catalyst-chicago.org

In the more than 10 years that I've been working in Chicago public elementary schools, I've watched quite a few education reform groups and initiatives come and go. In some instances, I was one of the "reformers"; in others, only an interested observer; in still others, I had to help settle the dust after the (so-called) reformers lost interest (i.e., funding). Through these experiences I've developed a list of reminders to myself that I keep posted in my office.

Over the past 22 years, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge has committed almost $28 million in grants to more than 40 school networks. The Challenge funds networks—at least three schools and an external partner such as a community group, university or reform organization—because schools cannot achieve whole-school change alone. In networks, schools are able to share resources, learn from each others' experiences, support each other and act as critical friends.

In December 1986, a small group of South Shore residents met in the dining room of a parent's home to discuss the growing concerns about the education offered by the neighborhood high school. A month later, the Coalition for Improved Education in South Shore, or CIESS, was born. CIESS initially focused on improving South Shore High School but later expanded to include its feeder elementary schools. In the process, we grew from a group of residents concerned about one school to a network of 10 schools plus community organizations, businesses, institutions and, still, individual residents.