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In CPS Administration After being criticized for choosing an out-of-state group to provide mentors for students who are most at-risk of being involved in violence, the district is officially reaching out to local organizations.
Thursday Ron Huberman made good on a promise he made last month to include community organizations. The district posted a request for proposals for student mentorship and advocacy services.
About $5 million will be made available to groups to provide services to 3,000 students. Already $5 million was awarded to Philadelphia-based Youth Advocacy Program to work with the 250 most at-risk students.
The community groups will be selected through a process carried out by a blue ribbon panel. The panel, also announced Thursday, includes two mothers who lost sons to gun violence; former Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard; and three clergy.
The proposals are due next month.
Below is the list of the blue ribbon panel members:
- Miguel Del Valle, Chicago City Clerk and the first Latino to serve as assistant majority leader in the Illinois Senate. Clerk Del Valle received a B.A. and M.A. in education and guidance from Northeastern Illinois University.
- Terry Hillard, former Chicago Police Superintendent.
- Rev. Ruben Cruz, pastor of the Spanish Christian Church. The Spanish Christian Church is the delegate agency to the Karen Cruz Children’s Center. The center offers after-school, and school vacation day care programs for children ages six through twelve. The primary goal of the program is to promote the full intellectual, social and emotional development of the children.
- Lula Ford, Commissioner for the Illinois Commerce Commission; a career educator who was formerly an assistant superintendent and chief instruction officer with Chicago Public Schools.
- Rita Fry, attorney and former chief of the Cook County Public Defender’s office.
- Annette Holt, Chicago firefighter and president of the African-American Firefighters Association. After losing her son to gun violence, Ms. Holt has been on the forefront of the campaign against violence as the President of the Purpose over Pain Organization and through her work with various other initiatives to combat youth violence.
- Felipa Mena, Wells High School Local School Council parent representative who lost her son to gun violence.
- Rev. John Buchanan, pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. Fourth Presbyterian Church operates Chicago Lights, a nonprofit community outreach organization that fosters literacy and education, helps to alleviate hunger and homelessness, and advances health and wellness through various programs.
- Mike Ivers, president of GoodCity, which focuses on building skills and capacity of community leaders and organizations.
- Dr. Carl Bell, President and CEO of the Community Mental Health Council, psychiatrist and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health at the University of Illinois School of Medicine. Dr. Bell is an expert/lecturer on violence prevention and traumatic stress caused by violence.
- James Montgomery, attorney, partner in the law firm of Cochran, Cherry Givens, Smith and Montgomery. He is a former City of Chicago Corporation Counsel (1983-1986).
- Pastor Darrell Griffin, pastor of Oakdale Covenant Church. The Oakdale Covenant Church established the Oakdale Community Development Corporation to impact the needs of the Brainerd/Washington Heights community
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Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 2:42 PM
Chicago schools look to community groups to help with violent teens
CPS selection of civic leaders for its first Blue Ribbon Panel is a good representation of clergy and professional that the community grow to appreciate. It's our hope that the new CPS Board President will be allowed expand the panel to ensure board input and collective agreement. It would great to see panel members added that are familiar with park programming, literacy and primary health care services. Good Start!
Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 6:40 PM
Chicago schools look to community groups to help with violent teens
This is all a hoax... they have no intention on using this money with local agencies. Hence the ridiculous RFP requirements put in place for getting the funds.
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