Illinois Federation of Teachers — The Illinois General Assembly will return to Springfield on Tuesday to continue considering bills in committees. Here are some highlights of this week’s action.
Rauner to give budget address on Wednesday
The governor will deliver his annual budget address on Wednesday, February 14. He has pledged to present a balanced budget; it would be the first time he’s done so during his tenure. Rauner painted a rosy picture of Illinois during his State of the State address two weeks ago, but failed to take responsibility for the problems he’s created, including his two-year budget impasse that hurt our K12 schools, universities, and communities.
Teacher shortage takes spotlight; subject matter hearings planned
The House Education Licensure, Administration, and Oversight Committee has convened a subcommittee on the teacher shortage. The committee plans to hold informational hearings in the coming weeks. Discussions about the teacher shortage are expected to occur in the Senate Education Committee as well.
Members discussed two bills in subcommittee this week. HB 4167 (Parkhurst, R-Kankakee) would allow a student who is enrolled in an educator preparation program at a regionally accredited institution of higher education and has earned at least 90 credit hours at that institution to apply for a Substitute Teaching License. HB 4280 (Pritchard, R-Sycamore) would require ISBE to establish and maintain the Growing Future Educators Program to train high school graduates who are English language learners and are enrolled in an approved educator preparation program to become secondary language educators. Votes were not taken on either proposal.
Senate Ed committee focuses on school funding
Still stinging from the need to override the Rauner’s veto of SB 444, legislators heard testimony from State Superintendent Tony Smith before the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. Smith provided an update on the status of distributing $350 million in additional state money for education that was included in the FY19 budget. The new money will (eventually) be distributed using the new funding formula, which is designed to steer the most state money to the districts most in need.
ISBE now says it needs more than 20 technical changes to the evidence-based funding legislation before it can distribute the money. Smith said that April remains ISBE’s target date for distribution.
Tuition waivers in jeopardy HB 4235, (Pritchard, R-DeKalb), would prohibit districts from waiving the out of district tuition fees for their employee teachers who live out of district but want their children to attend school in the district in which they teach. The sponsor claims eliminating the waiver would save costs for district. The bill would still allow the fees to be waived if the district is in a certified teacher shortage area.
IFT opposes this legislation, which would worsen the teacher shortage and eliminate district authority. The bill passed out of committee.
Widespread early voting delays
Some Illinois county clerks have delayed early voting due to ballot challenges. In Chicago and Cook county, the delay may last up to two weeks. Officials in Lake, St. Clair, McClean, and other counties have also announced a delay. If you are planning to vote in the next two weeks, first check with your county clerk’s office. To learn more about the candidates and the issues before you vote, visit ift-aft.org/VOTE.
Students in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system are learning faster than just about any other school district in the nation, according to new research.
Reardon based his analysis on 300 million elementary school test scores covering more than 11,000 school districts.
“I don’t think CPS is doing anything extraordinary or special for parent engagement, but it may be worth pointing out that we’re suddenly leading the nation in student growth and our kids of color are outperforming comparable kids of color across the state,” said Marilyn Rhames, the founder of the nonprofit Teachers Who Pray and a veteran teacher in Chicago.
[/media-credit] Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the report a testament to the hard work, progress and success of Chicago’s remarkable students, teachers, principals and families. In this photo, Emanuel speaks during the White House Summit on Working Families Chicago Regional Forum at the Ralph Metcalfe Building in Chicago, Ill., April 2014.
Still, Rhames, author of the upcoming book, “The Master Teacher: 12 Spiritual Lessons that can Transform Schools and Revolutionize Public Education,” cautioned that there’s another side to the success story that shouldn’t be overlooked.
“There’s a huge race-based disparity of performance on the SAT, which all 11th graders in the state of Illinois has to take,” Rhames said. “Some CPS high schools did the worst in the state. So, how effective is our growth, if it’s not translating into better preparation for college?”
But, it’s not just about test scores, student attendance is up, Chicago high schools are offering more rigorous courses and high school graduation and college enrollment rates continue to rise, said Elaine Allensworth of the Chicago Consortium on School Research.
The consortium has provided a descriptive examination of two- and four-year college enrollment patterns among CPS graduates over the last 10 years.
They found that CPS graduates’ immediate college enrollment rates increased over the last decade, with 63 percent of 2015 graduates enrolling in either a two- or four-year college immediately after high school, compared to 50 percent of graduates in 2006.
In 2015, CPS graduates’ rate of enrollment in four-year colleges was equal to the national rate at 44 percent, and higher than some urban districts, including New York and Los Angeles, which were 38 percent and 24 percent, respectively.
In June 2017, WBEZ in Chicago reported that even as CPS—the state’s largest school district—reeled from an ongoing budget crisis, an academic turnaround has occurred.
For decades, the district reportedly shouldered a reputation of being perennially challenged by poverty and chronically low-performing schools.
“That’s not Chicago anymore,” said Paul Zavitkovsky, a researcher with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Urban Education Leadership.
Research has also revealed that Chicago students, on average, repeatedly outperform their peers outside the city.
Reardon, a leading expert on education equality in the United States, presented an analysis in November that revealed Chicago’s students learn and grow at a faster rate than 96 percent of school districts in the country—including wealthy districts.
Reardon’s findings also noted that, among the 100 largest school districts in the country, Chicago has the highest growth rate between third and eighth grade; and each successive CPS class is outperforming the class that came before and improving at a rate far above the national average, according to Reardon’s report.
“This report is a testament to the hard work, progress and success of Chicago’s remarkable students, teachers, principals and families,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “CPS students make Chicago proud every day. They not only lead in the classroom, they lead the country in academic growth, and their achievements are earning national recognition and respect.”
Kate Phillippo, an associate professor of cultural and educational policy studies at the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago, said she’s excited to see increased learning growth in CPS.
“It’s important to note what Chicago accomplished specifically. For example, its third grade test scores are still below the national average, but its growth is unusually high,” Phillippo said.
While there’s no one secret to success, initiatives at the school level have clearly promoted growth, she said.
“I think the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has the potential to support student achievement, giving districts greater flexibility about how they approach curriculum, and what learning supports they provide to their students,” Phillippo said. “ESSA’s provision for less standardized testing will also free educators up from a sense of pressure to prepare students for high-stakes tests. Finally, it is critical that ESSA has kept in place protections for economically disadvantaged students; that’s one of the hallmarks of ESSA.”
Learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act at nnpa.org/essa.
CHICAGO CRUSADER — Gary has lost the greatest amount of its school-aged students to private schools, according to a recent report by the Indiana Department of Education.
The report used data from the start of the 2017-2018 school year. It includes all public schools in Lake County. The report shows most districts lost students to private charter schools, but the district with the greatest loss is Gary. While a majority of students still attend public schools in neighboring cities, Gary students are leaving a district that’s mired in debt and low academic achievement.
This is the first year the department conducted the report.
According to the report, the city had 12,032 school-aged children in the fall, but only 4,681 or 39 percent attended the Gary Community Schools. About 61 percent or 7,354 students attended other schools. Of that amount some 5,466 of those students or 45.4 percent are in charter schools and 1,266 or 10.5 percent are attending public schools outside the city, while 578 attend private schools through state vouchers.
Gary’s biggest enrollment losses stem from elementary schools. Gary has not had a middle school since 2016 when the Williams Annex closed. To boost enrollment, Emergency Manager Peggy Hinckley is exploring the possibility of bringing back a middle school.
The state took over Gary’s public schools after the majority of the district scored an F grade on the Indiana Accountability Report. With over $100 million in debt, Hinckley was given full control to make academic and financial decisions to turn- around the district.
Elsewhere, in East Chicago only 988 of the city’s 5,329 students are in public charter schools and 367 attend private charter schools, according to the report. Approximately 70 percent (3,721) of the 5,329 children who attend school in East Chicago’s public School City District.
The report shows Hammond’s public school system is still preferred over public and private charter schools.
More than 85 percent (12,416) of Hammond’s 14,521 school-aged students remain in the city’s public schools. Approximately 2,109 students attend other schools, but of that group, only 926 are enrolled in a private school through a state voucher. Approximately 809 attend a public charter school.
Of all the school districts in Lake County, Munster and Lake Central had the highest percentage of students in public schools with 98 percent and 97 percent, respectively.
Other cities in Lake County show public districts are keeping a majority of their students. They include River Forest (97 percent), Crown Point (96.7), Tri-Creek (96 percent), Highland Creek (96 percent), Hanover (93.9 percent), Hobart (93.9 percent), Griffith (92.6 percent), Lake Ridge (91.9 percent), Lake Station (81 percent), Merrillville (89 percent), Whiting (88.6 percent).
Public schools in cities in Portage County have also kept a high majority of their students.
“We are pleased to compile and release the 2017-2018 transfer report, providing our schools with even more insight into the individual students they serve,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick said in a statement. “Having a great understanding of every aspect of our local districts will allow our educators to make important decisions and better plans.”
THE CHICAGO CRUSADER — Did you know that there are 400,000 black men who have master’s degrees? I didn’t think so. That was just one of the many things I learned at a book signing and discussion of the newly released Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys.
Organized by RIISE, or Resources in Independent School Education founded and led by Gina Parker Collins, the event brought together independent school parents as well as educators and administrators to hear and participate in a powerful discussion.
Unfortunately, most of the narrative around black men is deficit focused, and the stereotype is what many believe.
WAVE NEWSPAPERS — It was several years ago that Lubna Hindi realized the impact she and Step Up — a nonprofit that empowers young girls in under-resourced communities –– were having on the kids they served.
Hindi was a ninth grade instructor for the organization at the time, and the first class she ever taught was now wearing their caps and gowns, excitedly awaiting to discover what the future might hold for them.
The salutatorian got up, walked to the stage and in his speech to family, friends, peers and instructors, he talked about the memories he created at his school, and he talked about Step Up. He said that his female peers in the program taught him about feminism and what it means to be a man. When he was done and the valedictorian, who was going to Columbia University, stepped up to the stage, she opened up about what Step Up meant to her.
“It was one of those moments that made me realize that Step Up actually works and that the curriculum is making an impact,” said Hindi, the nonprofit’s manager of external relations and individual giving.
Founded in 1998, Step Up came into fruition after Kaye Kramer found out her mother was suffering from breast cancer. Kramer started looking for a support system and in that search, she invited 30 of her female friends and colleagues to her home. And it was there, in her living room, that Kramer found the sense of community she was seeking that would come to be known as Step Up.
“We create brave and safe spaces for girls to thrive in,” Hindi said of the after-school programs in the nonprofit’s partnering high schools. The curriculum, she said, focuses on not only the social and emotional growth of girls from ninth to 12th grade in underrepresented communities, but also on empowering them to be confident and college-bound.
Since its first office opened in Los Angeles, Step Up has become a nationally recognized organization with offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas and more, and its programs are found in dozens of high schools throughout the country.
Once or twice a week, trained Step Up instructors provide two-hour after-school sessions to high school girls in dozens of schools all over the country.
The sessions follow the organization’s youth development and grade-specific curriculums. The ninth and 10th grade confidence curriculums, for example, focus on identity, relationships, voice, visions, action and expression.
The 11th graders center more on college readiness and career exploration with the Pathways to Professions program. Those in it get the chance to participate in the Bay Area College Tour, which, as Hindi said, is about giving college-bound girls the opportunity to see themselves in university spaces so they understand that they deserve to be there.
As for high school seniors, also known as the Young Luminaries, their curriculum includes monthly Saturday group mentoring where they get help with college applications, career preparation and are set up with summer internships.
Step Up currently has about 700 girls enrolled in its L.A. chapter in schools from Huntington Park to South L.A., and Hindi hopes to see the numbers grow locally and nationally.
“In five years, we hope to see [Step Up] in more cities and in every major market,” she said. “In 10 years, we want to be a nationally recognized organization … where people see Step Up’s value and understand the work we do.”
INFORMATION BOX
CEO/president: Jenni Luke
Years in operation: 20
Number of employees: 14 in L.A.; 50 nationally
Annual budget: $1 million in L.A.; $4 million nationally
Cincinnati Public Schools projects its enrollment will continue to slightly increase to an estimated 35,544 students in 2018-19, its highest enrollment since 2005-06. Since 2013, the district has gained 2,543 students.
Some key areas of change include:
CPS has 35,355 students enrolled in the 2016-17 school year, an increase of 196 students from the previous year;
CPS has opened three elementary schools in 2016-17 to accommodate a growth surge in enrollment for those age groups;
Charter school enrollment in the district declined by 189 students this school year;
9 percent of CPS students are Black, Non-Hispanic, which represents no significant change from the previous school year;
CPS is giving more preschoolers a strong start, with a projected 440 new students expected to enroll in preschool next year.
Last month, CPS released a report called “Making Progress,” which outlined improvements in the district’s performance, including:
98 percent of CPS third graders met the Third-Grade Reading Guarantee; this represents a 29 percent increase in the number of third graders who achieved the state’s proficiency rate;
96 percent of 2017 graduates have been accepted into a college program, enlisted in the military or entered the workforce, up from 92 percent in 2016;
ACT scores increased 5 percent over the last four years.
By Stephen Herzenberg for THIRD AND STATE: A progressive take on public policy in Pennsylvania
A new “big-data” base on U.S. school districts provides new evidence that Pennsylvania has many high-performing schools but many lower-income rural and urban districts that perform less well. A likely culprit: Pennsylvania’s inadequate state funding for schools. Low state school funding leaves moderate- and lower-income districts poorly funded and with less in total funding than affluent districts, even though the lower-income districts serve students with higher rates of poverty, non-English speaking families, and other challenges that hold back achievement. Most school districts in neighboring New Jersey perform well regardless of their income and wealth, thanks in part to more generous and equitable state funding for schools of moderate means.
The new data base, the Stanford Education Data Archive will be a gold mine for education researchers and policymakers. While waiting for definitive studies, we take a first look here at what the data base offers based on a New York Times story and interactive on-line tool posted earlier this month.
The story highlighted that the Chicago Public Schools delivered one of the highest improvements in student test scores from 3rd grade to 8th grade between 2009 and 2015. Its interactive tool allows users to enter a school district, and to extract information on how that school and 19 comparison districts in the same state performed over this period. The comparison districts change each time you use the tool, even if the school district you enter stays the same. The basic picture of how the school district entered performs relative to other districts does not change, suggesting that the researchers have been careful to make the other districts a “representative” comparison group.
We used the tool to examine the performance of Pennsylvania school districts. We then used the tool to generate information on New Jersey school districts. The table profiles Philadelphia and 19 other Pennsylvania school districts.
CHICAGO – Bestselling author and American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Misty Copeland will lend her support to advocate for our nation’s libraries as honorary chair of National Library Week, April 8 – 14, 2018. Like librarians and library workers, Copeland’s efforts to lead social change through her writing and teaching fuel the transformation of lives through cultural understanding, education and lifelong learning.
[/media-credit] Misty Copeland
“Libraries Transform: Libraries Lead” is the theme for this year’s 60th anniversary celebration of National Library Week, reminding the public that libraries of all types serve as community compasses that lead users to endless opportunities for community engagement, enrichment and development.
“We are honored that Misty Copeland has agreed to join us as National Library Week honorary chair,” stated American Library Association President Jim Neal. “Copeland’s efforts to lead youth to pursue their dreams regardless of what challenges they may encounter, mirrors the efforts of librarians and library workers, as they work to inspire, educate and lead users to resources that improve lives.”
Copeland’s passion is giving back to communities. She supports many charitable organizations by giving her time and influence to support the greater good. Her generosity and support has extended to libraries by means of print PSAs, social media artwork and other materials that feature Copeland. Free downloadable tools are available now at ala.org/nlw, and more will be added throughout December.
“I’m thrilled to join leaders from the library community in celebrating National Library Week,” Copeland said. “Libraries help people of all backgrounds access the services and resources they need to discover their passions and achieve their goals.”
Copeland is the author of “Ballerina Body,” an instant New York Times Bestseller, published in March 2017. She is the author of the New York Times Bestselling memoir “Life in Motion,” published March 2014. Copeland is also the author of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award-winning 2014 book “Firebird,” an inspiring children’s book that shows that through hard work and dedication any young dancer can become a Firebird.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in San Pedro, California, Misty Copeland began her ballet studies at the late age of 13. At 15, she won first place in the Music Center Spotlight Awards. She studied at the San Francisco Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive on full scholarship and was declared ABT’s National Coca-Cola Scholar in 2000. Misty joined ABT’s Studio Company in September 2000, joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001, and in August 2007 became the company’s second African American female Soloist and the first in two decades. In June 2015, Misty was promoted to principal dancer, making her the first African American woman to ever be promoted to the position in the company’s 75-year history.
In the fall of 2014, she made history as the first black woman to perform the lead role of “Odette/Odile” in American Ballet Theatre’s Swan Lake during the company’s inaugural tour to Australia.
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is an annual observance by the American Library Association and libraries across the county each April. National Library Week celebrations include the release of the ALA’s 2018 “State of America’s Libraries Report,” April 9; National Library Workers Day, April 10; National Bookmobile Day, April 11; Take Action for Libraries Day, April 12; and the celebration of School Library Month throughout April.
For more information on National Library Week, please visit ILoveLibraries.org.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 56,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.
CHICAGO — For Immediate Release, Mon, 11/27/2017
Contact:
Rob Christopher
Marketing Coordinator
ALA Publishing
American Library Association
(312) 280-5052
CHICAGO — Despite the proliferation of online homework websites and tutoring services, public libraries still have an important role to play when it comes to supporting young people’s educational needs. Public libraries that take a proactive approach—by setting up organized homework centers—have the potential to become catalysts for better performance in school, improved self-esteem, and engaged learning. Whether readers are investigating the possibility of setting up a center from scratch or are eager to revamp an existing center, Cindy Mediavilla’s “Creating & Managing the Full-Service Homework Center,” published by ALA Editions, shows the way forward with:
discussion of the philosophy behind a public library homework center and its many benefits, with useful talking points for getting stakeholders on board;
examples of model programs from across the country;
guidance on assessing the community’s educational priorities and utilizing outcome-based planning and evaluation methods;
pragmatic advice on how to collaborate with schools and educators to coordinate goals;
thorough consideration of such key issues as carving out a space, setting hours, scheduling staff, and selecting and procuring educational resources;
handy tools for a successful homework center, including sample surveys, homework helper application forms and contracts, staff and volunteer job descriptions, and focus group questions;
advice on equipment and technology considerations; and
methodologies for evaluation and improvement.
Mediavilla authored “Creating the Full–Service Homework Center in Your Library,” (ALA, 2001), which has been called “the quintessential guide to the practicalities of setting up a formal homework help center to provide one–to–one homework assistance to student patrons” (Intner, “Homework Help from the Library,” ix). In the early 1990s she managed a homework center, called the Friendly Stop, for the Orange (CA) Public Library, and she has been studying after–school homework programs ever since. She has published several articles on the topic and has evaluated homework programs for the Long Beach and Los Angeles public libraries. She has made presentations on homework help programs at the conferences of several major library associations, and she has also conducted many workshops on the topic.
ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. ALA Editions and ALA Neal-Schuman publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5052 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.
CHICAGO – Libraries are taking a proactive approach toward engaging parents and caregivers in supporting the early literacy development of their children, and the Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library® (ECRR) Program is an excellent tool to ensure libraries’ success. These were two of the key findings of a study released this month by Dr. Susan B. Neuman, a professor of childhood education and literacy development at New York University.
ECRR is based on two core concepts: reading begins at birth, and parents are a child’s first and best teacher. Currently more than 6,000 libraries have invested in the ECRR Toolkit, which is used to implement ECRR in the library.
In 2013, the Public Library Association (PLA) and Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to conduct a national study on the effect of library programming on parent behavior and engagement using the ECRR model. From 2013-2016, the research team – consisting of Neuman, Naomi Moland, and Donna Celano – observed and evaluated storytime programs at 57 library branches representing 36 different library systems across the country. From that group, 20 target libraries were selected for the study—ten that were deemed to be strong implementers of the ECRR curriculum, and ten that were not. Neuman et. al. observed significantly greater engagement of parents and caregivers in the libraries that used the ECRR program: these libraries offered more opportunities for parents and children to interact, more parents-only workshops, and more diverse program offerings.
“Libraries are emerging as community centers that promote family engagement, thus serving an important mission of fostering school readiness for children in many communities,” the report reads. “Libraries are playing a particularly vital role as resource brokers, helping to connect parents with services and resources, as well as a space for parents and children to work on literacy skills.”
A 2016 survey of city and county managers highlighted early childhood education as one of the top three community priorities in which local government leaders see public libraries playing an important role. ECRR enables libraries of all sizes to better equip families to succeed as early childhood education providers.
“Our library was an early adopter of Every Child Ready to Read, and we’ve been very happy with the curriculum, resources, and marketing materials that support the program,” says Clara Bohrer, director of the West Bloomfield Township (Mich.) Public Library. “For our staff, ECRR has helped create a ‘springboard’ for new ideas and practices that we use in engaging families and strengthening early literacy programming.”
ECRR is the foundation upon which PLA has established its Family Engagement Initiative. The term “family engagement” refers to the shared responsibility among families, educators, and communities to support children’s learning and development. By implementing ECRR and other family engagement strategies into their programming, PLA encourages its member libraries to form respectful partnerships that offer the information, guidance, and opportunities for families to be active in their children’s learning and development.
“Public libraries across the U.S. are embracing their role as the community’s hub for early literacy,” says PLA Executive Director Barb Macikas. “PLA and our partner, the Association for Library Service to Children, are thrilled to confirm that our Every Child Ready to Read® (ECRR) @ your library® Program is having the desired effect by helping libraries engage parents and caregivers to be their children’s first, and best, teachers.”
“This report further validates the importance of the early literacy work librarians do every day,” adds ALSC President Nina Lindsay, a children’s services librarian at Oakland (Calif.) Public Library. “Our job now is to make sure communities are aware of the strong literacy development available in their neighborhood libraries.”
Click here to download Bringing Literacy Home: An Evaluation of the Every Child Ready to Read Program.
About PLA The Public Library Association (PLA) is the largest association dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals. Founded in 1944, PLA serves nearly 9,000 members in public libraries large and small in communities across the United States and Canada, with a growing presence around the world. PLA strives to help its members shape the essential institution of public libraries by serving as an indispensable ally for public library leaders. For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at 1 (800) 545-2433, ext.5PLA, or pla@ala.org.
Crusader Staff Report
WAVE NEWSPAPERS — It was several years ago that Lubna Hindi realized the impact she and Step Up — a nonprofit that empowers young girls in under-resourced communities –– were having on the kids they served.
Cincinnati Public Schools projects its enrollment will continue to slightly increase to an estimated 35,544 students in 2018-19, its highest enrollment since 2005-06. Since 2013, the district has gained 2,543 students.
CHICAGO – Bestselling author and American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Misty Copeland will lend her support to advocate for our nation’s libraries as honorary chair of National Library Week, April 8 – 14, 2018. Like librarians and library workers, Copeland’s efforts to lead social change through her writing and teaching fuel the transformation of lives through cultural understanding, education and lifelong learning.
CHICAGO — For Immediate Release, Mon, 11/27/2017