north lawndale alternative plan

7/29/2019 North Lawndale Alternative Plan

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1 Save North Lawndale Schools

Save North

Lawndale Schools

BethuneChalmersHensonMason H.S.PaderewskiPope

Com munity Based A lternative PlanPresented by the Committee to Save North Lawndale Schools

Thursday, March 21, 2013 (Revised March 23, 2013)

Better Boys Foundation

Save Our Schools


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Table of Contents

The Committee to Save North Lawndale Schools...........................................................................Page 3

Endangered North Lawndale Schools..................................................................................................Page 4

Purpose..............................................................................................................................................................Page 5

Issues..................................................................................................................................................................Page 6

Community Advisory Council Proposal...............................................................................................Page 8

Community School Collaborative............................................................................................................Page 9


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The Committee to

Save North Lawndale Schools

The Committee to Save North Lawndale Schools (CSNLS) is comprised of North Lawndalestakeholders who have come together to provide an alternative plan to avert school closings.Members of the ad hoc committee include elected officials, local community-based organizations,and engaged individuals. To date, the group consists of the following members:

Benjamin Bedenfield, Y-MenBilly Brooks, Better Boys FoundationRev. Eric Brown, Greater Progressive Missionary Baptist ChurchWillie Cole, North Lawndale SupporterWillie Mae Bowling, 4200 West Cullerton Block ClubDan Cantrell, Congressman Danny K. Davis' OfficeAlderman Michael Chandler

Benard Clay, WSBNAACPCongressman Danny K. DavisMargaret Davis, Lawndale ResidentAlderman Jason ErvinCheryl Francis, Chicago Area ProjectDr. Betty Green, North Lawndale Community Advisory CouncilNicole "Nikki" Harvey, Eden Advocacy CDC/ WSBNAACPDavid Evers, Commissioner Robert Steele's OfficeSherneron Hilliard, Family Focus-LawndaleMariame Kaba, Project NiaValerie F. Leonard, Lawndale AllianceTrina Mangrum, Alderman Chandler's Office

Alderman Ricardo MunozLorenzo O'Bryant, Family Focus-LawndaleWindy Pearson, Action NowXavier Ramey, Y-MENWilliam Riley, Eden Advocacy CDCKatie Russell, Better Boys FoundationCommissioner Robert SteeleWayne Stiles, Better Boys FoundationDarren Tillis, North Lawndale Community Advisory CouncilMichael Trout, Y-MENState Representative Arthur TurnerMary Visconti, Better Boys Foundation

Debra Wesley, Sinai Community InstituteCynthia Williams, Sinai Community InstituteAnnetta Wilson, Sankofa Safe Child InitiativeGladys Woodson 4300 West 21st Place Block ClubMichelle Young, Action Now


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Endangered

North Lawndale Schools

To date, there are 5 North Lawndale Schools that could be potentially be closed, and onescheduled for an AUSL turnaround:

BethuneChalmersHensonMason High SchoolPaderewskiPope


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Purpose

Chicago Public Schools has indicated that they will be closing 54 public schools. This actioncould reduce the number of schools by up to 7% when total CPS enrollment between 2000 and2010 has decreased by 5% (WBEZ). Closing 54 schools would represent $600 million in

disinvestment of school assets citywide. The African American community would bedisproportionately impacted, as 91% of the schools(117) targeted for closure are in AfricanAmerican neighborhoods, while African American children comprise 41% of the CPS studentpopulation.

Drilling closer to home, the North Lawndale community will be more adversely impacted thanany community in Chicago. Five schools are slated for closure, while one school will be turnedaround. We will lose half of our neighborhood schools for a total capital disinvestment of $86million to our local economy, and a disinvestment of up to $24 million per year in schooloperating funds in our community. As it stands, the North Lawndale community is one of themost impoverished communities in the city, with a median income of $18,000 and

unemployment rate of 17%--before the recession of 2007. Closing 5 school buildings andleaving them empty would cause a host of problems, including exacerbated blight conditions;reduced property values; increased student mobility rates; increased dropout rates; increasedvandalism and violence and interrupted student learning. The most upwardly mobile residentsmay decide to leave residents to leave, while real estate developers will continue to take a passon new development. This single act could be just as detrimental--if not more detrimental--thanlosing major employers like International Harvester, Sears and Western Electric. It could take tenyears or more for the community to recover--if we recover. Ten years represents an entiregeneration of elementary school students.

The purpose of this plan is to provide community based alternatives to school closings and

to begin a dialogue between community stakeholders, the Chicago Public Schools and thephilanthropic community to find win-win solutions that will positively impact academicoutcomes for our children and the quality of life for North Lawndale residents.


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Issues

Mayor Emanuel and Barbara Byrd Bennett, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools haveannounced that they will close 54 schools and turnaround 7 additional schools all at once,in an effort to get the pain over with quickly. However, for a community like North

Lawndale to lose 5 schools in one fell swoop could prove to be as detrimental--if not moreso--than losing major employers like International Harvester and Western Electric in the1970's. Upwardly mobile families would leave in droves, relocating to neighborhoods withmore stability. School closures have not proven to improve academic outcomes, and thenegative impacts far outweigh any cost savings in the long run. School closures increasestudent mobility, reduce property values, lead to job loss and wage reduction, interruptstudent learning, increase school violence and increase truancy and the chances ofdelinquency. North Lawndale children are among the most vulnerable in the city, and arethe least likely to withstand interruption.

Utilization

One of the greatest sources of contention has been with the manner in which CPShas determined whether or not schools are efficiently utilized. It should be notedthat a number of school buildings were built at the turn of the last century and the60's and 70's. The population of the community was more dense, and the schoolcurricula have changed significantly. At the time the schools were built, there wereno technology labs, or science labs. A number of the schools didn't have libraries.Some of our high schools were never designed to be schools, or high schools, or tohouse more than one school. The School Utilization formula is based on teachersunion contracted class size limits, as opposed to actual programs and building

operations, which vary widely from school to school. As a result, site visits andpublic testimony from schools have indicated discrepancies between enrollmentand utilization data tracked by the schools and CPS. CPS has indicated that, whilepublic schools are being closed for under-utilization, they will open 60 new charterschools in the communities where public schools are under-utilized.

Financial

While CPS faces significant financial challenges, we believe that there is sufficienttime to prepare a master facilities plan before disposing of buildings. For years, CPShas budgeted deficits, and have overcome them by year's end. The audited financial

statements for SY 2012 indicate that CPS made received $322 million at the end ofthe year to offset the budget deficit. The capital replacement costs used by theUtilization Commission to justify potential cost savings by closing schools are over$2 billion more than the book value of the buildings as recorded in the auditedfinancial statements. CPS has indicated a need to reduce the $317 million annualcost to operate schools. At the same time, the $412 million spent on consultants andprofessional services represents a $40 million increase over the prior year. Clearly,there is room for adjustments and negotiation in these areas.


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Truancy and Public Safety

Nearly 32,000, or approximately 1 in 8 (12%) Chicago public school students inkindergarten through eighth grade missed 4 or more weeks of class in 2011.Approximately 19% of kindergarten students had 9 or more unexcused absences.

North Lawndale is among the top 5 Chicago communities with respect to truancy.The Illinois State Board of Education has cut funding for the Truants Alternative andOption Education Program from $20 million (statewide) in 2009 to $12 million in2012. (Chicago Tribune). If left unchecked, truancy leads to poor academicperformance, dropout and juvenile delinquency. Chicago Public Schools no longerhave truant officers, and local schools have very limited resources to address theissue. The Police Department gives higher priority to offenses other than truancy.

The North Lawndale community is served by Police District 10 and District 11. In2010, District 11 ranked number 2 citywide in terms of juvenile arrests, with 2,141juvenile arrests. Of this number, 255 arrests occurred on school property. District

10 ranked number 10, with 1,348 arrests. Of this number, 133 arrests occurred onschool property. (Project Nia)

Approximately 80% of the North Lawndale community is in gang territory. Becausethere are several rival gangs, and the boundaries remain fluid, closing schools couldinadvertently create friction as students are transferred to different schools. Closingschool buildings in some of the hottest gang areas in the community would invite anescalation in illicit activities.

Neighborhood Deterioration

The North Lawndale community has long battled blighted conditions and over theyears, has been designated a Conservation Area (1960's), and had an EmpowermentZone and Enterprise Zone in the 1990's. Presently, every inch of our land mass is ina TIF area, and efforts are under way to bring about new development. To date, thearea has over 1,700 vacant properties, and a number of recent housingdevelopments and new projects in the pipeline. Because we are still in a recession,recovery is anticipated to be slow. Blighted conditions remain pervasive. A numberof schools targeted for closure are located in prime targeted redevelopment areas,or near new developments. Having empty school buildings brings down propertyvalues and makes it very difficult to sell market rate homes in the vicinity. As it

stands, Pope is adjacent to a gated community in which homeowners invested$2880,000 to $480,000 in new homes. Affordable homes have been built nearHenson. Closing schools, in general ,would be an incentive for families to move tomore stable communities, and reverse any progress made over the years.


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Community Advisory Council Proposal

The North Lawndale Community Advisory Council (CAC) has recently submitted acomprehensive plan for North Lawndale schools to remain open. They recommended fourspecialty foci for schools, including STEM programs for Chalmers and Dvorak; green

technology and entrepreneurship at Penn leadership development for Pope andPlamondon and a fine arts focus at Crown. They also identified the following goals andobjectives.

Figure 1: CAC Goals and Objectives

Goal 1:

All North Lawndale Schoolswill provide a high quality

education to all students

Objective 1:

Provide opportunities forall families to have accessto quality pre-schooleducation programs.

Objective 2:Provide a curriculum thatmeets the needs of allstudents.

Objective 3:

All North Lawndale schoolswill have a safe andrespectful environment.

Objective 4:

All North Lawndale schoolswill have on-going and

transparent communicationthat connects the school,parent and community.

Goal 2:

Schools will provide social,emotional, and health

services to North Lawndalestudents that will ensurethat they are ready to learn

Objective 2-1:

All families will have accessto physical, emotional andmental healthservices.

Objective 2-2:

All schools will have social,emotional and healthservices thateliminate or significantlyreduce the barriers tolearning.

Goal 3:

North Lawndale Familieswill appreciate thetraditional neighborhoodschools

Objective 3-1:

The North Lawndale SchoolStaffs will do a great job ofmarketingtheir schools.


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Community School Collaborative

We wholeheartedly support the plan put forth by the Community Advisory Council and theLawndale schools. We envision ourselves working in concert with the North Lawndale Schoolsand the Community Advisory Council. The North Lawndale Schools and Community Advisory

Council will focus on the activities within the school environs, while we provide a continuum ofwrap around services and community based activities. To this end, we will create the NorthLawndale Community School Collaborative to serve as an intermediary for the North LawndaleSchools, the Community Advisory Council, parents, students and local residents.

Figure 2: North Lawndale Community School

Collaborative Framework

Schools

CommunityAdvisoryCouncil

Community

School

Collaborative

School environs

Continuum of wrap

around services

and community

based activities


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We will work with schools and the CAC to strengthen our schools' ability to deliver favorableacademic outcomes while serving as bona fide community centers focusing on the needs of thefamily, students and community members. Specifically, we will 1) develop programming thatwill reduce truancy and delinquency and cut the pipeline from school to prison; 2) enhancehealth, fitness and nutrition for students and their families, eradicate the food desert and expand

opportunities for healthy eating and positive lifestyle changes; 3) augment the school curriculawith workforce development training that will provide students with exposure to career choicesin manufacturing, technology, health and the trades, beginning at the elementary school level; 4)provide basic skills and workforce training and development opportunities for parents 5) provideoutlets for sports and recreation, arts and culture. The proposed structure and implementation ofthe community services plan are summarized in figures 3, 4, 5 and 6.

We are looking to create win-win alternatives that will ease the financial burden of schooloperations while creating greater synergies between the City, Chicago Public Schools, ChicagoPublic Libraries, City Colleges, the Chicago Park District, Chicago Police Department, ourelected officials, community based organizations, local residents, parents and students. We

welcome community based organizations, small businesses (as appropriate),clinics, etc. to rentspace in school buildings, subject to approval of principals, LSC's and the schools' plans forimprovement.We also recommend the conversion of classroom space to libraries where possible.Any questions regarding the plan may be directed to Valerie F. Leonard at 773-521-3137, [email protected].
http://c/Users/Theodis%20Leonard/Documents/School%20Closures/North%20Lawndale%20Plan/[email protected]://c/Users/Theodis%20Leonard/Documents/School%20Closures/North%20Lawndale%20Plan/[email protected]://c/Users/Theodis%20Leonard/Documents/School%20Closures/North%20Lawndale%20Plan/[email protected]


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Collaborative Operating Structure

North Lawndale

Community

Schools

Collaborative

Academic Support

Services

Health, Fitness

and Nutrition

Truancy

Prevention

Workforce

Development

Early Childhood

Family Services

Leadership and

Mentoring

Research

Sports and

Recreation

Arts and Culture

Outreach andCivic Engagement

Areas of Focus

Lead Agencies

BetterBoys

Foundation

(BBF)

Sinai Community

Institute (SCI)

Capacity Building

The North Lawndale

Community Schools

Collaborative will

network with over

240 North Lawndale

organizations and

churches to provide

a continuum

supportive services

and create a referral

network for North

Lawndale Schools.

The Collaborative

will also leverage

the resources of city

agencies, including

Chicago Public

Schools, the

Chicago Park

District, Chicago

Public Libraries,

Chicago

Department of

Cultural Affairs and

Special Events and

the Chicago Police

How WeWill Work


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Program Logic and Evaluation Model

Collaborative Operating Structure

What We

Invest

-Staff

-Students

-Partners

-ExistingProgram

Models

-Time

-Money

-Materials

-Equipment

-Access to

partners'

research

What We

Acquire

-Additional

Staff

-Training/

Expertise

What We

Do

Youth

Mentoring

Develop

Workforce

Healthcare

Family

Counseling

Workshops

Research

Community

Outreach

Cultural

enrichment

Sports and

Recreation

Who We

Reach

-Schools

-Youth

-Parents

-Churches

-Residents

-Community-Key

Decision

Makers

Short Term

Results

-Improved

school

attendance

rates

-reduction

in truancy

and

delin-

quency

-Improved

studentoutcomes

-Eradication

of food

deserts

-Improved

health and

Ultimate

Impact to

School and

Community

-Improved

studentoutcomes

- Reduction

in unem-

ployment

rates

Inputs Outputs Outcomes/Impact

OverallGoal: To increase academic outcomes for North Lawndale schools by:

-reducing truancy

-improving health , fitness and nutrition for students and their families

-exposing school children to career options

-providing basic skills training and workforce development for parents and local residents

Sample Evaluation Question: What is the effectivenessof utilizing after school programming

and community based resources to increase school performance and retention?

Situation

The majority ofNorth Lawndale

schools are Level 2

or 3.

North Lawndale is

among the top 5

with respect to

truancy.

Approximately

46% of North

Lawndale children

between 6 and 12years of age were

obese in 2003

Unemployment

exceeds 50%

among youth

There is a need for

more high quality

programs for

sports, recreation,arts and culture.


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Implementation Timeline

Other Opportunities

North Lawndale is home to over 200 registered nonprofit organizations that could providesignificant support to our students. They could provide a continuum of services, as well asrent space from some of the schools. IfThe Mayor has indicated that he will be expanding early childhood education and childparent centers. This would be an excellent time to refurbish the Herzl Child-Parent centerand bring it back.The Mayor has recently re-organized CAPS to be more responsive to the community,including the youth.

OpportunitiesRecommendationsIdentification of potential partners and/or resources

1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr

2013 2014 2015

Planning

Implementation

Evaluation

Formalize working

relationships

Develop governance

structure

Conduct needs

assessment

Strategic planning

Develop and refineprograms

Create formal entity

Identify other resources

Set stage for evaluation

Develop collateral

materials

Develop program

infrastructure

Develop website

Conduct marketing and outreach activities to schools,

parents, students and community organizations.

Hire additional staff, subject to funding and final program

structure.

Implement programs in focus areas

File periodic reports to governing body, funders,

regulators and community .

Collect data for research, advocacy and evaluation

purpose.

Utilize findings to improve programs.

Conduct process

and outcome

evaluation to

assess

effectiveness of

program to

impact systemic

change in a cost

effective manner.

Ongoing


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Implementation Budget

Note: The staff will include a director, administrative assistant, two programcoordinators and a research and policy coordinator.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Staff (5 members) 210,000 216,300 222,789

Bookkeeping 12,000 12,360 12,731Auditing 6,500 6,695 6,896

Legal 5,000 5,150 5,305

Insurance (Health, Liability, D&O) 25,000 25,750 26,523

Supplies 10,000 10,300 10,609

Rent 15,000 15,450 15,914

Furnishings 15,000 - -

Equipment 10,000 - -

Mailing 1,500 1,545 1,591

Utilities 6,000 6,180 6,365

Software and subscriptions 3,500 3,605 3,713Advertising 2,500 2,575 2,652

322,000$ 305,910$ 315,087$