catalyst-chicago.org

The American Dream really boils down to one simple proposition—the circumstances of an individual’s birth should not limit his or her future.  Regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, income level or social class, and irrespective of the family one is born into or the community in which he or she lives, every American should have both the right and opportunity to rise to the very top, limited solely by individual drive and ability. 

In a forum on race and education, Terry Mazany, president of The Chicago Community Trust and former interim CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, talks about the need to raise achievement for all students for the United States can remain economically competitive. A panel then discusses promising programs for black and brown students: Terrence Carter, AUSL;  Ernesto Mateas, Wells Community Academy High School; and Shelby Wyatt, Kenwood Academy Brotherhood.

KIPP charter middle schools enroll a significantly higher proportion of African-American students than the local school districts they draw from, but 40 percent of the black males they enroll leave between grades 6 and 8, says a new nationwide study by researchers at Western Michigan University.