The new program, spearheaded by Mayor Richard M. Daley and Chicago Public Schools, will provide mentoring programs for 1,500 high school students and 390 “school community watchers” at 13 designated high schools, and support the creation of a “Culture of Calm” in 38 high schools where students are most at risk of violence, according to a press release from the mayor’s office.

“This is an effective use of the $25 million in stimulus money,” said David Simpson, director of counseling at Youth Guidance, one of the approved vendors to implement the mentoring program.“Funding a program which can help build relationships with difficult children is the only way of stopping them from dropping out of school.”

Simpson said this initiative is the first step taken by Youth Guidance and CPS towards implementing mentorship programs. His organization, which has been working with CPS since 1969, is a non-profit group geared towards assisting children overcome challenges associated with inner-city life through after-school programs.

In February 2010, CPS hosted a bidder’s conference where RFPs (request for proposal) for counseling programs were accepted from non-profit, church and private organizations and foundations. The CBOE and a Blue Ribbon Panel Committee chose 20 of those bidders to fulfill mentorship duties in 13 high schools designated as “high-risk” by the Chicago Police Department. CPS will now assign 50 to 100 students to each organization for counseling and guidance, bringing the mentor/student ratio to 1:20 for bigger organizations and 1:5 for small ones.

Wendell Floyd, a counselor for boys at William R. Harper High School in Englewood, said more mentors in the program will translate to a more hands-on approach to counseling and, in the long run, help build deeper personal relationships between mentors and mentees. Before the program was implemented, Floyd’s mentor/student ratio was 1:45.

“I was stretched pretty thin,” said Floyd.

“I’m happy to partner with CPS to bring consistency to students’ lives,” said Trisha Kholodenko, assistant pastor at New Life Foundation in Humboldt Park. “These children (at-risk youth) lack stability in their home and school and need role models besides their teachers. It is important for them to have mentors who treat them holistically by helping them find permanent housing, inspiring them to stay in school and assisting them with employment. They need to know their mentors want them to succeed.”

“CPS wants its mentors to be a permanent fixture in students’ lives. This has to be a long-term commitment in order for it to work,” said Joshua Gray, deputy of violence prevention initiatives for CPS. “Since the federal stimulus money will run out at the end of September 2011, we are looking for other mechanisms, like the foundation community of Chicago, to tap for funds to support the growth and development of this mentorship initiative.”

The 13 high schools designated as “high-risk” based on crime data, active gang conflicts and violent incidents involving CPS students are: Thomas Kelly High School, Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Manley and Marshall High School, Robeson Achievement Academy High School, Richard T. Crane Technical Preparatory High School, Harlan Community Academy High School, Farragut Career Academy, South Shore High School, Percy L. Julian High School, William R. Harper High School, Roberto Clemente School and Hyde Park Career Academy. These schools are concentrated in the South, West and Southwest Side communities of Chicago.

Student-led mentorship programs are also on the rise. Voices of Youth in Chicago Education is a collaborative of seven different neighborhood organizations whose work focuses on using upperclassmen to mentor freshmen and incoming freshmen in at-risk high school communities.

“Freshman year is the most crucial time in high school. Achievement and attendance improved after freshmen went on freshmen retreats and attended mentorship programs that addressed their social and emotional needs,” said Moneer Damra, a VOYCE mentor for boys and a senior at Theodore Roosevelt High School in the Northwest Side of Chicago. “Because of VOYCE programs, attendance went from 55 percent to 65 percent in a year.”

Damra, who spoke on behalf of VOYCE at the CBOE meeting last week, has been working to convince CPS to fund its mentorship programs. VOYCE has invited top CPS officials to attend presentations of results-driven programs it has implemented in several at-risk high schools. Damra said they have been stood up or turned down by CPS officials on several occasions.

“I feel like CPS does not believe in youth-led movements like ours. They would rather spend money on programs that don’t work,” said Damra. “Our program results show that it works. The $130,000 in funding we are requesting will go towards programs that will break the culture of mediocrity among the youth of today. It will show them that good enough is not ok. You need to do better in order to succeed.”

In a victory for two youth organizations, Chicago Public Schools has agreed to establish a grievance procedure for students experiencing violence, harassment or discrimination, and to pilot a program training security guards to use principles of restorative justice in their work.

Both organizations had campaigns that promoted the restorative justice approach – emphasizing accountability as an alternative to zero tolerance and punitive discipline – as a more effective approach to reducing violence, said Sam Finkelstein of GenderJust, an LGTB student group that protested at CPS headquarters and at CPS chief Ron Huberman’s home to demand a grievance procedure.

To continue reading click here to be directed to Curtis Black’s Newstips Blog.

Senn H.S. Chicago. Image by t3mplar see flickr.com

Members of the Senn High School local school council elected a new contracted principal to replace retiring principal, Richard Norman.

Lincoln Park-resident Susan Lofton was awarded a four-year contact on July 1. Prior to coming on board as Senn’s interim principal in May, L

ofton was an assistant principal at Steinmetz High School.

Senn is an open enrollment, neighborhood school drawing students from Rogers Park, Edgewater and Uptown. While the school offers many ac

celerated paths for students, incoming freshmen living within the school’s neighborhood boundaries do not have to test into the school, unlike magnet high schools.

To continue reading click here to go to Lake Effect News.

Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School (3730 N. Oakley Ave.) is about to get a new and improved playground. This week Principal Sandra Caudill and Ald. Eugene Schulter (47th) broke ground on the new play lot, which will be installed by Chicago Public High School students. They are part of CPS’ Groundbreakers—a youth initiative playground program—and are employed by the city under the supervision of Groundbreakers director, Felicia Ramos.

Students, faculty and community members dig at the site of the new play lot at Bell School. Photo/Ald. Eugene Schulter

Read the rest of the story by Cody Prentiss, Center Square Journal

A report from the Newstips Blog:

As new and old reports at Catalyst and Gapers Block indicate, CORE’s victory in the recent teachers union election reflected the group’s activist orientation and commitment to grassroots organizing, in schools and with communities.

“We energized the grassroots,” said one CORE member.

CORE came on the scene two years ago and immediately provided a citywide organizational structure for a movement against Renaissance 2010 that had yet to gain much traction.

Before CORE, small community and education groups committed to the  original school reform agenda of parent empowerment and improving neighborhood schools – along with parents at separate schools scrambling desperately to oppose closings in a very short window of time – had been limited to school-by-school struggles.

CORE was crucial in forming the Grassroots Education Movement, which gave the movement against Renaissance 2010 a citywide scope and strategic vision.

Arne Duncan left for Washington and Ron Huberman took over at CPS last year as CORE and GEM’s first drive against closings crested, and in response to protests and the exposure of faulty CPS data, Huberman decided to take six schools off the closing list.  It was the first time anything like that had ever happened.

This year, another anti-closings campaign — which won the support of several aldermen — forced Huberman to admit “the process is flawed” and to take six of fourteen school closings and turnarounds off the table.

On its website CORE attributes these victories to an approach which “built partnerships with our natural allies and empowered members to stand up for their profession, their jobs and their schools.”  Activism, organizing, coalition-building.

In remarks Saturday morning at King College Prep, CTU president-elect Karen Lewis made it clear that defending against the attacks on teachers and on public education which underlie much of the current “reform” agenda is high on her agenda.

“Today marks the beginning of the end of scapegoating educators,” she said.

She railed against “corporate heads and politicians” who “have never sat one minute on this side of the teacher’s desk” and “do not have a clue about teaching and learning.”  But “they’re the ones calling the shots, and we’re supposed to accept it as ‘reform.’”

Asked if she had a message for Mayor Daley and schools chief Ron Huberman, she said, “I want them to appreciate what educators do.”

(CORE has posted Lewis’s remarks, and WBEZ has audio.)

First, though, comes discussions over Huberman’s proposals to lay off teachers and raise class size, and Lewis called on CPS to disclose “all the financial details” of how it spends its money — including vendor and consulting contracts– including how charter schools spend the taxpayer money they get, “because to date, we have not seen charter schools’ financials” – and including an estimated $250 million a year in TIF money that would otherwise be going to schools.

She called on Daley to put his political weight behind an effort to end the state’s overreliance on property tax funding for schools and the drastic inequities that result from it.  And she rejected the notion “that access to high quality education for all children is a luxury that we simply can’t afford.”

Karen Lewis\’ comments at a June 12 press conference

Going to prom, signing yearbooks and attending graduation are all part of the high school experience. But about 4,400 teens each year don’t reach these milestones because they die from suicide.

The 25th Chicago Police District is working with community youth to discuss ways to prevent this silent epidemic that is the third-leading case of death for teens.

Last week, a youth forum on teenage suicide was held at the 25th Area District headquarters at 5555 W. Grand Avenue. Officers Cynthia Flores and Anne Zamzow hosted a group of 15 students for a frank discussion on an issue that receives little attention and is often misunderstood.

“On any given day, you might miss the signs,” Zamzow said.

The officers welcomed Ginny Trainor, business development director at Riveredge Hospital, to lead the three-hour presentation and discussion. The students, who ranged in age from 8th graders to high school seniors, had the chance to get together, socialize over pizza and talk honestly about what Trainor calls a “taboo topic.”

The group watched a short film “Choices” that explored the case of two teens who contemplated suicide and the steps their friends took in trying to help. The teens shared their reactions and debated whether the friends of the two teens took the right measures in intervening.

“Teen suicide is important, and there isn’t a lot of education,” said John Tacuri, a freshman at Lake View High School.

And teen suicide isn’t just something we see on TV or in movies, said Eric Ellstion, a freshman at Steinmetz High School. It’s a very serious problem, Ellstion said.

Even though Tacuri and Ellstion attend different schools, they both said they would tell their track coaches if one of their friends at school was showing signs of suicide.

The world is different for today’s teens than the generation before, said Trainor, but adults should try to remember how challenging those years can be and not be so quick to dismiss what teens are going through.

“We have to remind ourselves what it felt like as teenagers,” said Trainor. “When kids are feeling suicidal, they feel they’re not being heard.”

And teenagers themselves should also be aware of the signs their friends might be exhibiting, Trainor said.

“If you have a friend who’s depressed one day and all of sudden happy another, that’s a day you should be concerned,” said Trainor. “Sometimes you have to be willing to risk a friendship; if you don’t say anything, it’s something that can weigh heavy on you.”

It’s really hard to ask for help, said Trainor, but teens who are suicidal often reach out in ways that might not be obvious. Four out of five people who complete suicide have previously attempted suicide in the last 12 months, said Trainor.

In 70 percent of cases, the person told someone within one hour of their intention to commit suicide, Trainor said.

It is crucial to know the warning signs, said Trainor. Some of those signs include:

• Suicidal threats – this doesn’t always mean outright statements but comments such as, “It doesn’t matter I’m here.”
• Previous suicide attempt/s
• Sudden changes in behavior, like a drop in grades or loss of interest in activities
• Depression
• Final arrangements – this might include telling others the songs someone wants played at the funeral or who should or should not attend
• Making rounds – making a point to say goodbye to the people who are important to the person
• Giving away prized possessions

Teens who feel suicidal need people who will truly listen and willing to step in, said Trainor. It’s important, she said, if you feel your friend might be suicidal to be direct and insist on the truth.

Trainor has presented at groups like this one over the past year and said she’s excited by the opportunity to reach out to schools across the area starting this fall. This September, she has eight trainings already lined up, thanks in part to a new suicide prevention bill approved by the Illinois General Assembly earlier this year.

The bill, HB4672, will provide at least two hours of training to teachers and other school personnel, working with students grades seven through 12, to identify the warning signs of suicidal behavior in teens and the appropriate methods of intervention.

Illinois is the fifth state to pass the Jason Flatt Act.

Teens shouldn’t have to go through this alone, and there are places to go to for help, Trainor said. These people might include a favorite teacher, parent, clergy member, guidance counselor, medical doctor or other trusted adult, she said.

If you or someone you know needs to talk, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Riveredge Hospital Assessment and Referral Department at 708-209-4181.

Article from  AustinTalks.org.

Youth Guidance Resource Coordinator Ben White said he was inspired to create this condensed version based on the popular African-American play “The Wiz” because he wanted to stress the importance of believing in yourself for his students.

“As the kids learn it and they understand it, even if it’s subliminal, they’re saying it over and over and over again,” said White.

Youth Guidance works with students in 50 Chicago Public Schools, providing after-school programs for at-risk youth. White said while the two-year old program at Parker has been successful, it has faced a few challenges with keeping some students enrolled.

White said when many of the students join the Youth Guidance program, they are introverted and “living in a box.”

“They don’t know if they are going to get laughed at or ostracized because they are doing something a little different,” said White. “We’re getting them out of that box.”

Playing the role of the “Wicked Witch Eveline” has been “life changing” for seventh-grader Briana Johnson. Johnson said prior to joining Youth Guidance, her life was unstable.  However, the program has allowed her to make friends and let her personality shine.

“When I came here, I got all excited and stuff and … started showing what I can really do with my life,” said Johnson.  “I felt like I got it. I can do this and it kept building and building up. So it’s a great level of confidence I have right now.”

During practice, Johnson dominated the stage as much as she was engrossed in her role as “Evaline.”

The demand of performing an hour-long play and his students’ response to that demand has encouraged White. He said he has noticed his students are able to focus more and apply recently learned memorization skills to their studies.

Through performing drama, White said, the students could face challenges in their lives and gain necessary tools to overcome them.

“It’s about the message. It’s about what the Wiz says,” said White. “If you believe in yourself, then that’s the key. It’s all about believing in your heart the things that you can do.”

“The Wiz that Wuz”

Thursday, May 20 at 4:30 p.m. at Parker Elementary Academy, 6800 S. Stewart St.

Tickets are $2

For more information, call 773-535-3375

Members of the South Loop Local School Council asked for a contribution of $2,500 per family for the fall program to offset the district’s recent budget cuts. The funds are expected to secure a full-time teacher for the program, but because the contributions are optional, Principal Tara Shelton said she fears most parents won’t pay.

“It has to be all or nothing,” Shelton said at the school council meeting Wednesday. “If we don’t do this, we will lose the full-day kindergarten program and our teacher.”

The CPS budget cuts are expected to have a negative effect on the school, which is already struggling to fund various programs, Shelton said.

“We have the bare minimum financing you could possibly imagine for a public school,” Shelton said. “We really have to beg, borrow and steal to make this happen because of the budget cuts.”

The announcement came as a shock to parents whose children are already enrolled in the 2010-2011 kindergarten program.

Emily Farr, a concerned parent, said it isn’t fair for some parents to donate the money, while others won’t.

“Some parents are going to wonder why they’re paying for another person’s child,” Farr said.

The proposal requires parents to pay in full by July 1. The school needs a donation of $73,600 to employ a full-time teacher, which means at least two-thirds of parents will have to pay. And because the majority of parents can’t afford to donate, it’s “a big pill to swallow for parents who will,” Shelton said.

“If there’s a surplus, parents will be refunded,” she added.

Lynne Pieper, whose children also attend South Loop Elementary, said she agrees with the proposal but said officials need to reduce the amount of money they’re seeking.

“I think if you’re going to do it, you need to ask for less and publicize it more,” Pieper said. “Be bold; ask for the money.”

Newsletters for the fall program will be sent during registration period, when parents will be notified of the changes. Shelton said she hopes parents will look beyond the dollar signs and contribute to a program that will benefit the school as a whole.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the request for additional funds came from the Chicago Public School board. The request came from the South Loop Local School Council. ChicagoTalks regrets the error.

Teach-in/Organizing Meeting
Hosted by Students and Teachers Fight Back!

Join Students and Teachers Fight Back! on Facebook

Saturday, April 17, 1 p.m.
3334 W. Lawrence #202
(Brown Line – Kimball Stop; 81 Bus)
Call 773-463-0311 for more info
Click here for directions

Click here for more information.

The event is designed to educate attendees about this issue. Hear ANSWER’s detailed educational discussion on the causes, scope and effects of the “budget crisis” in Illinois and Chicago. If you are persuaded to take action, there will be a brainstorming and organizing session to help stop the budget cuts, layoffs, tuition hikes, clinic closures and more.

“Tax the Super-rich – Make them Pay” and “Education, Health Care, Housing and Jobs are Rights” are some of ANSWER’s slogans. If you don’t know about the issues, this is one way to get educated, and then you can decide whether to take action.

Portage Park, one of the safer neighborhoods in Chicago, has started to see a surge in gang activity; largely because of Carl Schurz High School, the area is now considered gang infiltrated, said Gerard Staniszewski, president of the Portage Park Neighborhood Association.

“I don’t want to kid anyone and make them believe that it’s as bad in other neighborhoods, but it is the largest [amount of gangs] we have seen in years,” said Staniszewski.

What makes gang presence in Portage Park so surprising is the neighborhood’s quiet atmosphere and its proximity to the northwest suburb of Niles. The Chicago suburbs aren’t typically known for gang activity, and many residents who live in Niles and Portage Park say they aren’t aware of the problem.

Piotr Topor, a 10-year resident of Portage Park, said he has noticed gangs but doesn’t think anything of them.

“From my experience it’s pretty safe,” he said. “I’ve never found myself in any danger.”

Staniszewski said part of the problem is that the community is blind to the gang increase. This could be because police in the 17th District, which stretches from Belmont Avenue north to Devon Avenue and from the Chicago River west to Cicero Avenue, try to take care of problems quietly and efficiently.

“We have seen an increase in tagging, but the police react very quickly,” Staniszweski said.

The common gangs at Schurz are said to be the Bloods and Crips, Staniszewski said, but smaller crews and gangs tend to branch out. Since the neighborhood has a larger elderly population than youth, the number of gangsters is still fairly small.

Usually gangs are known for fighting, vandalizing, drug dealing and pick-pocketing, but in Portage Park, the biggest threat they bring is tagging, according to David McNaughton, the 16th District commander.

“We stop them, we find out what’s going on, what they’re doing in the neighborhood,” McNaughton said. “We instruct them that type of behavior is not allowed here in our district.”

The 16th District has a special section on its Web site where residents can send pictures of the tagging so police can deal with it quickly.

If there are problems at home or school, troubled teens can get help at the Youth Outreach Center, located at 6417 W. Irving Park Road.

Ellisette Villegas, a treatment counselor at the Youth Outreach Center, said gangs are not the only issue the center deals with. Language barriers, single parent homes, mental health, runaway, grief and loss, poor decision-making and anger management are other problems she sees on a regular basis.

“More communication at home with parents-parent involvement along with consistent counseling” is the most effective way to combat gang recruitment, Villegas said.

Villegas said the center does see evidence of gang activity.

“Some clients will come in wearing specific colors or even talk about their own involvement, even though we explain to clients from the beginning that we prefer they leave that issue outside of the agency, especially if they are in a group setting,” Villegas said.

Villegas said some male gang members are troubled because of the absence of a father figure. Others have even more heart-wrenching stories.

“There have been clients who have been shot due to being involved or affiliated with gangs,” said Villegas. “Sometimes we have clients who have witnessed gang-related shootings, so there is some trauma to be dealt with. We as counselors usually find out about these events afterward and would then process with them.”’

Gangs typically start as a small crew, but through recruitment and addiction to drugs and the excitement of fitting in, they expand into a criminal entity that is hard to break. Many cities even have special police units to combat gangs in certain neighborhoods. Residents of Portage Park don’t have to worry about special units yet, but if the problem isn’t taken care of with swift action, some say the gangs could take over.

Gangs are a combination of three things, says Jack Murphy, director of security at Wright College: “Environment plays a role, a maturity aspect is there, and influence.”

The 30-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department said the best way to eliminate them is through swift action.

“Don’t put up with it,” Murphy said.

But since winning first place in her age group in a community-wide spelling bee last year, Sherron, 10, is now like a rock star.

“Everybody is nicer to me at school,” said Sherron, who won a computer and trophy for correctly spelling the word “cookie.” “When I won I was like, ‘I feel great,’ loud and enthusiastically. I was really happy.”

The buzz is spreading through Austin once again that the 2nd annual Spelling Bee is coming up on April 8, 9 and 10, at the Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St. Registration packets have gone out to 23 neighborhood schools. Today — Saturday, March 20 — is the sign-up deadline.

A spelling bee in Austin was the brainchild of teens at Young Creative Minds, a nonprofit organization run by and geared toward troubled kids ages 13 to 19. The group was founded by Austin resident Danette King, who said she was beaten and raped as a young girl. King, 35, said she often looked for love on the streets, having her first of seven children at age 14.

So when she became an adult, King wanted to create a place where she could sit down and talk with kids, one-on-one, without disclosing anything to their parents. When the neighborhood’s Avalon Management, a real estate managing and developing firm, gave her a place to meet in the basement of one of its buildings and the Austin Safety Net Works kicked in $25,000, she was able to fulfill her vision.

What started with one kid and a flier became dozens of kids, all in dire need of help. King created the acronym she implements in the program: S.M.I.L.E., which stands for “self-respect, motivation, integrity, leadership and education.”

“These are things that I wanted as a child, but I didn’t get them,” said King, whose husband, Brian, is event promoter and sponsor seeker. “These are the very same children that went through the same pain I went through.

“But they can look at themselves now and smile, they’re not angry any more,” said King, who’s working on a book about her experiences called “Behind Closed Doors.” “They have goals, dreams and they respect themselves now.

“That’s what I’m pushing for with S.M.I.L.E,” she said. “Those things will take them anywhere they want to go in life.”

Last year’s spelling bee drew approximately 50 kids from nine schools. Entertaining at that first event and at the upcoming one is Blaze On, a 24-year-old hip hop artist who called the spelling bee a “positive” in a community where many kids are without outside resources or outlets and often have drug addicts as mothers, fathers and relatives.

“You gotta do whatever needs to be done that’s positive to help these kids learn,” said Blaze On, who lives just outside Austin. “There are a lot of people who don’t have it in their hearts to reach out to kids, but they need a role model that really cares. They don’t have anything.”

King said the three-day event keeps kids off the street. Winners receive a mini laptop computer, and King said she hopes to take first-place winners to Springfield to visit the state Capitol. Even those who don’t win walk away with a little something, such as movie tickets.

“It’s a good sense of accomplishment and it feels good,” King said. “All they need is someone to listen.”

May Community Academy’s Principal Roger Lewis agrees. Lewis said after Parker won last year, he got to know her and she now leads the school’s morning announcement. May Academy also had an eighth-grade runner-up last time, Savanna Young.

“We try at May to celebrate the small successes,” said Lewis. “This makes them (kids) feel good in the community, as opposed to all the negativity of living in the community.”

Lewis said the event instills confidence in winners such as Savanna and Sherron. For Sherron, the spelling bee was sweet as honey.

“I loved it,” she said.

House Bill 4647, which passed the House 112-1 last month and is currently awaiting a vote in the Senate, would force Chicago Public Schools to start a hotline to collect anonymous tips from people who might otherwise fear reporting crimes to the police. The hotline would be run by the Chicago Police Department, which would investigate each call.

Rep. Chapin Rose (R-Charleston), the only representative to vote against the bill, said this is just another unnecessary expense the state can’t afford.

“We already have this program. It is called 911 and Crime Stoppers,” Rose said. “The state of Illinois is broke. We don’t have enough money to pay our teachers. Our school districts are broke and waiting on back payments. We don’t need this. If there is an immediate threat to someone’s life, we should be dialing 911, not some 1-800 number.”

Davis disagreed. She said students will not call 911; they will not seek out a police officer because they are afraid of the repercussions of being a “snitch.”

“There must be a way for students to call and anonymously report any incidents of violence that they have heard about,” Davis said. “We need to have a way for our children to reach out and report violence without being afraid for their safety.”

Nineteen CPS students have been killed this year, 15 by gunshot, said CPS spokesman Bob Otter.

Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Services, said there is no guarantee that a hotline will work, but said it will be largely dependent on how well the hotline is promoted.

“School hotlines are just another piece of the puzzle. They are an extra tool for school officials and law enforcement,” Trump said.

If passed, Illinois will join 10 other states that have similar violence prevention hotlines within their cities, including Florida, Michigan and Georgia. Rochelle Finzel, program manager at the National Conference of State Legislators, said besides Colorado, there is no state that has passed legislation on a statewide hotline.

Illinois, along with most states, doesn’t necessarily need a hotline, said Elena Calafell, executive director of Illinois Center for Violence Prevention. Instead, the state needs to implement a comprehensive plan that involves all entities working together to curb violence, she said.

“The statistics are clear: Youth do not turn to adults, instead they turn to their peers,” she said. “Having a mechanism or vehicle for the students to report violence anonymously is a great idea, but it is a very small part of the puzzle and one that I don’t think will be utilized a great deal.”

Some supports say an anonymous tip line would help get around a community “code of silence” that often stifles law enforcement efforts.

“There is a fear that young men and women have and they won’t break the code of silence, even if it’s anonymous,” Tio Hardiman, director of Ceasefire Illinois said. “They are always afraid someone is going to find out that they snitched. We have to change those mindsets before these programs will work.”

Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) didn’t agree. She said if there was concern, the bill wouldn’t have overwhelmingly passed.

“If this is something that the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Public Schools, among other entities, don’t agree with, it would be a surprise to me,” she said. “I would have thought they would have made their concern known to someone. Obviously they didn’t. The vote was 112-1.”

The Chicago Police Department and Chicago Public Schools declined repeated requests for comment.

Trump said ensuring students’ safety needs to become a priority again.

“We have to put our money where our mouth is,” he said. “It is one thing to say that school safety and violence prevention is the top priority, but that has to be reflected in the budget, otherwise it is more rhetoric than priority.”

Ron Holmes, a spokesman for Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago), a co-sponsor for the bill in the Senate, said there has been a lot of support for the bill, and they expect it to see it on the calendar this week.

Kelsey.Duckett@loop.colum.edu

This code of silence helps to protect criminals, perpetuate retaliation and hinder police in their investigative efforts, Weis said, especially in low-income and tight-knit communities.

Weis focused on student safety in his Feb. 18 address to the small crowd, saying that many student victims tell police, “I’ll handle it myself.” Weis believes this attitude perpetuates a circle of violence, and he hopes the “Silence Kills” campaign can begin to bring an end to the code of silence with its slogan: “Stop the violence, stop the silence, because silence kills.”

The campaign, funded through federal stimulus money, includes ads in television, radio and print intended to show the brutality and lasting damage of gun crimes.

The primary purpose of police board meetings is to allow civilians a venue to air their frustrations and concerns to members of the board. Citizens who spoke at the recent meeting were largely concerned with police misconduct, specifically the case of 11-year-old Timia Williams, who was allegedly assaulted by three police officers in May 2001.

“The code of silence is justified by the fact that these officers are still on the force,” said Larry Marshall, a close family member of Williams, who said there is a serious lack of public confidence and trust in the Chicago Police Department. Marshall questioned why citizens who do not trust police officers would willingly divulge information to them, regardless of the benefits to a specific case.

Marshall’s friend George Smith, 48, spoke out against the “renegade” officers who allegedly assaulted Williams, delivering a loud and agitated speech that ranged in topic from the earthquake in Haiti to alleged police brutality on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The board itself is composed of appointed civilians who earn a salary of $15,000 per year. Board members review case files and vote on action to be taken.

During the meeting, the board announced they had overturned the department‘s recommendation to fire three officers accused of conducting illegal searches through the use of illegal warrants.

Chicago Justice Project Executive Director Tracy Siska calls this a disturbing trend.

Siska said there has been a two-thirds reduction in disciplinary action taken against police officers accused of misconduct. He heads the Justice Project in an attempt to make police department activity more accountable to the public.

Siska hopes to create more transparency in the Chicago Police Department in order to better regulate and prosecute misconduct. Civilians will eventually be able to, through the Project, trace a 911 call from answer to dispatch. Citizens will also be able to log onto the Project Web site and follow a case from start to finish, including any reports or complaints filed.

Police board members refused to answer questions from media at the meeting, and no one answered the number listed on their Web site. The answering service had one option: To file a complaint, press one.

In the meantime, lawmakers are struggling to pass a new bill that will stand up to future challenges. Illinois is just one of 30 states to have passed a moment of silence law. In Texas and Virginia, those laws were challenged but upheld. But in Illinois, Judge Robert W. Gettleman found the law promoted prayer in schools and was illegal.

Attorneys on Feb. 10 faced off in a packed courtroom, with the state arguing the law is critical because it helps students focus and critics arguing the law crosses the boundary between church and state.

Assistant Illinois Attorney General Rachel Murphy argued on behalf of all school districts in Illinois. Murphy defended the Illinois Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act, which requires that students begin the school day with a silent prayer or reflection on the upcoming activities of the day.

Students are given choices under the law, and now children who were otherwise afraid to pray can do so, said Murphy.

“The law is mandatory so all students have the opportunity to reflect on whatever they wish,” Murphy said.

Robert Sherman, a former radio talk show host and self-proclaimed atheist, sued in October 2007 once the law became mandatory. Sherman’s daughter, Dawn, was a freshman at Buffalo Grove High School, where the moment of silence was in effect for a month before the court granted an injunction preventing schools from participating.

Sherman said his daughter doesn’t need to waste valuable school time when she’s competing with other students to get into college.

“Dawn’s in honors AP and ranks 15 out of 498 students,” said Sherman. “Dawn is told by the general assembly to stand for a moment of silence; it’s not fair to Dawn.”

Students can pray before or after school and the law puts pressure on children to pray during school, argued Sherman’s attorney, Richard Grossman.

“These are impressionable children of a tender age and tend to find teachers to be authoritative and we have teachers encouraging students to pray,” Grossman said.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued the law discriminates against students. ACLU attorney Adam Schwartz objected to the word “prayer” being mentioned at all.

“As soon as there’s a prayer option, it encourages students to pray,” said Schwartz. “It sorts all religions into winners and losers and some religious traditions can’t be accommodated by a moment of silence. It’s stigmatizing.”

Teachers in Chicago have refrained from instituting the moment of silence and won’t act until the court decides, said Rosemaria Genova, spokeswoman for the Chicago Teachers Union.

Rep. William Davis (D-East Hazel Crest), who co-sponsored the controversial bill, said while he wanted to ensure a moment of silence was mandatory, the law does not require students to pray. He said students participate in other activities to help them focus on their studies and aren’t targeted in the same way.

“I just saw on the news a teacher doing yoga with students after lunch as a way for the students to focus,” said Davis. “Like that teacher, our sole purpose was to calm students down.”

Davis agreed the more expedient way would be to see what other states have done and mirror their language, but he said he will wait to see what the court decides. The great thing about the legislature is there is always another legislative session to change the law, Davis said.

Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) introduced an amendment in January 2009 that removed the word “prayer” and replaced it with “silent reflection” and “silent meditation.” Although it passed the House, Fritchey’s chief of staff, Dave Kornecki, said it has been sitting on a shelf because it hit a roadblock in the Senate.

“It’s being held hostage in the Senate,” said Kornecki. “There’s full support in the House, and the intent of Rep. Fritchey is still there to get the bill passed.”

Brooks-Rodriguez and Bond both live on Chicago’s South Side, both have raised families and placed their dreams of becoming a teacher on the back burner. That was until they applied for Illinois’ Grow Your Own Teachers, an initiative funded by the state.

“I have been a special education teacher’s assistant for 21 years at Daley Elementary Academy School, and I am ready to be the teacher,” Brooks-Rodriguez said. “This is an awesome opportunity. I have wanted it for so many years, but couldn’t afford it.”

Grow Your Own, which recruits candidates from low-income neighborhoods where schools struggle to retain a qualified staff, provides financial assistance in the form of tuition, books and childcare so each individual can earn a bachelors degree and obtain a teaching license in Illinois.

This program, which to date has graduated and placed 11 teachers, is fighting for survival as the state slashes funding. Rep. Esther Golar (D-Chicago) said education is an area that is being hit the hardest.

Golar, who is an advocate of the program, introduced House Bill 391 on Tuesday. If passed, the bill would pour $4.5 million into the state’s education fund.

“We, in education, cannot withstand any more cuts,” she said. “If Grow Your Own doesn’t get the funding, the program will not survive. The real life and breath of any individual is education and we have to always fund these types of programs in low-income communities that need the programs the most.”

Attending Northeastern Illinois University, with four children at home and one in college, Bonds said Grow Your Own is “like the best scholarship you could ever have. They pay tuition, books and even child care so I can follow my dream.”

“If the funding for this program is cut, my heart will be broken and this great opportunity will be taken away,” she said.

Last year, the state cut the program’s funding by almost 40 percent, but Gov. Pat Quinn kept it alive by funneling $1.2 million to it. Steve Andrews, resource coordinator for Grow Your Own, said the program is not asking for additional money; they are simply asking for flat funding.

But House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) said it would be irresponsible to promise funding to any organization with the current budget shortfall of $12.8 billion.

“We are all concerned about education and we want to continue to produce teachers that live in the neighborhoods where they work so they will know the children and understand the problems of the neighborhood,” Madigan said. “But the general approach for all state programs is to stay afloat. Eventually the economy will come back. If these programs are still online, we will be in a good position to provide them with funding.”

Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Westchester), also an advocate for Grow Your Own, said although the program has been great and should be at the top of the list in the future, it is unlikely the program will find funding next year.

“The budget will recoup itself. It will turn around and when it does, this is the type of program that we need to look at for long-term funding,” Lightford said.

Nearly 90 percent of Grow Your Own candidates are people of color with strong ties to their communities. Golar said it’s these candidates that are in tune with the neighborhoods’ cultures and challenges.

Andrews said it is a disastrous time for the state and every program is in danger.

“They are talking about cutting programs completely or by 50 percent,” he said. “If that happens to Grow Your Own, over 90 percent of our candidates could not continue because they do not have financial capabilities to find their education.”

Brooks-Rodriguez is also attending Northeastern Illinois University, with her three children in college. She said the program has been a gift from God.

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime, but it has been challenging because I work full-time,” she said. “But I am excited for this chance and can’t wait until the day I walk into Daley Elementary Academy with my teaching certificate. It will be one of the greatest days of my life.”

Chicago Public Radio’s City Room reports on the effects of the state budget crisis on the University of Illinois.

Nearly 200 students and faculty members rallied at the University of Illinois-Chicago to demand that the university not “balance the budget on the backs of students, faculty and the community” through tuition increases, mandatory furloughs and layoffs. The protest was organized by United in Campaign Against Budget Cuts, a coalition made up of SEIU Local Union 73, members of the UIC’s Graduate Employee Organization, as well as other student and faculty groups.

Originally an issue well known to California’s universities, higher education budget cuts have spread throughout the country to states such as Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Georgia and New York. In Chicago, the cuts could be accompanied by a 20 percent increase in tuition at UIC.

“I don’t want to see a loss of public education,” said UIC student Katherine Karbarz. “It’s important for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds to get a chance to go to school. I don’t want people who deserve to go to school to not be able to afford it.”

Protesters across the nation have been met with a wide range of reactions, detailed in numerous blogs and message boards. Arrests have been made in California as well as in Milwaukee, where 15 students were arrested after trying to deliver a petition to the chancellor at the University of Wisconsin.

“We’re here to support students and workers here at the UIC,” said Trumaine Reeves of SEIU Local 73. “We have to stand up and let our voices be heard together and we can’t be ignored.”

This sentiment was echoed by other students, workers and faculty members as the rally marched toward the campus administrative building.

“I’m here to show support as a person of the city of Chicago” said one protester identifying himself  simply as Cirrocco.

The rally, held on the UIC quad, was preceded by an open discussion with Howard Bunsis, a professor of accounting at Eastern Michigan University and author of a report analyzing the financial condition of the University of Illinois system.

UIC administration declined to take part in the discussion, and did not return phone calls.

“Speaking on behalf of the coalition,” said Joe Iosbaker, chief steward for SEIU Local 73, “we were very disappointed that the administration didn’t join for what turned out to be lively discussion … They would have gotten perspective on the needs of students, faculty and the community.”

University administrators announced in January that because of the state’s failure to provide complete budget funds, it would resort to furlough and budget cuts. The state has provided the university only $17 million of the $436 million it has been owed since July 1, 2009, according to a report by FightBack! News.

Bunsis’ report comes to the conclusion that “the UI system has not been true to the core academic mission, as they have increased administrative costs at a higher rate than pure academic costs.” It further concludes that “furloughs are not necessary.”

For the past three years, Shivers has spent her nights bouncing from one homeless shelter to the next. On the “really bad nights,” she scrounged up $2.25 for a CTA pass to ride up and down the Red Line.

Shivers is just one of 12,685 students  who have been identified as homeless in Chicago Public Schools. That number has jumped 30 percent in just two years, said CPS spokesman Malon Edwards.

It’s these numbers that pushed the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless to reach out to Rep. Cynthia Soto (D-Chicago) to re-introduce House Bill 4755, which would budget grant money for homeless youth education programs in Illinois.

Soto introduced a similar bill two years ago, but after it passed both the House and Senate, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich vetoed the bill.

“This bill would create a grant for the schools to ensure that we have the funding to identify and care for each of the homeless students in Illinois,” Soto said.

In 2008, for the first time, the state Board of Education allocated $3 million toward educating homeless students. But this year, the board eliminated the funds, saying districts should use federal money instead.

Mary Fergus, spokeswoman for the Illinois State Board of Education, said the budget was cut by more than $500 million and the board has had to make some very difficult decisions.

“We hear the outcry of needs from all across the state and each of these needs is compelling and important, but the funding is not there,” she said.

Shivers is a story that is all too familiar to Rene Heybach, director of the Law Project of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. There has been a huge spike in homeless youth in Illinois and not enough is being done, she said.

“More needs to be done for these kids that are in horrible and traumatic situations. We can’t let them slip through the system,” she said.

Fergus said there is federal money available through the McKinney-Vento law, enacted in 2002, which requires districts to waive all student fees for homeless children and provide transportation.

Shivers, who is attending Prologue Early College High School in West Town and is set to graduate in June, choked up when she recalled the years she spent on the streets.

“It is a real dark, lonely feeling,” she said. “When you ride the train all night, nobody knows what you are doing until you see the person next to you doing the same thing and you realize you are not the only one.”

More than a year ago, a six-month-pregnant Shivers was standing near the Red Line on a cold, rainy night, when a member of the Night Ministry’s Youth Outreach Program approached. The volunteer offered her a bed that night. Shivers said this was the moment that changed her life.

Now the mother of 5-month-old Naveah, Shivers is a part of the Transitional Living Program at the Open Door Shelter in West Town, a two-year program for youth ages 16 to 20.

“I don’t know where I would be today. It actually scares me and my heart dropped when you asked that,” she said.

Shivers said having a constant living situation at the shelter and somewhere to go at the end of the day makes everything, including school, a lot easier. But she said at the end of the day, it is about not giving up.

“You can’t give up, just don’t give up because it’s your life and you only have once chance at living it,” she said. “My goal is to walk across the stage at graduation with my daughter and give her a better life than I had.”

Kelsey.Duckett@loop.colum.edu

To fight this growing problem, Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) introduced House Bill 4672, which would require teachers, principals, guidance counselors and all personnel who work with students in grades 7 through 12 to be trained in suicide prevention two hours each year.

Harris joined forces with the Jason Foundation, which was founded by Clark Flatt after his son, Jason, committed suicide at 16. Harris said youth suicide is preventable — if teachers and school officials know what to look out for.

“When it comes to our schools, youth organizations and various programs, suicide just isn’t on the radar as something that a 12-year-old could be planning,” Harris said. “Ninety percent of the time, these kids are reaching out. We just don’t know how to recognize it.”

In the case of 10-year-old Aquan Lewis, the Evanston student who hanged himself by his shirt collar on a hook in an Oakton Elementary School restroom stall on Feb. 2, 2009, officials said the fifth-grader had made threats about killing himself.

Dr. Ron Davidson, professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, agreed that there are almost always warning signs leading up to a suicide. In the case of Lewis, Davidson said he had serious concerns.

“It seemed this was a situation that could have been avoided. The boy made some kind of statement announcing his plans and how he was feeling, and it either wasn’t listened to or he wasn’t taken seriously,” he said.

Relatives of Lewis have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school district alleging that Evanston-Skokie School District 65 was negligent. Attorney Todd Smith, who is representing the family, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Oakton Elementary school officials also couldn’t be reached for comment.

If passed, Illinois would be the fifth state to pass legislation requiring in-service training for all school officials. In 2007, Tennessee became the first state to pass the Jason Flatt Act, followed by Louisiana, Mississippi and California. The Jason Foundation has trained 117,000 teachers so far and is currently working with five other states to pass legislation.

“It is not the only thing any state should do, but it is the single most important thing any state should do,” said Clark Flatt, chief executive officer of the Jason Flatt Foundation. “The single most important aspect of suicide prevention is training and specifically training the teachers and school officials to be able to recognize at-risk behavior.”

Davidson said he “whole-heartedly” agrees that the bill should be passed.

“It is absolutely necessary,” he said.

Flatt said the Jason Foundation, along with all organizations involved with suicide prevention, would provide free training to all school personnel.

Mary Kay Dawson, a legislative volunteer for the Jason Foundation who is working with state legislators to get the bill passed, said suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people and “is a real problem.”

“There has been great support in Illinois,” she said. “Everyone agrees with the bill in theory. We are just working on language so when we bring the bill to the table everyone is in agreement. We want this to be a team effort.”

Davidson said he is concerned when he hears any kind of objection to this type of bill.

“Lay the body of a dead child next to the issues people have against this bill, and I am certain the body of a dead child trumps any sort of irresponsible response to not taking immediate action,” he said.

Harris said he hopes there will be vote on the bill next month.

On a snowy afternoon on Feb. 9 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Chicago’s Neighborhood Development Awards hosted a “Back to the Future” panel in which experts discussed the opportunities and challenges that Chicago must meet head-on to achieve economic development.

Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th), the newly nominated Democratic candidate for Cook County Board president, joined Scott Myers of World Sport Chicago, Raul Raymundo of the Resurrection Project, and Robert Weissbourd of RW Ventures in a discussion about what Chicago will look like in 2016 and what needs to be done to address job development and neighborhood restructuring.

It didn’t take long for education to rise to the forefront of the discussion. Preckwinkle, a former high school teacher, made it very clear that education needs to become a top priority in Chicago.

“It reflects very badly on the adults and the city that we have let the problem come to this,” she said. “Less than half of our young people graduate high school, and not having a diploma makes their future very difficult.”

Raymundo agreed. He said the graduation rate for the Hispanic population is significantly worse.

“Education is critical for our young people,” he said. “Education is critical to economic growth and development. We need to take a serious look at our education system. Reform and real action are necessary.”

Greg Hinz, the moderator for the event, noted quickly that everyone used the word “education” in their opening addresses. He then asked the panel if that was an indication of what Chicago’s most fundamental problem is: Are our young people not prepared for the workforce? Are they not educated?

Preckwinkle quickly took the question. She said she didn’t mean to “be a broken record,” but all children should receive a quality education and it is this education that is critical for all business growth.

“One of the complaints I hear from local businesses is that it is hard to find good employees,” she said. “The implication being that kids who come looking for jobs couldn’t read very well and didn’t have basic math skills. The most important factor to business growth is education.”

Weissbourd said education is vital to the success of any economy. His example: a half-percent increase in the college education rate of an area’s population would mean a 1 percent increase in regional profit.

“The single biggest impact on economic growth is human capital, and that is expressed in education,” he said. “If you have one investment in your economy, education is it.”

Raymundo said the Hispanic high school drop out rate is near 75 percent and less than 10 percent attend post-secondary school. But he said the Hispanic population is doing more in terms of opening their own businesses.

“Not everyone’s life path is to college,” he said. “We need to do more with workforce training; we need to prepare our young people for the workforce.”

Midway through the panel discussion, Hinz said, “We need money to survive.” He then said Chicago is not keeping up with the nation and asked if there was indeed a positive legacy to 2016.

Preckwinkle, a self-proclaimed “avid supporter” of the 2016 bid, said she, like the rest of Chicagoans, was disappointed when Chicago lost the Olympic bid, but she said the focus needs to shift to what’s next.

“We need to focus on the aftermath of the 2016 bid,” she said. “We need to figure out what our own 2016 should be. We have to find some consensus around this effort to have our own plan as a city, as a business community, as neighborhoods, as economic development organizations to transform the communities that we live in.”

Raymundo stressed that the key factor in real economic development has been the growth of the immigrant population in Chicago. He said comprehensive immigration reform, which, he noted, President Barack Obama supported during his campaign, is necessary.

“We need to unleash some of the talent that is out there, but so many people are unable because of their immigration status,” he said. “In Illinois in 2008, the Hispanic population generated $40 billion; $370 million of that was in Chicago. This is important information to understand how to build a strong economy.”

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Chicago turned into a global economy and did well, Weissbourd said. But in the past 10 years, Chicago has become “stagnant” and is trailing behind most other cities.

“It is very important to get more strategic about what we are going to do with our metropolitan economy,” Weissbourd said. “Until the crash, our neighborhoods were by and large coming back, but the crash really knocked the neighborhoods out. Regional development is dependent on neighborhoods. You have to understand that these key components work together.”

Myers, who was a part of the the city’s Olympic bid team, said there are alternative routes to building the economy in Chicago. He said sports is one of the tools that Chicago can use to bring people and business into the city.

“By expanding on some of the strengths and capabilities here in the city, we can develop innovative programs that are not only good for our kids, but can also help be a foundation to strengthen our neighborhoods and attract further business into our neighborhoods,” Myers said.

There was no clear solution to the stalling economic development in Chicago, but Weissbourd said there is no reason for every neighborhood to reinvent the wheel.

“A lot of the same problems apply in every neighborhood,” he said. “It is time we start planning for both the short term and long term. We are headed in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.”

Kelsey.Duckett@loop.colum.edu

The 164 members of the Illinois General Assembly who participate in the program doled out 1,571 scholarships in the 2008-2009 school year. That’s up $1 million from the previous year, when lawmakers awarded 1,509 scholarships. Although lawmakers select students, it’s the 12 Illinois state schools that cover the costs.

A ChicagoTalks investigation of the controversial program published late last year found repeated instances of scholarships being awarded to campaign donors, politically connected families and, in at least one instance, a lawmaker’s relative.

The journalists, working in collaboration with Illinois Statehouse News, also identified five legislators who require scholarship applicants to register to vote, a practice one constitutional lawyer called illegal.

There’s virtually no regulation of the scholarship program; it’s left up to each of the lawmakers who choose to participate to police themselves. The odds of winning a scholarship vary widely, depending on which district a student lives in and whether a lawmaker chooses to publicize the lucrative awards, worth an average of $8,300 in 2007-2008. The average value of a scholarship increased to about $8,600 in 2008-2009.

That means students who have the hardest time paying for college too often get left out, critics say. Supporters say it’s helped thousands of students attend college over the decades. And they note that legislators take pains to ensure the selection process is as fair as possible, requiring students to fill out applications and using special committees in many cases to choose the winners.

Although lawmakers handed out 62 more scholarships last year over the previous year, an official speaking for the three University of Illinois campuses said the bigger sum came from increased tuition.

The cost shifting is one reason some lawmakers don’t participate.

Rep. Bill Black (R-Danville), one of 14 state lawmakers ChicagoTalks identified last fall as not participating in the century-old program, is hoping this will be the year the legislature does away with the scholarships. Sixteen lawmakers have signed on to Bill HB4633, which Black introduced in the fall. An aide for Illinois Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) said late last year the senator wants to either reform the program or abolish it altogether.

Randy Kangas, the associate vice president of planning and budgeting for the University of Illinois system, has his doubts.

“These bills are put in every year,” he said, “I don’t know how much umph it has in the General Assembly.”

Kangas said the state owes the University of Illinois schools $439 million, and that employees will be taking furlough days to conserve cash. The three schools – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Illinois at Springfield – waived $9.3 million in tuition for the 2008-2009 year.

Related Stories:

One Scholarship, 163 Ways to Dole It Out

Evasive State Legislators Dodge Questions About Scholarships

Clout or Coincidence? Some Legislators Keep General Assembly Scholarships All in the Family

Scholarships for Some Grad Students a Big Burden for State and Schools

Some Lawmakers Turn a Right into a Requirement

Nobody’s Watching: Illinois Lawmakers Alone Decide How to Give Millions

No Method to the Madness: State Scholarships Award Some Students More than Others

Students’ Free Ride Proves Costly to Their Classmates

State Legislative Scholarships Could Be Eliminated

For Richer or Poorer? Legislative Scholarships Should Target the Needy

Experts Suggest Changes to Legislative Scholarships

Illinois has reduced funding for early childhood education, including before- and after-school programs, by 10 percent, said a spokesman for state Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), who is the vice chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee. This could result in as many as 15,000 Chicago children losing eligibility for these programs.

The state’s budget deficit is up to $12.8 billion, forcing lawmakers to cut state funding. It’s these cuts that are destroying before-and-after school programs in Chicago, said Harry Wells, president of Chicago Youth Centers.

David Sinski, executive director for After School Matters in Chicago, said the cuts have significantly affected all nonprofit programs, and it doesn’t appear that the problem will be fixed any time soon.

“Given the current economic climate, After School Matters, like many nonprofit organizations, has experienced difficulty relying on continuous funding from all sources,” he said in an e-mail. “At the same time, challenging financial circumstances have escalated demand for and reinforced the need to expand out-of-school program opportunities for Chicago teens.”

After School Matters is a nonprofit organization that offers 25,000 program opportunities to Chicago teens. Sinski said the long-term goal is to double the capacity to 50,000 programs, which would be enough to accommodate about one-half of all Chicago public high school teens, specifically on the South and West Sides.

Wells said in the past year, his nonprofit organization has lost over $1 million in financial support.

“We have seven centers in Chicago that are for early childhood through teen education programs,” he said. “We lost $400,000 in state funding thus far, and it looks like that will double next year.

“That would be devastating to our program.”

Chicago Youth Centers serve eight neighborhoods: Altgeld Gardens, Riverdale, Roseland, South Shore, Grand Boulevard, Bridgeport, Humboldt Park and North Lawndale.

“Our goal was to expand our centers throughout Chicago, but right now we have to focus on finding funding to keep the doors open,” he said. “This program and others like it are vital in Chicago. The young people that come to us would otherwise be on the street after school and would be subject to drug and gang violence on the streets or they would drop out of school entirely.”

Ralph Martire, director at the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, said the problem is just going to get worse unless state taxes are raised.

“All these elected officials seem to think they can solve the program without raising taxes, but they can’t say how,” he said. “The numbers are pretty simple, and they are staggering. It is impossible to solve this without a tax increase.”

Martire said the state’s financial situation is grave at best, and it’s just the start. Next year, he warned, these education programs are going to take a serious hit, receiving significantly less money, if any at all.

“This year, these programs can expect that they will get anywhere from 10 to 50 percent less than they thought they would get,” he said. “The following year, all bets are off. If you don’t have money, you don’t have programs.”

Jack Kaplan, director of public policy for the United Way, said his organization sent a survey to over 1,000 nonprofit organizations in Chicago. Of the 500-plus that have responded, 59 percent report they’re waiting on back payments from the state.

“These organizations were reporting over $80 million in back pay that is due to them,” he said. “The state has been slow paying any service they think they can do away with. The state feels these agencies can be a lower priority, when in fact they are necessity in Chicago.”

Kaplan said he doesn’t even want to think about what next year could bring.

“This is not a scare tactic or a ‘chicken little the sky’s falling’ thing,” he said. “The state needs a wake-up call. These before- and after-school programs, along with early childhood education, are absolutely critical for Chicago. If the state does away with the funding for these programs, the impact will be unspeakable.”

Kelsey.Duckett@loop.colum.edu

Lee remembers her first day of work last September, being nervous as she took the elevator to the 22nd floor of a Chicago high-rise. Her nerves soon settled, and now she completes daily office tasks with ease and confidence.

This is her second year participating in the corporate work-study program at Christ the King College Preparatory High School, which just moved classes to a new $28 million facility in Austin.

“I think it’s a great experience. It’s teaching me what my mom and other adults go through. I’m working to pay a part of my tuition, and I’m learning a lot of new things,” Lee said.

Lee, who — like many of the students attending Christ the King — lives in Austin, hopes to become a lawyer.

All of the 162 students at Christ the King participate in the work-study program once a week at over 160 participating employers around the city. Lee, along with the three other students in her “work-team,” alternates workdays throughout the week to provide the manpower for one full-time, entry-level position at Community Investment Corp. located in the Near West Side community.

“We saw that it was a great opportunity for students who are just coming out of grade school to know what it is to work. Even though the kids are young, they’ve done a great job,” said Monica Kirby, office manager at Community Investment Corp.

Fran Thompson, communications director for Christ the King, said the program creates an opportunity that students wouldn’t normally get from a traditional classroom setting.

“For some students, working these jobs gives them their first visit to the Loop, and there they are going up an elevator in a skyscraper to work in a financial office,” Thompson said.

Christ the King is part of a national group of 24 Jesuit schools operated by the Cristo Rey Network. Although this is the school’s second year in Austin, it moved into the new 100,000-square-foot, three story building earlier this month. The school is located at 5088 W. Jackson Blvd., on the site of the former Resurrection Parish.

Each one of the 24 Cristo Rey Network nationwide schools, including one in Pilsen, employs the work-study program.

“The premise began as a solution,” said Preston Kendall, vice-president of the corporate work-study program. “We wanted to open a college prep high school what would serve families with limited resources, and we wanted a model where we wouldn’t need to raise tuition.”

The work done by students in local businesses funds 65 percent of each student’s tuition, said Kendall. The other 35 percent is made up of family contribution and scholarships.

“It started out as a solution to a financial problem, but we soon discovered very quickly that this is a multi-faceted program. It gives students ownership of earning their education,” said Kendall.

Studies done by the Cristo Rey Network showed a need for schools in Austin, a community of more than 100,000 with high unemployment and no neighborhood public high school, said Thompson, communication director for Christ the King. It found that Austin needs 14,000 seats for students, yet only offers 7,000.

“There is a humongous shortage in this area,” Thompson said.

When at full capacity, the new school should hold around 600 students. The school, which currently has 162 students, will add a new class each year, Thompson said. It is currently running with only a freshman and sophomore class.

“We are not trying to only pull the cream of the crop students here, we are also looking for the average and above-average, hard-working students who otherwise may have fallen through the crack,” she said.

Kendall said the admissions office at Christ the King looks at academic and financial history, yet concentrates mostly on past behavior and attendance reports.

Currently, the majority of Christ the King students are coming from a few key areas, said Kendall, including: East and West Garfield Park, Lawndale, Humboldt Park and Austin.

Pauline Lipman, policy studies professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said the elimination of local school councils are negatively affecting South Side and West Side communities by taking away their involvement in public education.

“In the Austin neighborhood particularly, this is a major issue,” she said. “The charter schools in Austin are public schools; the people who live in Austin are the public, and they no longer have any say of what happens in the community, and this is happening all over Chicago.”

In June 2004, Mayor Richard M. Daley launched Renaissance 2010 with the goal of increasing the number of high quality educational options in communities across Chicago by 2010 by opening 100 new schools. In order to open these turnaround schools, CPS would have to shut the doors on schools with low performance.

To date, Chicago has 94 Renaissance schools, with plans to open seven more in the Fall of 2010, said Malon Edwards, spokesman for CPS. He said each of the Renaissance schools works hard to achieve community involvement.

Edwards said Renaissance 2010 schools are still required by law to have governing boards that include parental and community involvement.

Austin High School was one of those schools. It closed four years ago, and in its place are two charter schools: Austin Business and Entrepreneurship Academy and VOISE Academy High School, and one performance school, Austin Polytechnical School. These are three examples of schools in a community that do not have local school councils, Lipman said.

In 1988, the Illinois General Assembly created Chicago’s local school councils, which are elected, decision-making councils that have significant power over each of Chicago’s schools, such as the ability to hire and fire principals, plan the schools curriculum and oversee all activities for the school, similar to what the school board does.

At the high school level, the local school council consists of 12 voting members, including the principal, six parent representatives, two community representatives, two teacher representatives and one student representative.

However, Chicago Public Schools officials, who are hand-selected by Mayor Daley, have never been supporters of the councils, Lipman said. In an October 2007 speech, Rufus Williams, then-CPS board president, said it was one of his administration’s main goals to eliminate local school councils.

“Not all local school councils are bad, but this is a flawed system,” Williams said in the speech. “There are many examples of adults getting in the way of the progress of children. Those of us who are responsible for the schools simply ask that we have the authority because we have the accountability for them.”

Williams said CPS is known for its leading reform.

“But this is one of the reform efforts that not one group, system or area has bothered to replicate,” he said. “We are the only system in the world that has this kind of governing structure; it must be fixed; it must be changed so that we can best operate our system for the benefit of our children.”

Rosemaria Genova, press secretary for Marilyn Stewart, president of Chicago Teachers Union, said it is these sentiments and non-transparent ideas that are hurting community involvement in public education.

“We are losing the public in Chicago Public Schools,” she said. “We have too much privatization going on in Chicago, and it is taking away any and all parent and community involvement.”

Julie Woestehoff, executive director of Parents United for Responsible Education said CPS is not fighting for community involvement, and they never have.

“Taking away local school councils drives a stake right through the heart of community involvement,” she said. “As a parent organization, we will continue to stand up against CPS’s total disregard for community and parent involvement. These are our children; we should have a say in their education.”

Woestehoff noted that most of the schools which have closed due to Renaissance 2010 are on the city’s South and West Sides.

“They are closing schools in neighborhoods and communities that are already struggling with being heard and finding their voice,” she said. “This is disempowering people who are historically disempowered anyway.”

Mike Klonsky, director of Small School Workshops, a non-profit organization, said in a community like Austin, the district’s complete disregard for the community has been devastating.

Klonsky, a professor in the College of Education at DePaul University, said in a community like Austin where parent involvement is limited, the loss of a local school council is immense.

“These new schools for the most part are run by private boards that are usually made up by business people,” he said. “There is little to no input from the community, and that must change.”

“The governing boards serve as local school councils, to ensure community involvement,” he said.

But Klonsky disagreed. He said Renaissance 2010 was originally created to open 100 new schools in Chicago and take a “serious stance on the value of our education.”

“But what Renaissance 2010 has turned into is basically a school-closing initiative,” he said. “The closing of schools means the end of local school councils, which means a lack of community voice and community power over how schools and education should operate.”

Check out these related stories from Chicago Public Radio WBEZ: Daley Says School Closings Are Necessary and Education Reporter Linda Lutton Talks School Closings with Host Melba Lara.

“You don’t often see a high school production that features a world premiere play directed and produced by the professional staff of a local theatre company,” says Polarity Artistic Director Richard Engling. “We’d been working with Chuck on developing his play, and when the Josephinum asked us to help them with a student production, I saw a great opportunity. Producing new work is part of our mission.”

The Society of Adventurous Women takes us to a bar in the Netherworld where only adventurous women can enter. They may not buy drinks, but instead must earn them by telling the stories of their heroic endeavors. Bartender Joseph, the only male, sends Grace O’Malley into history to recruit young women with an appetite for adventure to join their ranks, and she returns with a mysterious Young Woman who is pivotal in the lives of young women everywhere.

Playwright Chuck Palia, a retired high school drama teacher, says he was inspired not only by the novel, The Captain’s Table, in which great fictional captains from history gather to tell their stories, but also by the abundance of female talent in schools and the ironic lack of meaty roles for women. This play certainly embodies that theme.

Palia says, “I could have chosen the ‘usual suspects’ like Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Amelia Earhart, and others, but I chose to go with a few of the many adventurous women throughout the ages… I recently read an article about Amelia Earhart and the author stated that if not for the fact that Amelia mysteriously disappeared over Japanese held islands supposedly on a secret spy mission for President Roosevelt that she would have been relegated to the ranks of Hannah Reisch and Jackie Cochran.”

School president Michael Dougherty stresses the importance of opportunities for women to make themselves heard and feels that drama is one of the best ways to do that. Perhaps Josephinum alum Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street would agree. Dougherty describes the partnership with resident troupe Polarity Ensemble as mutually beneficial.

Polarity Ensemble Theatre was named “Best Emerging Theater Company” for 2008 by the Chicago Reader. At the Josephinum, Polarity has produced The White Airplane, The Rivals, A Streetcar Named Desire and their annual Dionysos Cup Festival of New Plays. The winner of last year’s festival, The Good Harvest by Lisa Rosenthal, will be presented in March at Josephinum for Polarity’s second world premiere of 2010.

The Society of Adventurous Women performs at the Josephinum Academy (Theater – second floor), 1501 N. Oakley Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60622. All performances are at 7:30pm. Previews: Friday, Jan. 15 and Saturday, Jan. 16. Regular performances: Thursday, Jan. 21and Saturday, Jan. 23. There will be a Special Performance Friday, Jan. 22 with a wine and cheese reception and a discussion with the cast and playwright after the show. Tickets for the special performance are $10. Tickets for all other performances are $5 in advance or $10 at the door. For advance tickets call the Josephinum front office at (773) 276-1261.

Established in 1890 in Chicago’s Wicker Park, Josephinum Academy serves 150 junior high and high school girls that hail from over 36 zip codes. The mission of Josephinum Academy is to empower young women to become confident, faith-filled leaders. The academy teaches its students to overcome economic disadvantages (more than 75% come from poverty) by preparing for success in college (100% college acceptance rate for graduates over the last 3 years). Tuition paid by students is approximately 10-15% of the actual cost of their education. Josephinum is in formation to become the 22nd member of the network of Sacred Heart Schools.

With the application deadline for Chicago’s best college and career academies quickly approaching on Jan. 20, Morgan reassures herself that her students will be equipped with all the necessary tools to apply.

Morgan is the director of Community Outreach and Graduate Support at Austin’s Catalyst School-Circle Rock, one of Austin’s newest college preparatory K-8th charter schools. Catalyst School-Circle Rock opened in September of last year and operates under Renaissance 2010, a Chicago initiative to close down failing schools and open 100 high-performance schools in needed communities.

“Renaissance 2010 schools give parents choice,” said Morgan.

Catalyst School-Circle Rock works hard to ensure that students and their parents are prepared for the transitional challenges of high school including equipping students with practical life skills and teaching them how to complete high school applications.

Since the majority of these students live in Austin, many of them will apply to high schools in and around the Austin community.

Since the closing of Austin High School in 2006, Renaissance 2010 has opened three smaller high schools in its former location. Each of the three smaller schools — Austin Business and Entrepreneur Academy, Austin Polytechnical Academy and Austin VOISE Academy: Virtual Opportunities Inside a School Environment Academy — feature specialized curriculums.

Renaissance 2010 supporters say these smaller schools will better prepare students for college and the workforce than traditional general education high schools. Each school accommodates between 560 to 600 students with hopes of having a higher graduation rate than regular Chicago high schools.

“Renaissance 2010 provides high quality education in a community like Austin. Students attending the smaller high schools are receiving a different education to get them to the next level,” said Chicago Public Schools’ spokesman Malon Edwards.

However, some argue high schools in Austin under Renaissance 2010 do not fully prepare students for college or today’s workforce.

State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) believes Renaissance 2010 does not benefit a community like Austin. Ford has been instrumental in the fight for Austin to have its own neighborhood high school.

He and other community leaders, including Ald. Emma Mitts (37^th) and Ald. Ed Smith (28^th), believe Austin needs one high school as a way to accommodate all youth in the community. Ford has been fighting to have a high school placed at the former Brach’s candy site located at 410 N. Cicero. He believes that students in Austin needs an option of a general education high school.

“Renaissance 2010 does not address the educational issue in Austin,” said Ford. “It just closes down failing schools without providing any support for the schools to remain open.”

Julie Woestehoff, executive director of Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE), said that although CPS claims that students in Austin’s three smaller high schools receive everything required under the CPS graduation policy, “it’s doubtful that students actually receive the basic all-around education they will need to qualify for college or for many jobs or careers.”

“These small, narrowly focused schools don’t have the staff to offer a full range of subjects,” said Woestehoff. “CPS has decided it will no longer try to offer a quality general high school experience like students in Chicago used to have, and students in the suburbs still receive.”

However, Principal Todd Yarch of VOISE Academy said that VOISE combines the use of technology, best distance learning practices and quality online curriculum to better prepare students for today’s technology-based society.

“We prepare our students to be better competitors for today’s labor force,” said Yarch. “Teaching our students online learning and technology helps them qualify for the best colleges and jobs in the city.”

Check out our related story: Austin Lacking the Schools Needed to Educate Its Students

Austin High School, the only public school in the community, shut its doors four years ago. Its successor, Austin Community Academy, which was open for one year, was shut down by Mayor Richard M. Daley and converted into three small high schools with an attendance of 1,038 students, compared to the 6,000 students the academy held.

Austin officials worry that rising crime rates will climb even higher if CPS officials don’t take action to bring back Austin High School.

About 14,000 high school-age kids live in Austin, which has a population of 117,000, making it the largest community in Chicago. But less than half the 14,000 students can attend a high school in their neighborhood. Austin has no public option for high school, forcing students to travel long distances, apply for selective magnet schools to which they have little chance of acceptance, or their final option – drop out of school entirely.

Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) and Ald. Ed Smith (28th) have said their community needs one high school to accommodate students who live in Austin. Mitts said youth on the West Side have no high school, forcing too many of them to spend their days on the street.

On the contrary, says Kathryn McCabe, director of the Cluster Tutoring Program in Austin, a non-profit group that works with about 100 Austin students in after-school programs. She said the former Austin High School was a “horrible school” and provided “no real educational value for the students.”

“I am not sure there was much of a negative impact in shutting down a lousy school,” she said. “It was a bad school, and I am not sorry to see it go, but now we have a real problem in Austin because there aren’t enough seats for the students that live in the community.”

Malon Edwards, spokesman for Chicago Public Schools, said the district has no plans in the works for opening another school in Austin.

“Austin students have opportunities at several charter and magnet schools within the community,” he said. The public options are the three Renaissance 2010 high schools: Austin Business and Entrepreneurship Academy, VOISE Academy High School and Austin Polytechnical School.

“We have other neighborhoods that need schools as well – this is not just a problem within Austin, and we cannot approach it that way,” said Edwards.

But Mitts said there was money for a new school, noting that funding for a new school was secured through Mike Kelly, former president at Park National Bank. Since federal officials closed the bank late last year, the funds are in limbo, and Mitts isn’t sure US Bank, who took over, will honor the agreement made with Kelly.

Ald. Smith, however, said Park National Bank never committed any money for a new high school in Austin. He said the community bank was interested in funding a new YMCA on the same lot as the school.

“Park National Bank was never going to give any sum of money for a new school in Austin,” Smith said. “They wanted a collaboration with the city; basically, if the city built a new school they wanted to build a new YMCA on the same land.”

Mitts is clear on what she believes is the answer: She wants one high school open to all students in the community, and she wants it built at 1450 N. Cicero Ave.

“The answer is finding the funding and opening a school,” she said. “We need a new high school, and we need to get the process going now.”

Edwards said CPS officials have met with community members in search of a solution but said, “This is a problem that cannot be solved overnight.”

But McCabe feels differently. She said CPS’s agenda does not include building or adding schools in the Austin neighborhood, meaning they are not addressing the problem.

“There are no plans to open additional charter schools in the Renaissance 2010 plan,” she said. “There are no plans for a new high school. These kids have no where to go. It is pretty sad.”

McCabe doesn’t think one big high school is the solution; instead, she said there has been great success in charter schools.

“The emergence of these schools has been very positive,” she said. “I think the charter schools have worked well for this community because they are smaller and these students need extra help and support.”

Smith said the solution is one school for all students. He said the location is set, “the only problem now is money.”

Check out our related story: Renaissance 2010 High Schools in Austin Fight to Provide a More Quality Education for Students

Selective enrollment schools, some of the brightest jewels of Chicago’s public school system, are undergoing major changes that will affect the way students are admitted to coveted spots in the nine selective enrollment high schools scattered throughout the city. School officials said they devised the new plan in an effort to maintain diversity in the schools designed for academic achievers.

The new plan will effect the admissions cycle for the freshman class of 2010, replacing a previous race-based admissions process with a socio-economic strategy that will be factored into the applications of students with the highest composite scores.

On Dec. 16 the Chicago Public School Board adopted the new plan designed to maintain diversity in the selective enrollment high schools. The changes also affect the school district’s elementary and secondary “magnet schools,” which focus their curriculum on specialized areas and choose their students through a lottery system.

The board’s decision came after six community meetings were held from Nov. 14-21, 2009, during which school officials outlined the proposed new admissions policy. They explained that they no longer could use race in a formulated matter for admission. To replace the race-based criteria, but still maintain diversity, CPS will consider socio-economic factors such as the students’ neighborhoods, their parents’ marital status, family income, adult educational attainment and home ownership.

CPS had been considering race in admission procedures since 1980 in order to comply with a consent decree designed to desegregate the city’s schools. The new Post Desegregation Plan was implemented after U.S. District Court Judge Charles P. Kocoras vacated on Sept. 24, 2009, the nearly 30-year desegregation consent decree. Kocoras cited the city’s shifting racial demographic and 2007 decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court that found schools could not use race as a factor in admission decisions after two separate cases from Seattle and Louisville, Ky. came before the country’s high court.

The local community informational meetings were held at Andrew Jackson Elementary Language Academy, Little Village High School, King College Prep, Amundsen High School, Simeon High School and Westinghouse High School.

At the meetings, the new plan drew its share of controversy for everything from its short public notice period to charges that it was unfair to various income groups, neighborhoods, races and some students who had the admission rules changed on them at the last minute. A few people asked for more selective schools to meet the demand, while at least one observed that the rush to get into the magnet and selective schools was an indictment revealing the poor performance of the majority of the district’s regular schools.

What follows is a Columbia College Chicago student project completed for a beginning level Reporting & Writing II class during the Fall 2009 session. It explores the reactions of parents, educators and community members, concerning the new socio-economic admissions plan. Columbia students were required to attend and report on at least two community meetings and focus on the selective enrollment schools. In addition to writing an article, each student was required to do a video interview of at least one person affected by the admission-policy changes. For many students, these mini-profiles are among their first attempts at video/broadcast reporting and editing. The individually edited videos were strung together into a group project. The resulting composite video provides a very small glimpse into this very complicated and controversial topic.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video reporting work done by: Merika With, Brandon Love, Noel Tijerina, Christopher Lea, Bianca Word, Veronica Harrison and Olivia Jackson.

Instructor Marla Donato

To see the Chicago Public Schools press release, “Community input results in changes to magnet, selective enrollment policy,” click here.

For more on this story, check out WBEZ Chicago Public Radio reports from November and from Dec. 16 after the plan was approved.

“Every single day it hurts that I won’t see my daddy,” said McKinnley. “Since my daddy got sentenced to prison, my life changed for the worse.”

McKinnley, her older brother and her mother currently live in North Lawndale, where she is a freshman at North Lawndale College Prep High School. After her father’s incarceration, she said she became severely depressed and began to rebel in school. She also often found herself in violent confrontations in her neighborhood.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, black children are nine times more likely than white children to have an incarcerated parent. Studies have also shown children with incarcerated parents are more likely to end up incarcerated themselves.

Dr. Betty J. Allen-Green is on a mission to change this.

With a shoestring budget, Green is helping kids in North Lawndale and beyond create a path different from their parents.

She is the founder and executive director of the Lawndale Amachi Mentoring Program (LAMP), which offers mentoring services to young people with incarcerated parents living in the North Lawndale community.

“Our object is to break the cycle of incarceration,” said Green.

According to the Council of Crime and Justice, children with incarcerated parents face several different challenges. These challenges can include the loss or change of a caregiver, limited access to a parent during and after incarceration and behavioral and emotional issues such as academic failure, juvenile delinquency and developmental issues.

LAMP was launched in 2006 by staff including Green at Theodore Herzl Elementary School located at 3711 W. Douglas Blvd. in North Lawndale. Green was the school’s principal at the time and there were several students with jailed parents, including McKinnley.

“Children need a program like LAMP because they tend to have instability, especially if it’s the mother who’s incarcerated,” said Billeka Palmer, an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer with the program. “Children need the stability in knowing that someone will be there.”

A 2006 investigation by the Chicago Reporter called “Uncounted and Unseen” found that “children of incarcerated parents are disproportionately poor, African-American and Latino, and for many, their lives are shaped by the same cycle of poverty, violence and recidivism that ensnares their parents.”

According to the Department of Justice, in 1999 an estimated 767,200 black children, 384,500 white children and 301,600 Hispanic children had a parent in prison.

“Many children with incarcerated parents become invisible victims of crime, part of an ill-defined population that often sees its needs unmet,” said study co-author Jeff Kelly Lowenstein.

Kelly Lowenstein and his colleagues found that children’s needs are not a legal priority in the judicial process. Programs for children with incarcerated parents that do exist are specifically dedicated to reuniting families before the parents’ release. However, he believes that positive intervention needs to take place in these young people’s lives throughout their parents’ incarceration.

The impact of incarceration is especially harmful in a community like North Lawndale that already struggles with so many social and economic problems. LAMP focuses mainly on the North Lawndale community, collaborating with 13 elementary schools and a high school in the neighborhood. Green also works on the issue city-wide.

LAMP was patterned after the nationally recognized Amachi program in Philadelphia. The word “Amachi” derives from Nigerian language, meaning “Who knows what God has brought us through this child.”