community involvement | catalyst-chicago.org

Current Issue

School closings

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

Read More

community involvement

Community groups: Inspector General should investigate closings February 12, 2013 By: Sarah Karp A coalition of parent and community groups called on outside help Tuesday to try to put the brakes on massive school closings, which they fear even large, well-organized opposition won’t be able to stop. Read More \| (72) Comments	CPS approves new schools, but charters face tough questions January 23, 2013 By: Rebecca Harris CPS officials approved several new charter and alternative schools at Wednesday’s board meeting, and also announced new plans to engage with Community Action Councils. But the charter schools that were approved might face an uncertain future. Both Foundations College Prep, which will open in Roseland, and Orange Charter, which has not picked a neighborhood yet, were pulled from the December meeting agenda, had their openings delayed by a year, and were given additional conditions they must meet before they are given final approval to open. Read More \| (9) Comments
Community groups get their wish for South Shore, Brighton Park schools May 23, 2012 By: Sarah Karp Board of Education members granted the wishes of two organized community groups in making polar opposite decisions about newly-built schools. South Shore International College Prep will have no neighborhood boundaries, starting in September. Meanwhile, a new elementary school at 48th and Rockwell will be reserved for attendance-area students. These decisions are the culmination of battles that began long before the current administration and board. They also show how different communities and parents look at schools in the current environment regarding choice. Read More \| (7) Comments	Parents organize to protect area schools May 18, 2012 By: Sarah Karp Logan Square parents and community activists held a rally Friday morning in front of Ames Middle School. After rumors circulated about plans to re-purpose the middle school, the group decided to form the Logan Square Schools Facilities Committee. Read More \| (0) Comments
Community Action Councils present their vision of local schools October 17, 2011 By: Sarah Karp Imagine this: A community that is viewed as an expansive campus, home to elementary schools that specialize in all sorts of things from Montessori to math and science to language. Read More \| (10) Comments	Roseland Children's Initiative kicks off May 17, 2011 By: Rebecca Harris With $2 million raised, a recent kick-off rally and a newly opened office, a Roseland project modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone is out of the starting gate. Read More \| (2) Comments
Defining values: A roadmap to helping urban youth February 14, 2011 By: Montana Butsch Sometimes, young people value doing nothing over doing something. Read More \| (1) Comments	Youth murders up, money for school violence prevention in doubt January 28, 2011 By: Sarah Karp Last year the number of murders in Chicago declined by 5 percent, but there’s a disturbing side to that good news: 11 percent more teenagers were killed and about the same number were shot and injured as in 2009, according to statistics from the Chicago Police Department. That’s 588 shooting victims and 68 murder victims between the ages of 13 and 18. Most of the murders involved firearms. Read More \| (3) Comments
Drama in their lives November 15, 2010 By: Sarah Karp As a sophomore at Kenwood Academy, Ka’la Shepard faced a storm of adverse circumstances. She was pregnant, her mother had lost her job as a medical technician and their home was in foreclosure. School faded in importance. “I found myself trying to help my mom by making money, doing things I shouldn’t have been doing,” Ka’La says, careful to avoid specifics about what she did. Read More \| (0) Comments