meekspublic education

8/8/2019 MeeksPublic Education

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Senator Meeks’ Plan for Improving Public Education in Chicago

(December 15, 2010)

There is no greater priority than ensuring that our children receive a high quality education. Yet, we have

a system in which too many students are failing to learn, failing to compete academically, and failing to

complete their education. Too many students face especially gloomy prospects in today’s and tomorrow's

information- and service-related economies that demand workers be more highly educated than ever

before. Chicago's future as a world class city depends on our ability to develop a skilled workforce and an

educated citizenry.

We have a system in which the quality of a child's education depends largely on where he or she lives and

extreme disparities exist between school districts. Even within the Chicago Public Schools system, too

many of our neighborhood elementary schools and high schools are overcrowded, do not provide enough

classroom instruction time, and have too few highly qualified teachers.

On the one hand, the public mindset is limited by the widely shared belief that our schools cannot

overcome the effects of poverty and high mobility rates and successfully teaching children to read at

accepted levels is out of reach.

On the other hand, many of us are too willing to pretend that school reform has worked in Chicago and

we have become complacent about our broken educational system.

We are failing our children if we do not move past the status quo and bring about real reform. The stakes

are too high. No good idea for improving our schools should be left off the table because of ideology,

politics, special interests, pessimism, or wishful thinking.

We can start by making sure that every child can read at grade level by the end of the third grade. That's

the make-or-break point at which a student who cannot read well is likely to remain a poor reader

through elementary and high school and is at high risk of becoming a high school dropout. Many states

determine how many prisons to build by looking at how many children are reading at grade level by the

third grade. How well a student is doing at that point can be the difference between a path that leads to

poverty and violence or one that leads to having a real shot at success

Students who can read well at an early age will have access to a broader range of knowledge and many

more learning opportunities than students who cannot. To achieve this goal for student achievement, I

have put forward four major education reform proposals: (1) expanding parents’ options for providing the

best education to their children, (2) increasing students’ readiness to learn, (3) providing more time for

reading and math instruction in kindergarten through the third grade, and (4) creating a climate for

learning through character education.

1 Innovations for major improvements in student performance

1.1 Expanding parents’ options for providing the best education to their childrenAll students deserve an opportunity to succeed. In the years it will take to reform our school system or

the time it takes to turn around a failing neighborhood school, a student could be left behind. That's why

I am proposing a city-wide school voucher program.

Like magnet and charter schools, vouchers for private schools will help a significant number of children

currently in the public system, up to 50,000. All parents deserve a choice and a chance to decide what is

best for their children. Our approach to giving parents that choice will be similar to the school choice




(December 15, 2010)

plan I introduced in the Illinois State Senate (S.B. 2494), which also lifted the cap on the number of

charter schools in Illinois.

School voucher programs created for urban children have succeeded elsewhere, including Florida,

Washington, D.C., and New York, resulting in significant gains in reading and math, particularly among

African-American and low-income students.

1.2 Increasing students’ readiness to learn

Good schools and qualified teachers are the key to a good education. However, students have to be ready

to learn. Issues in the community or the student’s family can become a barrier to learning by affecting a

student’s mental and physical health, their behavior in the classroom, or their school attendance.

We can increase students’ readiness to learn by improving students' access to support services, improving

the safety and stability of our neighborhoods, and increasing family engagement in student learning. In

addition, it is important that every school have a central role in the surrounding community.

The Chicago Public Schools can partner better with state, county and city agencies, as well as non-profits

and the foundations that fund them, to coordinate access to wraparound services for families to address

circumstances outside the classroom, such as poverty, homelessness, joblessness, and mental and

emotional difficulties that affect students’ readiness to learn.

Focusing these resources on parents and students in kindergarten through third grade at the lowest

performing schools, we can give these children more stability and equal access to educational

opportunities. Teachers and administrators will be able to do what they do best, which is to focus on

what goes on in the classroom.

Earlier this year, dozens of social service agencies in several Chicago communities came together with

charter and neighborhood schools, education experts, and community leaders to apply for a federal

planning grant program called Promise Neighborhoods, which is President Obama’s initiative to replicate

the Harlem Children’s Zone. While none of the applicants from Chicago were among the 21 Promise

Neighborhoods grantees, we can continue and build upon their efforts and innovative ideas to bring

more innovation to turn around our struggling schools.

As mayor, I will provide leadership needed to attract resources from foundations, businesses, individuals,

as well as government, to foster these collaborative, holistic, community-based approaches to providing

academic, social and health services for children and families. Our current mayor has called upon the

business community to encourage donations to the public schools, but this challenge is about more than

money. We need the engagement of our community leaders and partnerships with agencies experienced

in helping families with the challenges they face every day.

Our goal will be to increase children’s readiness to learn, particularly in kindergarten through the third

grade, improving their chances for success throughout their academic careers. Innovations that began in

Chicago Lawn, Logan Square, Englewood, and Roseland can become the models for improving all

neighborhood schools throughout Chicago.




(December 15, 2010)

1.3 Increasing reading and math instruction time in kindergarten through the 3rd grade

Chicago Public Schools has one of the shortest school days in the nation. The length of the school day is

limited by the teachers' contract and the lack of additional funding, so an incremental approach toward

implementing a longer school day seems necessary.

We can start by providing full-day kindergarten where possible and increasing instruction time by 90-120

minutes per day in the first through third grades. Doubling the amount of instruction time spent on

reading comprehension and math will help keep these students on tract toward reaching our goal of

ensuring that all students can read at grade level by the end of the third grade.

Per-pupil budgeting, or weighted student funding, may be another way to give our worst performing

schools more flexibility to extend the school day. Under this approach, schools with more low-income

and special needs students are allocated more funding to be used for more classroom instruction.

1.4 Creating a climate for learning through character education

For great teaching and learning to occur in classrooms, the school climate has to be conducive. (ShapingSchool Culture, Diehl and Peterson, 1999) As mayor, I will require CPS to institute character education

to encourage students to think critically and act responsibly and to support parents who play the main

role when it comes to character development.

The principles of character education have been endorsed by educational professional organizations,

teachers unions, the PTA, and leading youth-serving groups. Unfortunately, they don't often make their

way into our schools. That needs to change.

Recently two Chicago-area schools, Providence St. Mel on Chicago's West Side and Hinsdale Central

High, were recognized as two of the nation's best 12 schools. (Samuel Casey Carter, On Purpose: How

Great School Cultures Form Strong Character , 2010) Both schools strongly emphasize character education.

Character education is sorely needed in our neighborhood schools where gangs, violence, bullying, andother inappropriate behavior require teachers and administrators to spend too much time during the

school day managing and disciplining students instead of teaching. Character education emphasizes the

responsibilities and rewards of doing the right thing and showing respect to one another by focusing on

goal setting, self-esteem, organization of work, self and time management, taking responsibility,

understanding consequences, leadership, and community service.

To be truly effective, the character education program must be integrated in the curriculum and

implemented throughout the school day. This allows teachers, students, administrators, and community

partners to develop positive relationships all designed to create a positive learning community.

Character education aims to prevent conflict and promote learning. In addition, schools need more tools

to help resolve conflicts instead of over relying on suspensions and expulsions, which disproportionatelyimpact African-American boys. Mediation, peer juries, peace circles, and other alternative dispute

resolution strategies, if taken seriously by administrators and students, can contribute to the culture of

learning and respect in our schools and communities.

Parents play a vital role as well when it comes to character development and preventing school violence.

Our schools should host workshops to help parents talk to their children, particularly at an early age,

about character and how to deal with bullying, gangs, violence, weapons and other challenges.




(December 15, 2010)

2 Other strategies for improving the public education system

2.1 School financing reform

I have led the charge for school financing reform in Springfield, culminating with the Senate’s passage of

bipartisan legislation that offered a real and comprehensive solution to closing the school funding gap

while providing tax relief for middle- and low-income families. (H.B. 174) As mayor, I will continue to

call upon the state to reduce our reliance on property taxes to fund schools and to fulfill its

constitutional responsibility to adequately fund education.

At the same time, I will bring in the top finance people from around the city and the state to work

collaboratively with the CPS on recommendations for budget reductions that can be implemented

without compromising educational quality. However, we have to recognize that cuts alone cannot fix the

CPS budget deficit or address school overcrowding or the student achievement gap. The state funding

must begin to fulfill its obligation to provide adequate funding for schools.

2.2 Expanding charter schools and sharing best practices with all of our neighborhood schoolsCharter schools, while not uniformly successful, have been on the cutting edge of innovation and

education reform. In the best charter schools, teachers bring new energy and ideas to the classroom and

parents are more empowered and engaged in their children's education. Many charter schools have longer

days than traditional schools as they are free of many of the constraints of collective bargaining

agreements.

Charter schools that implement best practices should have a role in the education of our children. That is

why I introduced legislation to expand access to quality charter schools. Still, nothing can replace

creating a strong, vibrant system that provides a quality education to all children in Chicago. As mayor, I

will exercise leadership to ensure that best practices developed and tested in charter schools will be

replicated to improve all of our neighborhood schools.

2.3 Improving teacher quality

Teacher evaluation and accountability

Our parents and the community are all entitled to know how our schools are doing and how the system

as a whole is progressing. As mayor, I will challenge CPS to provide better tools for parents to easily learn

about and track the performance of their child’s school, as well as other schools in the system.

Challenging CTU to hold teachers accountable

It is extremely difficult and time-consuming for administrators to even attempt to fire a tenured teacher.I would work collaboratively with the Chicago Teachers Union first to establish a new evaluation system

based on performance, and then institute a framework for “self-policing,” similar to other professional

organizations (e.g., medical doctors and lawyers). I will ask the CTU to propose an acceptable framework.

If they do not within the first year of my administration, I will work with members of the General

Assembly to create a solution that best promotes educational achievement, putting the interests of our

children first.




(December 15, 2010)

Improving teacher recruitment, retention, and performance

Recently, CPS received a $35.9 million federal grant that will allow it to reward teachers and principals

for improvements in educational achievement. The program will start in the fall in 25 elementary and

middle schools where at least half of the students are low-income. Part of the funding will go toward the

development of a new data system that will attribute student performance gains to individual teachers.Expanding merit pay is another idea worth trying to attract and retain quality teachers where they are

most needed in the CPS system.

In addition, I have supported the state's Grow Your Own Teachers Education Act and other efforts to

improve the teacher quality.

As mayor, I will work with the Board of Education and the Chicago Teachers Union to expand

professional development opportunities for teachers, focusing on:

• Differentiated Instruction

• Integrating technology equipment and software into the instructional program

• Analyzing student assessment data

• Data-driven instruction

• Collaborative teaching

2.4 Improving Local School Councils

Parental engagement is important to improving school and student performance. To improve the

effectiveness of Local School Councils, I have called for additional training for LSC members so that they

can be better prepared to hire principals and review school budgets.

2.5 Reducing school violence

After-school programs in schools and community centers and youth employment programs can helpprevent young people from getting involved with violence or gangs. Most importantly parents and youth

must be involved in the fight against violence. Our youth must be taught right from the start to focus on

the positive aspect of any person and learn through workshops how to address anger. Parents play a vital

role when it comes to violence. Parent workshops are needed that provide information on how to talk to

children, particularly at an early age, about violence, how to speak to their children about violence and

how to help them deal with bullying, gangs, violence, weapons and more.

Schools need more tools to help resolve conflicts instead of over relying on suspensions and expulsions,

which disproportionately impact African-American boys. Mediation, peer juries, peace circles, and other

alternative dispute resolution strategies, if taken seriously by administrators and students, can help

prevent violence in our schools and communities.Parents play a vital role when it comes to school violence. Parent workshops are needed that provide

information on how to talk to children, particularly at an early age, about violence and how to help them

deal with bullying, gangs, violence, weapons and more.

Every CPS school must establish a school-based Anti-Violence Committee of teachers, parents,

administrators, community members and students (upper grade and high school) that meets on a regular




(December 15, 2010)

basis to discuss community violence and the actions that their neighborhood school is taking to prevent

it.

Stopping violence requires the combined efforts of the entire community – parents, teachers, school

staff, police and neighborhood community organizations – and if we all do our part then violence can be

reduced and prevented. Youth violence is an immensely complex problem and thus requires numerousfactors to be addressed. We need student participation; a holistic approach involving parents, educators

and the community; linking of policy, legislation and practice; and a clearly defined system-wide

approach.

3 Establishing measures of success

At the end of my first term as mayor, I will evaluate the success of my education agenda considering the

following factors.

• Increased student achievement. At a minimum, we should be able to increase the number of students

able to read at grade level by the end of the third grade.• Increased high school graduation rate

• Improved teacher quality

• Improved school climate for learning resulting in:

• Less student discipline

• Less violence in schools and neighborhoods

• Increased parent support and understanding regarding the need for their involvement in their child’sschooling and in their schools’ activities

• Increased vocational educational opportunities for students

• Increased integration of technology in classrooms

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