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Monday, July 29, 2013

August 3, 2013 - 17th Legislative District Family Wellness Heath Fair and Back to School

Family Wellness Health Fair

State Representative Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) in partnership with state Senator Donne E. Trotter, state Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr., Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore, Jr. and Wal-Mart is hosting the 17th Legislative District Family Wellness Heath Fair and Back to School rally on Saturday, August 3 at Avalon Park in Chicago.

As we prepare to celebrate the start of a new school year, the Fair will provide students of our area with school supplies as well as the opportunity to receive health information for the entire family, including free child immunizations (shot records required), HIV/AIDS testing and adult wellness checkups (blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes), all screenings will occur free of charge.

Sims represents Illinois' 34th House District, which includes portions of the South Side of Chicago, Chicago's south suburbs, and Will and Kankakee counties. For more information, please contact Penny Tillman at (773) 783-8800.


Friday, July 19, 2013

CapitolFax: Fine lines and massive layoffs

The school closings that occurred before the end of the last school year were controversial. The controversy continues as this post by Rich Miller discusses the charter school angle, then the layoffs, the justification for closing schools and sending them to a better performing school.

Certainly there's a lot going on here. I do want to add that many schools are facing financial pressure because now many schools are under a student based budgeting formula. Some of the schools are rejecting their budgets as this will impact the jobs at their schools but also the programs for their students. In some cases their doing so even after agitating enough to get $100,000 worth of TIF funds from the city.

Anyway it's obvious that there's still a fight over the school closings and concerns over student safety as they must transfer to another school. Most of the closed schools are elementary schools and it's sad that there are people who would engage in an assault over who goes to which elementary school.

Sadly, I do believe the actions CPS took this past spring was necessary academically and financially. Noise is going to be made about the various things that must happen as a result. Especially sorting out the finances of these changes and insuring the safety of the students. Hopefully it's all be sorted out with the students in mind because the goal essentially is to ensure that they are educated!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Another principal change...

I haven't attended any LSC meetings at all the past year. Not entirely certain why although I could blame the fact that I never knew the schedule as I'm certain that the schedule could change year-to-year. Another reason why is often because of work.

All the same I ran into an LSC member the other day and learned that Bennett-Shedd will go through another principal selection process. Ms. Teresa K. Anderson served only a year as principal having replaced longtime teacher/counselor Roberta Fields who herself succeeded Ms. Barbara Ellis the long-time Bennett-Shedd principal who passed away in January 2011.

I heard that Ms. Anderson wasn't getting along at Bennett-Shedd at all with teachers or parents. Although I made sure to note that there are some elementary school principals here in Chicago who are leaving the CPS system due to the turmoil after school closings and what not. In this case it was personal.

I did tell this person that I plan to come around more in the future. Hopefully the next person they select to be principal will prove to be a good fit!