Debra Williams | catalyst-chicago.org

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As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.

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Debra Williams

More than just a welcome mat April 22, 2009 By: Debra Williams Finding children who need preschool the most sometimes takes more than just putting out the welcome mat. That reality is at the heart of an agenda set by the Illinois Early Learning Council, the advisory body for the state’s free universal preschool program. The goal of the agenda: Find and enroll children who are the most at-risk of academic failure and who need preschool the most, but whose families are not aware of, or are not taking advantage of, free preschool. Read More \| (0) Comments	Slow payments hurt universal preschool April 09, 2009 By: Debra Williams Springfield’s inability to pay its bills on time is slowing the expansion of Illinois’ universal preschool programs. “Outside of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools, people are not getting paid,” says Sessy Nyman, vice president of public policy and government relations for the advocacy group Illinois Action for Children. Chicago’s programs are unaffected because 37 percent of the Early Childhood Block Grant for 0-5 programs goes to CPS and is administered through a separate grant process. However, for current Preschool for All providers in other parts of the state, that means not being able to pay teachers, a significant chunk of their budgets. For new programs that are trying to get up and running, the effect is just as harmful, Nyman says. Read More \| (0) Comments
Early Learning Council in the works with Obama Administration April 08, 2009 By: Debra Williams A Presidential Early Learning Council, much like the Illinois Early Learning Council here, is in the works with the Obama Administration. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services have been selected to form the council. Illinois’ group was created in 2003 by former Gov. Read More \| (0) Comments	Millions more at stake for early childhood ed March 02, 2009 By: Debra Williams Early childhood advocates are gearing up to make their pitch for how Illinois should spend money from the economic stimulus bill that is targeted to early education. Illinois stands to reap an additional $186 million for such programs, including $73 million for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, $77 million for Head Start and Early Head Start, $18.3 million for special education preschool and $17.5 for infant and toddler programs. That’s in addition to whatever the state ends up getting in the regular federal budget, which President Barack Obama just submitted to Congress last week. The Illinois State Board of Education is waiting for guidelines from the federal government on how the extra stimulus money should be used and by when. Advocates say they’ve heard that some of the money may need to be spent as early as June or July. In the meantime, the Illinois Early Learning Council plans to develop recommendations for the state to use in spending the money once the federal government releases its guidelines, which are expected by mid-March. Read More \| (0) Comments
New principal hurdles could help LSCs January 27, 2009 By: Debra Williams Officials say 270 current and aspiring principals have applied to go through a new, intensive screening process to qualify for principal vacancies in the Chicago Public Schools. CPS had set a Jan. 31 deadline for candidates to apply to undergo the new screening process, a prerequisite for placement in the district's pool of eligible candidates. The new process went into effect Jan. 1 and applies to all principal applicants, including current CPS principals who want to switch schools. Read More \| (1) Comments	Teaching teen moms to boost early learning January 06, 2009 By: Debra Williams When 18-year-old Maria Alarcon found out she was pregnant, she was scared and nervous about giving birth.&nb Read More \| (0) Comments
Teaching teen moms to boost early learning December 15, 2008 By: Debra Williams Read More \| (0) Comments	Activists to lawmakers: Give LSCs more power December 11, 2008 By: Debra Williams Supporters of local school councils are planning to target state lawmakers in a nascent effort to strengthen LSCs. LSCs have faced a barrage of criticism in recent years, including calls by Mayor Daley and CEO Arne Duncan to curb one of their most significant powers, selecting a principal. And earlier this year, community groups received far fewer dollars for recruiting candidates for the most recent LSC election. (See related story.) Next month, a coalition of community groups and activists plan to unveil recommendations for amending the Illinois School Code to beef up LSCs’ authority and power. Among the proposals: a requirement that charter and other new schools have elected LSCs. Read More \| (3) Comments
Gates grant to provide better college access for young parents December 11, 2008 By: Debra Williams Read More \| (0) Comments

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