse)
Attendance: 94.8 (nearly at the minimum).
So
what are some of the schools doing about this?
Shoesmith: evaluating,
finding ways to inform and impress on parents how important
it is to get their kids to school, and on time (the two are
related, they find), no excuses. The PAC has a "coffee and..."
program for parents who watch over kids in the morning and talk to parents
about attendance and upcoming activities and the school. The staff says
it is aggressive with chronically absent students. There is tutoring
morning and evening in math and reading.
Ismail Turay of the LSC and HPKCC Schools Committee was quoted in the
Herald that there should be a collaborative to get all schools to be
performing and that principals of the schools should confer on the probation
challenge since the schools funnel into Canter, then Kenwood. The Kenwood
Principal is seeking such meetings with the principals, suggesting on
attendance what they do--have an audit committee over attendance looking
every day and to address straying as soon as it starts.
The Canter principal has held planes on ways to increase preparedness
for Kenwood.
_____________________
It's
out, and may help us in our goal of engaging schools-programs and parents:
A
new CPS guide to integrating the arts (including social studies and
sciences) into the curriculum and creating full engagement with arts
program providers was released as of October 23. It was announced at,
inter alia, the HPKCC Schools Committee September 29 2009 Networking
Dinner for Schools and LSCs. For details contact artseducation@cps.k12.il.us.
It's called the "Chicago Guide for Teaching and Learning in the
arts."
The
committee encourages parents to sign their kids up for the school lunch
program-- each school's funding in part depends on this.
Visit
these Schools and Education pages:
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