As the chairman of the state’s P-20 Council which helps develop a framework to guide education policy for pre-kindergarten through graduate school in Illinois, these issues are very close to my heart. We need to invest public resources in a way that ensures that every neighborhood school is a quality school, as lots of families do not have access to charter schools and selective-enrollment schools. We need to ensure a quality education for every student—whether one with a disability, one who needs bilingual education, or one who comes to school hungry because their family cannot afford breakfast. As such, it is crucial that we address the neighborhood schools with fervor for accountability, student performance, parent involvement, and equalized funding.
We must review and monitor schools that continue to perform at unacceptable levels. We must also review reconstitution plans very carefully to include the schools’ learning communities. Everyone must be heard during the process of evaluation. The teachers, the parents, the students, and the community at large must work collaboratively before any decisions are made to close a school. It is crucial that neighborhood issues are also taken into consideration. The board needs to adopt procedures that are clear and fair for determining reconstitution.
All schools must be treated equally and fairly. We will maintain schools that have successful programs. Neighborhood schools should receive the same attention as specialized schools and magnet schools. Neighborhood schools are the anchors in every community throughout Chicago.
As I recently announced, we must also build upon the existing “Community Schools” model to create additional Community Learning Centers within the lowest performing schools. We will create partnerships among the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and these schools to create extended day learning opportunities that may include the arts, sports, technology, tutoring, and specialized programs for students. Crucial to this model is a parent component in which parents can also take classes such as GED or ESL in addition to being involved in programming for the benefit of the children. A good example of such Community Learning Centers is the one at Monroe Elementary School in the Logan Square neighborhood. Monroe partners with the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA) to provide programs for families after school and in the evening, including adult education classes for parents, homework help for students, as well as sports, music, and art programs for children.
According to a study conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago Public School students participating in Community Learning Centers improve academically. Of those students, 70% improved their completion of homework, 72% improved their participation in class, 66% improved their classroom behavior, and 73% improved their overall academic performance. In addition, eighth graders proved better prepared for high school.
I propose a partnership with the private sector to fund the creation of more Community Learning Centers like this one, increasing their number by 50% during my first term as mayor. Just as we have a responsibility to be engaged in our children’s learning, Chicago’s business community must continue to support community learning as well. This is a natural partnership. I believe in these partnerships because they work.
I would also seek to ensure that all CPS schools have active, well-trained, functioning Local School Councils. As a state senator, I was the co-sponsor of the 1988 School Reform law that created Local School Councils. When I spoke at the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE), I said, “Show me a school that’s progressing, I will show you a school with a Local School Council that is strong, that is involved, that is connected, that is fully engaged."
We need to refine our system and process for teacher evaluation. I believe that evaluation should be used to provide ongoing feedback and be used to help inform training and professional development for teachers and staff. However, I also believe that, in collaboration with the teachers’ union, there needs to be a review and necessary changes to ensure a process that will allow termination of those teachers that fail to do their job effectively.
The State of Illinois is requiring all districts to change their teacher evaluation process to make it more transparent and helpful to teachers. The Chicago Public Schools recently received a $34 million Teacher Incentive Fund grant from the federal government to improve teacher evaluation practices. Such practices should help identify areas where teachers need to grow and connect these teachers to trainings. The trend in educational theory is toward the development of whole new models of teaching—to help the US catch up with other countries—and existing teachers must be empowered to participate in these new models as they flow from our teaching universities and education policy think tanks.
The foundation of a good teacher evaluation system is to thoroughly evaluate teachers early in their career, before tenure is awarded, and then support teachers’ efforts to continue to improve across their entire careers. I was a chief co-sponsor of the 2004 state law creating the Grow Your Own Teacher Program. I’m glad to see that a recent evaluation of the program concluded that GYO beginning teachers far exceeded expectations on curriculum and instruction through a combination of high quality teacher education and ongoing support.
None of this can be done without changes in how we fund CPS and utilize existing resources. All schools must have the proper resources to get the job done. Administrative reductions must be made, except school personnel that work with students directly. But there must be a search for additional public and private funding. We must become more competitive for federal funding for our schools and school-based programs, and we must recapture TIF district funds that are currently diverted from the CPS. We must draw down on universal breakfast funding that is currently being left on the table.
We must also work toward comprehensive reform of state school funding. I have a long track record of supporting comprehensive school funding reform to reduce the reliance on property taxes to fund public schools and reduce the spending disparity between rich and poor districts. During my tenure as a state senator, in 2005 I took the lead on this issue, introducing a bill which called for a restructuring of the state income tax structure in a way that raised income tax on wealthy households but did not increase the burden on low-income families. It also called for the expansion of the sales tax base.
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Freddrenna Lyle - 6th Ward
Leslie Hairston - 5th Ward
Anthony Beale - 9th Ward
Debra Silverstein - 50th Ward
David Moore - 17th Ward
George Rumsey - 4th Ward
Gery Chico - Mayor
Gregory Mitchell - 7th Ward
Lionel Martin - 7th Ward
Bita Buenrostro - 43rd Ward
Brian Sleet - 6th Ward
Jim Bosco - 2nd Ward
Syron Smith - 15th Ward
Faheem Shabazz - 8th Ward
Miguel Del Valle - Mayor
Bill 'Doc' Walls - Mayor
Federico Sciammarella - 2nd Ward
Patricia Van Pelt Watkins - Mayor
Anne Marie Miles - 5th Ward
Adam Miguest - 4th Ward
