The Federation For Community Schools - An Illinois Collaboration Striving to Link Schools to Communities

Elev8 Goes to Washington

Elev8 Chicago students in front of
US Capitol Building

Last week, 10 students from Elev8 Chicago joined students from Elev8 initiatives in Baltimore, Oakland and New Mexico in Washington, D.C. The students were in Washington for 4 days to build their advocacy skills, to advocate for Elev8 and other important issues and to do a little sight-seeing. The Elev8 Chicago students met with staff members from Rep. Gutierrez's office, Rep. Lipinski's office and Rep. Rush's office. In addition, the students had a very special opportunity to meet with the U.S. Department of Education, including staff from the offices of Elementary and Secondary Education, Innovation and Improvement, and Vocational and Adult Education, among others. At that meeting the students spoke with Department staff about the importance of community school programs like Elev8 as well as the impact bullying, neighborhood violence and turnarounds have on learning. The Mikva Challenge, an Elev8 Chicago partner, led the advocacy training. The students look forward to more opportunities to advocate for their schools and communities.

Support for University-Assisted Community Schools Expands Throughout Midwest

Earlier this week, the Midwest Center for University-Assisted Community Schools (Midwest Center) in Indianapolis held its first Advisory Council meeting. A partnership among Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), IUPUI's Center for Service and Learning, Center for Urban and Multicultural Education, and School of Education, as well as the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania, and other community partners, the Midwest Center provides technical assistance and training for school communities interested in implementing and strengthening the community schools model and university collaboration. The work draws upon the extensive IUPUI/George Washington Community High School experience and that of Washington's feeder elementary schools. In partnership with business, service providers, and neighborhood organizations, university-assisted community schools draw upon higher education to assist local schools as support centers for youth, their families, and neighbors. The Midwest Center will help school communities better serve youth and their families with results-based strategies that leverage community assets, with a particular focus on university partners. The Federation for Community Schools will support the Midwest Center through membership on the Advisory Council, and we look forward to opportunities for community schools and universities in Illinois to learn from the Midwest Center's expertise.

The Federation & Elev8 Chicago Oppose the FY13 Human Resources Budget

On Thursday, April 19, the Illinois House of Representatives' Appropriations - Human Services Committee held a committee hearing to discuss the Department of Human Services budget. The Federation and Elev8 Chicago voiced our opposition to the FY13 proposed budget because the proposed cuts in funding and changes to programs will negatively impact many community school partners, and ultimately hurt the very people these programs are supposed to help. We are particularly concerned about the effect proposed cuts to Teen REACH and changes to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and childcare subsidied will have on students and families.
Read the testimony the Federation and Elev8 Chicago submitted to the House Appropriations - Human Services Committee

Elev8 Chicago Students Bring their Concerns to the State Capitol

Ames students on Senate floor

On March 23, two busloads of students, drawn from five Elev8 Chicago schools, traveled to Springfield, IL, to share their policy concerns and priorities with state lawmakers, focusing much of their time on issues related to community safety.

Delegations from each school went to see senators and representatives from their respective districts. Four young men from Reavis Elementary School had a long talk with Senator Kwame Raoul, covering such topics as neighborhood safety, basketball, and the Trayvon Martin case. Students from Perspectives-Calumet Middle School and Marquette Elementary School took photos with Senator Jackie Collins, who asked the students questions about their lives, school and favorite subjects. And ten girls from Orozco Community Academy met briefly with Senator Antonio Munoz, about the work that the girls have been doing related to safety in their school and community.

Students also spoke briefly with Senator Steans and Representatives Kenneth Dunkin and Cynthia Soto. Finally, students from Ames Middle School had a lengthy meeting with Senator Martin Sandoval, who invited them into his office and discussed the path he took to become a senator. He told the students that education is the best way to be successful and encouraged them to ask questions about his life and work. The students shared their concerns about their community and even got a private tour of the Senate floor - where, as the Senator said to them, "you can someday be sitting."

Elev8 Chicago and the Mikva Challenge are planning another advocacy trip later this month-this time to Washington, DC. The trip will bring together youth from Elev8 programs in Chicago, Baltimore, Oakland and New Mexico to share their concerns and recommendations with federal policymakers, building on local- and state-level advocacy they have engaged in throughout the year.

3 Questions for... Congresswoman Judy Biggert Biggert

The Federation and Elev8 Chicago are pleased to announce a new project that will better connect us to our elected officials. "Three Questions for..." asks three education and community schools-related questions of local, state and federal elected officials and includes a biography of the representative. We will feature a new profile in the e-digest and on our website each month (previous profiles will be cataloged there too).

We are very excited that our first profile is of Congresswoman Judy Biggert. Rep. Biggert currently represents the 13th District of Illinois and is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Education & the Workforce Committee, among other committees. Most recently, Rep. Biggert has voted in support of Parental Information & Resource Centers and has introduced legislation that provides for teacher and principal training to address the social and emotional needs of students (H.R. 2437).

Rep. Biggert responds to our first question...

What is the biggest challenge to K - 12 education today?
Our nation's elementary and secondary educational system, the incubator of tomorrow's job creators, is long overdue for reform. We simply must reauthorize our nation's federal K-12 programs -- using the knowledge we've gained from 10 years of experience with NCLB -- to capitalize on what works and avoid what doesn't. The most important part of that process will be returning control to state and local educators. I've heard from too many educators who regret having to miss out on "teachable moments" because of the current law's focus on "teaching to the test." That kind of top-down system forces teachers to abandon many creative, enriching aspects of their curriculum in favor of a one-size-fits-all approach that may not be right for many students. By empowering state and local decision-makers to focus on local education priorities and do what they know is in the best interest of their students and communities, we can unleash the kind of innovative thinking our students need to compete and thrive in the 21st century global economy.

Read Rep. Biggert's responses to our other questions