CRITICAL UPCOMING ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES!
In the next few months, the Federation for Community Schools has three important advocacy opportunities that require your participation. We need you to get involved now! Please email Anita at anita@ilcommunityschools.org and indicate which event(s) you will attend.
This is a critical time for Federation members to do important advocacy work to maintain momentum of the community school movement and to move us closer to securing State funding for community schools, but we cannot do this without our members. Not only do we need your participation, but it is also imperative that your respective community schools’ constituencies – your teams, your students, your families, your partners, your schools’ staff members, and your community members – participate in these events. In the interest of generating as much support for community schools funding as possible, we urge each of you to engage students, parents, community members, and school staff in these advocacy opportunities. We will talk more about how to do this at next week’s planning meeting.
HERE ARE THE THREE ADVOCACY STRATEGIES THE FEDERATION IS PLANNING:
1. Community School Showcase Day at the State of Illinois Building/Thompson Center in early March
Chicago, IL- The Federation will reserve space for community schools to showcase their work. Mayor Daley and Governor Quinn will be invited once a date is set. If Mayor Daley does not attend, participants will also walk over to the Mayor’s office that day to drop off materials in support of community schools.
2. Chicago Public Schools Board Meeting on Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Chicago, IL—Please save the date. At this meeting we would like to show our solidarity for community schools by attending the meeting and wearing blue. We will also ask for a handful of members to testify at the meeting. At such meetings, community members have the opportunity to share personal stories regarding important issues. The Federation will coordinate a special meeting prior to the CPS Board meeting for individuals who would like to participate in this important event.
3. Community Schools Advocacy Day, Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Springfield, IL—Please save the date. This will be our third annual event. We had over 100 members join us in Springfield last year to meet with State legislators. We hope that you will join us again and help us advocate on behalf of our appropriations bill, asking for $5 Million from the State to help fund Illinois community schools. See pictures and learn more about last year's event below.
View more pictures from last year's Springfield Advocacy Day by clicking here.
UPDATE FROM 2010's ADVOCACY TRAINING DAY!
This year's Advocacy Training Day was a big success! Attendees learned about the state political landscape, Federal-level opportunities to support community schools, and the Community Schools Appropriations Bill being introduced in the Illinois General Assembly this session. In the breakout sessions, attendees learned about engaging students and young people in advocacy efforts, linking parents to advocacy opportunities and chances to make their voices heard, and communicating the benefits of the community school model to stakeholders throughout the community. Click here to access a recap of the two panels, Rep. Burns' remarks, and the closing call to action.
Click to access the $5 million line item fact sheet, the examples of advocacy outreach activities one-pager, and the state budget crisis myths-and-facts handout.
En Español -- $5 millones para escuelas comunitarias, ejemplos de acciones de apoyo, y la crisis presupuestaria en Illinois -- mitos, realidades y acciones que usted puede tomar.
Click here to access the handouts from the How to Host a Site Visit breakout.
Click the links below to access the handouts from Enlace's rallying and informating stakeholders breakout --
Presentation handout, Community Education Fact Sheet, Education Workshop handout, Proyecto Exito Part 1, and Proyecto Exito Part 2.
Use Title I Dollars to Support Community Schools
In the federal Economic Recovery plan, Illinois will receive approximately $526.3 million over the next two years supporting increased Title I funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Title I funds are used to promote academic achievement through a wide range of support services, including out of school time programs, parent literacy training, parenting classes, early childhood services and coordinated community school strategies. The Federation for Community Schools encourages schools and school districts to use their increased Title I funds to support implementing the community school model because it is a proven investment that works. Investing in implementing the community school model is also a legitimate and effective use of Title I funds. Click here to learn more about why Title I funds should be used to support community schools.
HB684 passed out of the House 115-0! Bill Signed Into Law on August 25th!
HB684 was signed into law by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on Tuesday, August 25th, after passing out of the Illinois House of Representatives by a vote of 115-0. THANK YOU ALL for the work that you put into raising awareness about community schools in your communities and with your legislators. The bill text can be found here: HB 684. State Rep. Will Burns was the bill's main sponsor in the House; State Senator Kwame Raoul was the main sponsor in the Senate. Both will also be supporting 2010's appropriations bill.
The Federation for Community Schools compiled a "bill into law" case study using the passage of HB684 and the work that all of our stakeholders did around advocating for that bill as an example of the legislative process. Please click here to access the case study. The case study includes information about the advocacy steps that were taken, as well as sample tools and resources for use by other community school supporters.
