Local School Councils- about/doings, mtg. schedule, electtions, schools table and LSC memberships

A service of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference Schools Committee and the HPKCC website, www.hydepark.org.
Help support our work-Join the Conference.
Join the Schools Committee- co-chairs Homer Ashby and Nancy Baum. email hpkcc@aol.com

CPS director of LSC relations is James Deanes.

HPKCC and the LSCs

“The mission of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference Schools Committee is to provide community support for the schools and to provide a place where Local School Council members can get together to share information.”

Our Schools Committee meets August 20 (moved), Wednesday, 7 pm, Unied Church of Hyde Park, 1448 E. 53rd St. Blackstone entry.

October 17. The Schools Committee hosted a wonderful and fruitful workshop on applying for block grants with Daisy Lezama, Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services. St. (Blackstone entrance). For program providers, principals, teachers.
Read about our February Recognition dinner in Schools Committee. page (schools home)..

A major effort of the LSCs is to exchange information and promote networking among LSCs, helping to get partnership programs and train in grant seeping. We wil need LSC help in distributing our Youth Programs Database. Contact Nancy Baum at 773 288-5464 or nbbaum@sbcglobal.net.

Reports on the HPKCC Recognition ceremony for LSC members in February are in the HPKCC Schools Committee page.

HPKCC Schools Committee next meets ? at United Church of Hyde Park, 7 pm. Use Blackstone entry north of 53rd St.  

The Schools Committee held a great banquet for lsc members including principals February 25, 2008 at Canter Middle School. We thank the hospitality of Principal Conlan and the school, the volunteers (including from Kenwood Academy), Kozminski strings performing group, those who gave testimonials about the value of lscs, and Sen. Kwame Raoul, who gave a serious talk about the value and challenges of lscs and our schools. Certificates and pins were awarded to all lsc members.

HPKCC Schools Committee
Hosts Second Biannual Local School Council
Recognition Ceremony

By Nancy Baum, HPKCC Schools Committee Chair

Illinois State Senator Kwame Raoul was the featured speaker at the HPKCC Second Biannual Local School Council Recognition Ceremony held on February 25, 2008, in the Canter School Auditorium. James Harris, Board member, emceed the affair and gave a thoroughly spellbinding summary of the history of the coming into being of Local School Councils. Local School Councils were created to give communities more control of the public schools thus making individual schools accountable to parents and taxpayers. He invited the braver LSC members to come forth to speak to the group about their school’s individual accomplishments and about what it meant to be on the LSC. Several articulate LSC members did so. Senator Raoul explained his forwarding to another state senator a resolution calling for a study on the effectiveness of LSC’s. Senator Raoul acknowledged that the study committee did not include any LSC members and that that was a oversight. Senator Raoul reiterated his
support of LSC’s and his commitment to fighting for legislation in which he truly believes. He genuinely enjoys the job of state senator and is finding his voice in the state legislature.

Schools whose enthusiastic LSC members were honored included Ariel, Canter, Dyett, Bret Harte, Kenwood Academy, Kozminski, Murray, Ray, Reavis, and Shoesmith. Some of these members have been on their LSC’s for 10 years. Melodious background music was provided by the Kozminski School String Ensemble (consisting of 6 girls) taught by Jelena Zivko.

The event was underwritten by the HPKCC and contributors included Computer Resource Center and Century 21 Kennedy, Ryan, Monigal and Associates, Medici Restaurant, Cornell Florist and individuals on the HPKCC board. The tasty menu included pizza and brownies that the Medici contributed to the affair, plus the Medici’s barbecued chicken, chicken wings, Caesar salad, vegetables and dips.

The Schools Committee members who worked hard on this event were Nancy Baum, Chairperson, Judy Dupont, James Harris, David Nekimken, Julie Monberg, Gary Ossewaarde, Larry Turpin, and Julie Woestehoff. Special thanks go to George Rumsey for program design and to Colleen Conlan, the interim principal at Canter School, who did a beautiful job at helping to set up the auditorium and provide custodial help for the affair and who tracked down student helpers from Kenwood Academy.

The event marked the end of the two-year term of service for the current Local School Council members and highlights the coming April elections of Local School Council members who may come from the ranks of parents, teachers or community residents. Each Local School Council meets monthly at a time set by the group. Nominations for LSC parent and community positions will be accepted at the schools until March 12. Application forms for people willing to run are available at any public school and online at www.cps.k12.il.us/AboutCPS/Departments/OSCR. The LSC elections take place on April 16th in high schools and April 17th in elementary schools.

LSC recognition dinner Monday. Herald, Feb. 25, 2008

State Sen. Kwame Raoul (?D-3) will be the guest speaker at the Hyde Park Local School Councils' (LSC) Bi-annual Membership Recognition dinner. The event will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Fe. 25, at Caner Middle School, 4959 S. Blackstone Ave.

"We're very excited about what we have planned for this event," said Nancy Baum, chairman of thewww.cps.k12.il.us/AboutCPS/Departments/OSCR event's committee.

Other event highlights include live music provided by string ensemble of Kozminski Elementary School, 936 E. 54th St., and dinner, for the children who attend the event, donated by the Medici restaurant, 1327 E. 57th St.

the event was created to reward out-going members of LSCs, which consist of parents, teachers, principals and community members, for their service.

Baum said that her 13-member committee is looking for volunteers to help with set up for the event. The [committee] is also looking for new members to fill the soon-to-be vacant slots on the school [LSCs].

Nominations for LSC parent and community positions will be accepted at the schools until March 12. Application forms are available at any public school and online at www.cps.k12.il.us/AboutCPS/Departments/OSCR. The LSC elections take place on April 16 in high schools and April 17 in elementary schools. For more information about the event or the schools committee, contact Nancy Baum at 288-5464.

Locals needed for incoming LSCs- Note, filing deadline passed.

Hyde Park Herald, March 5, 2008. By Daschell M. Phillips

Marcy Schlessinger, long-time local school council (LSC) member for Ray Elementary School, 5631 S. Kimbark Ave., has experienced an extensive, trailblazing run during her years as a member. Schlessinger, whose children attended Ray School from September 1982 until June 2000, has served on the LSC for about 25 years. :I was on the very first LSC right after the legislation (to form LSCs) was implemented," said Schlessinger. "Our first job was to hire a new principal, Cydney Fields. There was no prototype or guideline for LSCs to do this, so we had to create our own process. I wa also a part of the initial development of the School Improvement Plan that is now the anchor of school growth."

Schlessinger said she was also a part of the LSC that pushed the Chicago Public Schools into building the annex to Ray School.

When her youngest daughter graduated from Ray she wanted to continue working with the school so she decided to run for election as one of the community representatives of the LSC. She decided not to run for a new positi9on this year. "I have found it very rewarding to be able to support the educational vision of the three principals I have served under--Sara Spurlock (sp?), Cydney Fields and Bernadette Butler," said Schlessinger. "I am stepping down because it's the right time for me to do so."

It is election time for all LSC, so nine Hyde Park area schools are each looking for new members to fill 10 LSC member spots. Some members, such as Schlessinger, decide not to run aging but those who want to remain on the LSC have to run again.

"All LSC spots--except for the principal slot, which is ex-officio--are up for election every two years, and there are 10 open spots at every elementary school and one extra spot for a student representative at each high school." said Julie Woestehoff, executive director of Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE).

According to the PURE Web site, LSCs are elected bodies at nearly every Chicago Public School. Each LSC consists of six parents, two community members who are not parents of students at the school, two teachers, the principal, and, in high schools, a student member.

The LSC's major responsibilities are to approve the school budget and annual school improvement plan, to evaluate the principal every year and to decide every four years if they want to renew the principal's contract or hire a new principal.

2008 LSC elections winners- congratulations!

All except firt item are as in April 30 Herald, which said it did not have results for all schools. We will post a complete list as soon as confirmed.

Community members elected at Kenwood Academy: Ted Fetters, Rebecca Janowitz

Bret Harte
Parent: Janell Washington, Jennifer Alexander, Diane Billingsley, Rodney Shelby, Rose Bahl, Carrie Tipton and Constance Pierce (last 2 tie to be broken)
Community: Zanette Sanders, William Sweetland
Teacher: Diane Coney, Debbie Hampton

Canter Middle
Parent: Ava Martin, Tina Hawkins , Robin Haley Loving, Anthony Austin
Community: Anthony Wilkins, John Keller, Ronald Oliver
Teacher: Janak Paaarjaape, Raashida Washington

Murray
Parent: Byron Mason, Rhonda Hakins-Like, Cynthia Smith, John Dozier, Maurice Young, Devon Williams
Community: Kylie Russ, Julie Woestehoff, Annika Frazier Mohammad
Teacher: Curtis Bynum, Kathleen Finke

Ray
Parent: Raymond Lodato, Heather Ettleman, John Gonzalez, Sean Murphy, Lee Baker, Jennifer Washington
Community: Kenneth Schug, Angela Walker
Teacher: Elizabeth Avila, Christine Lancaster, Willie Walter

Reavis
Parent: Demetria Davis, Tajuana Felton, Charlene Campbell
Community: Louis Wright, Charles Levesque
Teacher: Anita Tutson, Catheryn Askew

 

Reports on meeting with Sen. Raoul on LSCs August 20, 2007

Julie Woestehoff wrote:

Report on 8/20/07 meeting with Senator Kwame Raoul

The HPKCC Schools Committee and the KOCO Mid-South Education Association
co-sponsored a meeting with Senator Kwame Raoul on Monday, August 20th,
2007 at Kennicott Park.

Attending from the Schools Committee were Anthony Vinson, Annika
Frazier-Muhammed, Gary Ossewaarde, Larry Turpin and Julie Woestehoff.
There were also several students, parents and community residents
representing KOCO in attendance.

KOCO President Jitu Brown opened the meeting at 6:20 with introductions
and a welcome to Sen. Raoul. He briefly reviewed the history of the
school reform law – why and how it came to be, what it has meant to the
community, and the success of LSCs as a school reform and civic
empowerment strategy. He also mentioned some of the CPS policies and
practices, such as school closings, which have hit KOCO’s community
especially hard.

Julie Woestehoff spoke a few words about the Schools Committee’s efforts
to support LSCs and our current interest in working to expand
out-of-school activities for local youth.

Sen. Raoul was asked to give a brief overview of his position on LSCs.
He said that he is in favor of the concept of LSCs but is concerned
about whether they are competent to make judgments about the schools. He
acknowledged that the recent events in Springfield have also called into
question the ability of state legislators to do their job.

Re: SJR0058
He reported that this past spring, Arne Duncan, whom he describes as a
childhood friend, approached him to sponsor a resolution to set up a
task force to study LSCs. He declined, in part because he is not a
member of the Senate Education Committee, and also because the
Democratic chair of the Education Committee, Sen. Kimberley Lightford,
chose not to be a sponsor. However, Sen. Raoul agreed to ask the ranking
Republican on the Education Committee, Sen. Dan Cronin, to sponsor the
bill. Sen. Cronin agreed.

In retrospect, Sen. Raoul agreed that the resolution had some
weaknesses, including the fact that the task force that would be set up
to study LSCs had no LSC or other community representation. He noted
that the bill died without ever coming up for a vote.

Attendee Judy King asked Sen. Raoul to explain what he thought was wrong
with the Curie High School LSC’s decision not to renew the principal’s
contract, since he had cited “the Curie situation” as a reason for
needing a legislative resolution to study LSCs. Sen. Raoul acknowledged
that he only knew what he had read in the newspapers and that media
reports can be one-sided or inaccurate. He also stated that he generally
does not support “reactionary” legislation, that is, legislation
designed to address some specific high-profile situation. He feels that
this is often bad legislation.

He did say he thought he could be in favor of HJR0071, which also calls
for a study of LSCs, but in an open public hearing process. Several LSC
members made the point that LSCs need more support and that often the
support they get from CPS causes more problems that it resolves.

Throughout the session, attendees raised many other excellent points
which Sen. Raoul seemed to appreciate. He stated that now that he knows
he has so many constituents who are interested and well-informed about
LSC issues, he will make an effort to reach out when these issues come
up. He also specifically offered the services of his office for LSC
members who are having difficulties getting information they need or
other obstacles to the performance of their duties.

Overall, the meeting was quite successful. It was respectful, friendly,
open and honest – a good first step in building an effective working
relationship with Senator Raoul on education issues.

Respectfully submitted by Julie Woestehoff, HPKCC Schools Committee member

Gary Ossewaarde wrote:

Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference Schools Committee and Kenwood Oakland Community Organization/Mid South Education Association met with Senator Raoul August 20 at Kennicott Park to discuss local school councils (lscs) and other education issues. These and the other organizations present gave brief accounts of what they have been doing for schools and their concerns.

The meeting was occasioned by information that Sen. Raoul forwarded to another senator for introduction a resolution requested by Chicago Public Schools for a task force to study the effectiveness and continuation of lsc principal selection and other powers. The Senator clarified the circumstances.

Attendance at the purposely-small meeting (around 25) was impressive. Several school councils and also students and parents were present, from Woodlawn through Hyde Park and Washington Park and Oakland. Some of the schools included Dyett, Harte, Kenwood, King, Murray, Raymond, and Wadsworth.

Much testimony was given as to the effectiveness and serious work of the councils and their necessity as a buffer for parents and communities and to bring local realities into decision-making. Problems were also acknowledged, and difficulty keeping up public participation, but were pointed out as no greater (and maybe less) than those of the central bureaucracy and school boards in general. LSCs were called rare, almost the only, instruments of local democracy in Chicago, and are envied elsewhere.

The Senator said the move was only a resolution and that it set up a study, often a good thing. He agreed that the scope of any study could, and if advanced may well be, broadened and not focused on one party or one topic in school management such as lscs and on principal selection. Jitu Brown of KOCO and others explained the context of system failure under top-down management that led to enactment of school reform and creation of lscs. (An idea set forth was to look at the whole School Reform Act sections dealing with lsc responsibilities, which several said they find too ambiguous, and the entire principal selection starting with eligibility and the CPS “select from” list.) They also pointed to continuing problems needing to be studied, including the effects of capricious school closures on students and families, Renaissance 2010 and the suspended Mid South Plan, failure of many of the replacement schools, a loophole of no requirement for lscs in various types of new schools that tempts CPS to engage in widespread “transformations”. And they pointed out ambiguities in the Curie situation and noted that safeguards against lsc abuses exist, including independent arbitrations (which have generally found the lscs did a proper job).

Raoul said he would not support a move to curtail or eliminate lscs and said that in general he opposes as poor legislation that is reactive to a bad incident, such as the principal firing at Curie High School that was the alleged occasion for the resolution. Attendees expressed suspicion of CPS motives and that their intentions toward lscs was behind the resolution. Cited were the very small staff and resources assigned to train and support lscs and alleged interference from the Area Instructional Officers, allegedly including advice to principals to disregard lsc wishes. Attendees said their preference always was to work together with teachers, principals and CPS. Raoul said he supports accountability but not legislative micro-management.

The meeting concluded with attendees giving the Senator ways in which he could help lscs and schools:


· Change the law to provide that every public school supported with taxpayer dollars must have an lsc (taxation > representation). Parents especially need voices in new schools.
· Spell out responsibilities of lscs more clearly in the law.
· Have the legislature and direct CPS to provide/promote spending and staff for lsc and school support.
· Study the full range of school management, principal selection, and compliance with the reform and related acts; CPS not following the law in dealing with lscs; schools left to languish many years then capriciously closed and reopened without lscs.
· Sponsor neighborhood retreats on how to have good lscs, schools, etc.
· Finally, on lscs and related matters legislators need to talk to the local organizations including those here before introducing or supporting actions. Especially important is not supporting something that casts a shadow on bodies such as lscs that have to keep proving their credibility to bureaucrats.

Respectfully, Gary M. Ossewaarde

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DID YOU KNOW ONLY CHICAGO HAS DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED, CONTROLLING LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCILS? Councils approve budget, programs, school improvement plan, and hire/fire the principal. Also needed is help--broader parental involvement--lsc chairs of Harte and Canter told their candidate forums.

According to the Chicago Public Schools website, cps.k12.il.us/, parents are eligible to run if they have children attending their school of interest. Community representatives living near the public school, who do not have children attending the school, are also encouraged to seek candidacy.

The make up of the local school council calls for six parent representatives... The only stipulation for both community representatives and parents is that they cannot be employed by the Chicago Public Schools.

"Parent involvement is significant always," said Principal Carolyn Epps. "Studies have shown that parent involvement greatly improves student development."

The Herald said in its Feb. 15 editorial (adapted):

The election for our local school councils are April 19 and 20. The deadline for applying to run in the upcoming local school council election is March 17. There is no greater way to ensure our children in Hyde Park receive a quality education in the Chicago Public Schools than to sit on a local school council. It is therefore in the best interests of every parent, educator and resident of Hyde Park to run for a seat on an LSC.

HPKCC Schools Committee held a recognition and recruitment gala for lscs February 23. Read details in the HPKCC Schools Committee page. After the election, HPKCC will hold a training meeting for elected members, May 11, 6:30-8:30 pm at United Church of Hyde Park (use Blackstone entrance.)

A state mandate of 1988 made it possible for public schools in Chicago to have a LSC, a feature of public school checks and balances unique to this city. Parents and community representatives sitting on a LSC can decide how money is spent in a school. They can monitor the activity of teachers and staff. They can rate the performance of a principal and, more importantly, hire and fire a principal.

Chicago has the third largest school district in the country. LSCs help to decentralize the management of roughly 600 public schools in the city. At 11 or 12 members each, with as LSc at almost every elementary and high school, that's more than 6,000 democratically elected representatives.The shear number of representatives can effect reform in the school system and in the lives of children. And studies from organizations such as Designs for Change link vibrant lscs directly to succeeding schools and higher test scores.

It worked at Bret Harte School. For example, in 1990 30.7 percent of third through eighth graders at Bret Harte were at or above the national average in reading scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. By 2005, 65 percent were at or above the national ITBS average.

Designs for change studied 144 of the city's public schools during a 15-year period. The fact these schools share is that they took advantage of the LSC's right to select a principal early on. Bret Harte's LSC was responsible for hiring Michael Kenwood to be the school's principal in 2000 and is credited with the school's dramatic rise in scores ...

The Herald supports the fine work of the LSCs in our community and looks forward to a competitive LSC election in April.

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In association with the meeting with Sen. Raoul, Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE) issued a "factsheet."

LSCs Improve Schools

The Illinois Supreme Court in 1990 said that LSCs are essential units of educational governance, empowered to make important budgetary, educational, and administrative decisions regrading the Chicago public school system. [t]he legislature has given them the primary responsibility for school governance and improvement....

A 2004 report by Archon Fung of Harvard uses LSCs as a model of empowered deliberative participation. He found, according to the fact sheet, that LSCs increase accountability, build social capital, held encourage parents - especially minority- become more involved. Most importantly, the study found LSCs t have a positive impact on student achievement.

U. of C. Consortium on Chicago School Research studies such as "Charting the Course" found high LSC effectiveness: principals gave a strong endorsement of LSC principal selection, 70% of teachers said LSCs were helping make their school better, and that the LSCs ar an overwhelming percentage of minority elected officials in Illinois.

"The Big Picture," 2005, Designs for Change, four a correlation between schools with uptrending scores and effective LSCs. [Download "The Big Picture" and other studies from the Designs for Change website.]

"Sharing Our Successes: The LSC Gold Star Awards for 2002" by Community Media Workshop's Successful Schools Project highlighted LSC contributions:

  • integrating arts into the curriculum
  • creating collaborative school improvement plans that have lifted schools out of probation
  • successfully advocating for new school buildings and facilities improvements
  • involving parents and local businesses in the school's Character Education program
  • implementing a family literacy project.

LSCs- real elected officials

Do LSCs represent enough people to be making the important decisions?

Other school boards are not challenged on these grounds [the ones that have elections!]

Northbrook D 27- 10,000 residents. The top vote getter (unopposed) received 716. Glencoe D35- 6,000 eligible. Top of 3 unopposed 178 votes (3%).

7,000 ran and over 100,000 voted in every LSC elections. (465,706 voted in the last mayoral election 15% and Mayor Daley got 324, 519 votes.) LSC elections in the 13th Senatorial District 15 ran per school, with 1, 294 votes cast, an average of 321 per school-note one can vote for up to five.
LSCs boast the largest number of elected African-American and Latino officials in the nation.

Myth v Reality: Challenges to LSC principal contract decisions

Non-renewal arbitrations: Myth: All to principals lost. Reality-3 lost, 6 withdrew, 2 defaulted

Arbitration standard: Myth: Personalities and a student's grade. Reality: Results are confidential but in one known, that school ranked last in its area in nearly every category.

LSC members as unqualified to hire/fire. Reality: LSC members are significantly better educated than average Illinois adults--31% have bachelors (v 21%, 32% some collage v 25%. Only 13% lack high school diploma v 24% Illinois. No one is suggesting the 900 Illinois elected school boards be disbanded or their powers stripped.

CPS role. Myth: CPS is accountable for results so should select principals. Reality: CPS already prescreens, and LSCs choose from these. Selection for local needs is shown to do best.

Why PURE support's HJR0071.

  • Local School Councils Work. Test scores have risen impressively at schools that were lo-performing but remained under LSC governance and not central office intervention v little progress in schools that were low in 1989 but where decisions are made by CPS. Source: The Big Picture from Designs for Change.
  • The LSC Law works. A check and balance where needed most- in the schools.
    • The cleanest unit of government in Chicago with over 20,000 having served.
    • Law provides principals whose contracts are not renewed opportunity for due process before an independent hearing officer. In the 3 hearings lost, the principals lost and the LSCs were ruled within bounds.
  • LSCs need more support, not less. CPS does not meet the need for training and information:
    • No guidebook or training manual for members elected in 2006
    • Funding not renewed for a successful, independent conflict resolution program
    • CPS takes public sides against LSCs and then sits in judgment over them later: Supervision and monitoring must be move out of CPOS into a neutral entity while CPS provides more resources for the schools and LSCs.

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What the HPKCC Schools Committee concludes about LSC's greatest needs:

  • Parent participation including running
  • Training
  • Liaison staffing and sound advice especially on complicated issues such as the SIPA (school improvement plan, to which all the required reporting, funding and school programs must relate); better access to downtown experts and liaisons.

Feb. 7 2008 PURE files lawsuit re LSCs

The suit alleges CPS closes schools and reopens them to have appointed LSCs and strip them of powers invested by law. Julie Woestehoff of PURE said the law exempts charter and Renaissance 2010 schools unless housed in a building that uses to be a public school with an LSC. But CPS has only token LSCs in such reconstituted schools in older buildings. "CPS has embraced the exception but not the exception to the exception." Woestehoff says that with all the closings it is hard to find people who have a stake in the schools. .

 

School boundaries

Kenwood's is 47th, Cottage, 60th, Stony, 56th, Lake Michigan.
Canter's is the Harte, Ray, and Shoesmith districts.
Murray is a magnet school so has no boundaries, an explanation left off this map from the April 12 Herald.

Some local school addresses:

  • Canter Middle. 4959 S. Blackstone
  • Bret Harte Elementary. 1556 E. 56th
  • Kenwood Academy High School. 5015 S. Blackstone
  • Kozminski Community Academy. 936 E. 54th
  • Murray Language Academy. 5335 S. Kenwood
  • Ray Elementary. 5631 S. Kimbark
  • Reavis Elementary. 834 E. 50th
  • Shoesmith Elementary. 1330 E. 50th

 

 

Timetable outline for Local School Council election

Get the Chicago Public Schools Office of School Council Relations Guide to Local School Council Elections Timeline Outline. 773 553-1400. Or contact pure@pureparents.org. Next election spring, 2008- April 16 in high schools, April 17 in elementary.

Nominations for LSC parent and community positions are now closed. This year, candidacy was poorer than usual.

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Join the Schools Committee, working to build LSCS and participation in LSCs, elections- call 773 288 8343 or contact Nancy Baum.

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Table of public schools with addr/phone, LSC calendar, uniform policy, principal, and lsc or alternative chairperson. (Process starting for updates. Harte and Shoesmith in sept. 2007).

Harte Council will meet February 5 6 pm due to holiday on the 12th.

School Address Calendar Uniform Contact:
Ariel Comm. Academy 1110 E. 46th
(773) 535-1996		 Meets fourth Monday of the month at 8 am. lt blue top, navy bot. Principal Lynnette Coleman
LSC chair Virna Holmes
Miriam G. Canter Middle School

4959 South Blackstone
(773) 535-1410

 Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm preceeded by PTO at 5:30 no uniform Principal Colleen Conlan
LSC chair Tracy McCann
Walter H.Dyett Academic Center 555 E. 51st
(773) 535-1825		 Meets the second Friday of the month at 5:30 pm. Herald lists as 2nd Tuesday. 7th-8th gold tops black bot, high sch white tops collars black bots. Boys bl. ties. Principal Jacquelyn Lemon
LSC chair Yvette Green
Bret Harte School 1556 East 56th Street
(773) 535-0870		 Meets the second Wednesday of the Month at 6:30 pm except no Aug.; Sep 17, Nov 19, Apr 15. (PTO 5:30?). white or blue tops, blue bots. Principal Shenethe Parks
LSC chair Diane Billingsley
Kenwood Academy High School

5015 South Blackstone
(773) 535-1350

 Tues. July 15, 6:30 pm, to set reg. schedule. no uniform Principal Elizabeth Kirby
LSC president (Shiela Wasnga?)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. College Prep High Sch. 4445 S. Drexel Blvd.
773 535-1180 		Meets the third Friday at 6 pm uniform ? Principal Jeffrey Wright
LSC chair Thomas English
Charles Kozminski Community Academy

936 East 54th
(773) 535-0980

 2nd Wed, to set reg. schedule. at 6:30 pm white tops, blue bots Principal Lionel Bordelon
LSC chair Debra Battee
Phillip Murray Language Academy

5335 South Kenwood
(773) 535-0585

Meets the third Wednesday of the month at 6:00 pm

no uniform Principal Michael Keno (newly selected: Gregory Mason)
LSC chair Rhonda Hawkins-Lyke
PTO chair Juliana Statton
North Kenwood-Oakland Charter 1119 E. 46th St. (773) 536-2399 PTCO meets the third Thursday of the month at 5:30 pm uniform? Timothy Knowles, Director,
?Stacey Beardsley?. PTCO co-chairs Veronica Thompson, Juanita Mahdi
Florence B. Price Fine Arts Elem. School 4351 S. Drexel Blvd.
(773) 535-1300

Meets the second Monday of the month at 5:00 pm)

 white tops, green bots Dr. Gwendolyn E. McClinton, Principal
LSC chair Janice Freeman
William H. Ray Elementary School 5631 South Kimbark
(773) 535-0970		 Meets the second Monday of the month at 8 am; PTO 3rd Monday 6:30 pm no uniform Principal Cydney B. Fields
LSC chair , PTA Cheryl Mainor
Claude H. Reavis Elementary School 834 East 50th
(773) 535-1060		 Meets the first Thursday of the month at 6:00 pm white or blue tops, blue bots Principal Michael Johnson
LSC chair Regina Little
Beulah Shoesmith Elementary School 1330 East 50th St
(773) 535-1764		 Meets the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm (changed) white tops, navy blue pants Principal Patricia Watson
LSC chair Sherri Donald, co Theodore E. Moran Jr.

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The following have served on lscs since 2004- followed by list of those who were honored at the HPKCC Schools Committee Feb. 23 LSC gala. It is likely that several have left, especially those whose children have graduated. we look forward to an updated list of LSC members for autumn 2007.The Schools Committee will request updated information and post revisions as quickly as possible.

 

[Updated: Shoesmith, September 2007. Sherri Donald (chair), Keirra Donald, (cochair) Theodore E. Moran, Jr. Jadieu Mudrin, Peter Lane, Ismail Turay, Vanessa Corbin, Patricia Lofton, L Tonya Norwood, Samuel Nicholson, Marcela Mance, Eberae Mance, Mont Pettaway, Oscze Pettaway, Stacy Henderson, Jalii Alexander. Apologies for misspellings.]

 

Source: Herald, February 15, 2006. Currency even then not guaranteed.

Kenwood

  • Principal Elizabeth Kirby
  • Teacher reps: Brian Johnson, Karen Calloway (same given for Dyett)
  • Parent reps: Tammie Davis, Nikki Hutson, Diane Pyle, Ismail Turay Sr., Anthony Vinson Sr, Sheila Wesonga
  • Community reps: Sara Spurlark, Kenneth Warren (both retired)
  • Senior: Cortez Hicks

Dyett

  • Principal: Jacquelyn Lemon
  • Teacher reps: Brian Johnson, Karen Calloway (same given for Kenwood)
  • Parent reps: Yvette Green, Felicia Sargent
  • Community rep: Jitu Brown (confirmed)

Canter

  • Principal: Colleen Conlan
  • Teacher reps: Jansk Paranjape, Carmen Guy
  • Parent reps: (Denina Smith, Bridgette Bishop, Rodney Shelley, Edna Foreman, Terri Nelder, Anthony Wilkins)
    2007 members: Tracy McCann, Chair, Ava Marin, Vice-Chair, Zoe Mikva, Secretary, Anthony Alston, Mitzi Baker-Wade, Robin Loving, Lori Watts-Branch, Tony Wilkins

Bret Harte (outdated)

  • Principal: Shenethe Parks
  • Teacher reps: David Dunlap, Debbie Hampton
  • Parent reps: Lorenzo Johnson, Pamela Purnell, Latoya Robinson, Robin Loving, Abdellah Loving, Kim Davis
  • Community reps: Zanette Sanders, William Sweetland

Kozminski

  • Principal: Lionel Bordelon
  • Teacher reps: Michael Henlye, Daniel Lee
  • Parent reps: Durman Jackson, Mary Barnett, steve Davis, Donald Everhart
  • Community reps: Deborah Everhart, June Porter

Murray

  • Principal: Michael Keno
  • Teacher reps: Andrew Clement. Elsa Ortiz
  • Parent reps: Lori Watts-Branch, Toosdhi Haywood, /Tracy McCann, Cynthia Smith, LaJoyce Hall, Byron Mason
  • Community reps: Julie Woestehoff, Annika Frazier Mohammad

Ray

  • Principal: Bernadette Butler
  • Teacher reps: Jennifer McFarland, Michelle Webb
  • Parent reps: Michael Scott, David Myles, Loren Santow, Connie Toole, Robert Quashie, Karen Black Williams
  • Community reps: Marcy Schlessinger, Ken Schug

Reavis

  • Principal: Michael Johnson
  • Teacher reps: Robert Turner, Beulah Stocking
  • Parent reps: Regina Little, Demetrius Davis, Charlene Campbell
  • Community reps: Charles Levesque, Louis Wright

Shoesmith

  • Principal: Lenore Y. Bedar (left, now Pat Watson)
  • Teacher rep: Michael Martin
  • Parent reps: Beverly Ellison, Rochelle Speller, Edward Lucious, Marcella Mance, Megan Sherfield, Charlotte Stanton, Monshoe Pedaway
  • Community reps: Ismail Turay, Rev. Kara Wagner Sheer

_______________

List of those honored at February 23 HPKCC Schools Committee LSC Gala


Ariel Community Academy
Lennette Coleman, Principal
Michelle Baker
Celease Brown
Candace M. West

Miriam Canter School
Dr. Carolyn Epps, then Principal
Bridgette Bishop
Shannon Carroll
Edna Foreman
Carmen Guy
Terri Nelder
Janak Paranjape
Denina Smith
Rodney Shelley
Anthony Wilkins

Dyett
Jacquelyn Lemon, Principal
Rodney Boykin
Jitu Brown
Alfred Dean
Luetricia Graham
Yvette Green
Zanetta Jackson
Marilyn Kelly
Philip Kelly
Felicia Sargent
Steven Waryjas


Bret Harte School
Karen Carradine, Principal
Robin Abdallah
Kim Davis
David Dunlap
Debbie Hampton
Lorenzo Johnson
Robin Loving
Pamela Purnell
Latoya Robinson
Zanette Sander
William Sweetland


Kenwood Academy
Elizabeth Kirby, Principal
Karen Calloway
Tammie Davis
Cortez Hicks
Nikki Hutson
Brian Johnson
Diane Pyle
Sara Spurlark
Ismail Turay, Sr.
Anthony Vinson, Sr.
Kenneth Warren
Sheila Wesonga

Charles Kozminski Community Academy
Lionel Bordelon, Principal
Mary Barnett
Steve Davis
Deborah Everhart
Donald Everhart
Michael Henley
Durman Jackson
Daniel Lee
June Porter

Phillip Murray Language Academy
Michael Keno, Principal
Lincoln Brown
Annika Frazier-Muhammed
La Joyce Hall
Toosdhi Haywood
Byron Mason
Tracy McCann
Joe Mills
Cynthia Smith
Lori Watts-Branch
Julie Woestehoff

William H. Ray School
Cydney Fields, Principal
Michelle Webb
Veronica Johnson
Michael Scott
Loren Santow
Robert Quashie
David Myles
Connie Cochran Toole
Karen Black-Williams

Ken Schug
Marcy Schlessinger

William Claude Reavis School
Michael T. Johnson, Principal
Charlene Campbell
Demetrius Davis
Charles LeVesque
Regina Little
Beulah Stocking
Robert Turner Louis Wright

Beulah Shoesmith School
Lenore Y. Bedar, Principal
Rochelle Speller
Vanessa Corbin
Sharee Donald
Beverly Ellison
Sarah Fisher
Marcella Manse
Theodore E. Moran

Montsho Petaway
C. Robinson
Ismail Turay

Top

PURE (Parents United for Responsible Education) has assembled a guide to elections. Here is a summary of key points.

To receive the book, call 312 489-9101.

Who sits on the LSC? The principal, 6 elected parents, not BoE employees 2 teachers (polled) , 2 elected non-parent community residents with no children enrolled in the school as of June 30 of the election year and not relatives of the principal or BoE employees), in high schools one student (polled).

The LSC is the policymaking body for the school. Its responsibilities are:

  • approving the School Improvement Plan
  • approving the school's budget
  • evaluating the principal
  • hiring the principal

The meeting schedule must be posted in the school and is usually monthly. Everyone can attend and except for executive sessions they are covered by the Open Meetings Act. All votes must be taken in public. Meetings are usually monthly.

A parent of a child in the school or a resident of the attendance area is eligible unless a CPS employee.

Elections are held even years (every two years) in spring. (2006 Elementary are on April 20, high schools April 20, 6 am-7 pm. Hint- it's always Report Card Pickup Day. Note, U.S. citizenship not required.

The Candidate Nomination Form requires: Name, address, type of candidacy and proof of eligibility (2 forms of ID--parents must be listed in school enrollment records or tax return or birth certificate. Community residents must bring proof of residency.
Declaration of any economic interests at the school
Criminal Conviction Disclosure
Telephone Number Disclosure (for BOE and confidential)
Teacher or student information form for those in those categories
Candidate Statement (optional, one page, can include picture)

Hint: get a copy of all forms and get a signed, dated receipt!

Remember the deadline to file is March 17 [passed] and literature distribution day is April 18--One 8x12 page. You furnish enough copies for every child (the school is not allowed to make or copy), divided into piles of 35--must be at school by 3 pm April 17.

Caution again--No one can use school resources including staff, equipment or material to endorse or promote andy candidate or slate. Staff may not recommend candidates. If anyone sees violations, call CPS Law Department 73 553-1700. Staff can be suspended up to 30 days.

Voting

  • Vote at every school where you are eligible--at least 1 elementary and 1 high school, maybe middle. Parents may vote at all schools where they have a child enrolled. Election Hotline: 773 553-1400.
  • You do not need to be a U.S. Citizen, do have to be 18 or older.
  • If a school is not accessible, it must provide curb-side voting for persons with disabilities.
  • Bring two forms of ID that include your address.
  • Voting is in person and by secret ballot and only for yourself.
  • You may vote for up to 5 candidates only, and each only once. Select any combination of parent and community candidates.

(For teachers: it is secret and in person, principal and assistant do not vote, principal submits the 4 top vote getters to CPS, which appoints June 28.)

Preparing for the election:

LSC (or principal) is to establish and LSC Judge recruitment committee. None can be candidates or supporters of candidates. Judges receive $100 for the day. Training is mandatory. Cannot be under 18, student or staff at the school, Board employee, LSC candidate there or immediate family/residing in same house as candidate or principal. Application deadline is March 24.

Also recommended: By January 20 Develop plan to publicize the election, set date for Candidates Forum (for between March 27 and April 3), set date for certification meeting (no later than April 28 8 pm).

Hold the forum--place must be accessible; all candidates must be notified and invited. Lottery for ballot position is held at this forum. Recommend doing this as first item and using as order of speaking.

Coordinate with Report Card Pick-Up. Greet parents and encourage them to vote before they get report cards! Remove all campaign materials from the school the day before the election by 3 pm!

Hold results certification meeting by April 28, 8 pm.

Electioneering must be more than 100 feet from any school entrance. Post this at several places in the school.

Principal's responsibilities:

Public information: Post procedures, timeline, eligibility, boundary map.
Send two letters to parents. Dec. 1-9 nomination and challenge procedures, timeline, eligibility
March 20 list of candidates, info on the Forum, election date-hours-locaton.
Post filing of candidates (within 24 hours of first filing) with statements; update daily as changes occur.
Prepare literature distribution day April 18
By 9 am April 17 post revised ballot in lottery order. Candidates can correct by 3 pm. At 4 pm it is final.
Post election results as soon as count is complete.
Assure that no school resources are used to promote candidates
Provide and collect nomination papers, forward copies to Area Office.
Accept applications for judge and forward to Area Office by March 24. (Note judges and monitors make all decision about the election).
Distribute 6 poll watcher credentials to each candidate at the Candidate's Forum.
Prepare for judges a complete list of all staff eligible to vote for teacher (not principal or asst.)
Provide a list all students enrolled in the school.
Conduct student non-binding advisory poll between April 18 and 19)
Receive all ballots and place in security envelopes in the school safe.
Forward security envelopes to Area Office.

Pollwatchers. Candidates or pollwatchers with valid credentials can witness all phases. Mx is 6. Civic groups can ave a credential for every school inservice area and every multi-school area. Candidates can have only one pollwatcher in the polling place at any given time.

The Challenge (which anyone can do) procedures are quite precise, including hearing notifications. Eligibility is the main grounds in pre-election challenges. Post-election challenges require signature of at least 5 vote-eligible. Note deadlines t file, hearing etch.

Results must be posted in the school after the count is final on election night. Highest numbers are declared elected. Current LSC certifies by 8 pm April 28 and determines winner in case of a tie. The public must be informed of challenge procedures. Certification of Results is to be filed by May 1. Teacher and student reps. are selected/announced by the Board June 28.

The organizational meeting is between July 1 and 14. It can be called by any 4 or more elected, but a quorum of 6 for elementary and 7 for high school must be present to conduct business. This meeting: sets time and place for regular LSC meetings, selects a parent member as chairperson, selects a secretary. If less than a minimum of eligibles are elected by a quorum is, the LSC shall fill vacancies (except teacher). If less than a quorum is elected, CPS decides course--773 553-1400.

Removals. Any member may be removed by majority vote if the member has missed 3 consecutive regular meetings within 12 mo. There is due process. There are other bases for removal.


Why LSCs?

Adult Collaboration Improves Schools and student achievement. strong academic expections combined with trusting relationships make a difference, research shows.

Successful Schools have Common Practices. 1997 Designs for Change identified:

  • Active and effective Local School Councils
  • Effective principles who involve others in decision making
  • More teacher involvement in decision making
  • More teacher outreach to parents
  • Students who feel safe in the schools
  • Teacher collaboration and information shasring
  • Teachers who trust one another
  • Techers who are encouraged to innovate
  • An overriding focus on improved student achievement.

Cooperative Adult Effort Raises Academic Achievement

Social Support Motivates Students to Learn, giving a sense of trust, confidence and safety

Common traits of collaborative LSC relationships

Shared Knowledge of the Law and agreed-upon way of checking and reporting back.

Shared Information: Principals proved timely, adequate information to the entire LSC including giving each member a set of key school documents including school improvement plan implementation et al.

Top

Strong LSCs, selection of strong principals intertwined

Bret Harte begins principal selection. Herald March 22 [2006]. By Tameka Brown

Bret Harte Elementary School officially begins seeking a new principal March 22. Bret Harte Local School Council member Debbie Hampton remembers an overwhelming process that selected Hyde Parker Michael Keno to be the school's principal in the 1990s. "The last time we went through the process we received over 100 resumes," Hampton said.

Keno became the principal of Murray Language Academy in August 2005, leaving interim principal Karen Carradine. Lorenzo Johnson, LSC chairperson, said there is already interest in the four-year contract position. "We have already received numerous resumes," Johnson said. Carradine has expressed interest in the position.

Among its many duties, the local school council is responsible for selecting and evaluating principals every four years. James Deanes, in charge of LSC relations for Chicago Public Schools, said the council's role in the selection of principals is important."A principal's leadership sets the tone for staff [and] influences parent participation," Deanes said. "It's the most important thing an LSC can do."

In 1988, the Chicago School Reform Act created the existence of local school councils, which in most public schools in the city are comprised of parent representative, teacher representatives and community representatives, and in the case of a high school there is also a student representative. The act entrusted decisions about student development, financial management and principal selection to the representatives on a local school council.

LSC members are elected to their post every two years in the spring. Currently there ares about 6,000 elected parents, teachers and community leaders serving on a LSC. CPS reports that the number of candidates to LSC seats this year has hit an all time low....

Designs for Change is an educational research and advocacy group that provides training and support to LSCs. Last month the group organized a mixer at Jones College Prep for those interested in filling open principal positions at schools throughout Chicago. The candidates networked in a job fair setting with current LSC members, said Valencia Rias, policy associate with Designs for Change. "LSCs had a chance to meet principal candidates face to face," Rias said.

One candidate for Bret Harte's open principal position...waited patiently to meet with current council members. "I am very interested in the school's mission and look forward to discussing ways I can contribute to their overall goals," she said.

 

Zoe Mikva, member of Canter LSC and of the HPKCC Schools Committee says " LSCs have real power and they are a wonderful way to stay involved in the community." She works on the school improvement plan and budget. "We work in tandem with the principal. I think it is important that the administration of every school be accountable. LSC is the group to whom they are accountable.Top End


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