I got the following e-mail from ILAACP.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
ILAACP Newsletter-What are You Doing to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Reply
Category Archives: Advocacy
I Have Been Invited to Serve as a Guest Speaker for Northeastern Illinois University Center for Inner City Studies
I have just been invited by Associate Professor Robert T. Starks to serve as a guest speaker for one of his classes at the Northeastern Illinois University Center for Inner City Studies next month. We’re still working out the details, but I will share lessons learned from North Lawndale with respect to education and community development, looking at government-funded programs, their impact and recommendations going forward. I am sure this will be a lively discussion.
Have Coffee and Conversation with President Cullerton, Rep. Ann Williams and Rep. Sara Feigenholz
I got the following e-mail from Senate President John Cullerton
|
Illinois Task Force on Social Innovation Meeting January 23, 2013
I got the following e-mail from the Illinois Task Force on Social Innovation. I apologize that this is so difficult to read. Please click onto the links to read more.
|
| This invitation was sent to valeriefleonard@msn.com by Illinois Task Force on Social Innovation the organizer. To stop receiving invitations from this organizer, you can unsubscribe. |  |
| Eventbrite | 651 Brannan St. Suite 110 | San Francisco, CA 94107 |
Reminder: Petition President Obama to Stop Policies that Promote Massive School Closings
Let me preface my remarks by saying that we are not anti-charter school. Charter schools are merely a legal structure. The legal structure in and of itself should not matter. What does matter is school quality, and the de-stabilizing impact of mass school closures on low-income minority communities. Unfortunately, current educational policies encourage mass closings of traditional public schools while also encouraging the rapid expansion of charter schools. Not only is this disruptive to students that can least afford disruption, but it severely impairs the quality and sustainability of public and charter schools. This is not in the best interest of students, taxpayers, parents or teachers.
We want to take the time to thank everyone who has signed onto our petition to President Obama to stop education policies that encourage the mass closing of public schools while rapidly expanding charter schools. As of this writing, we have over 1,200 signers from 46 states and Puerto Rico. This is a great start, and sends a strong statement. However, in order to get a public response on the President’s We the People website, we need to get 25,000 signatures by January 30, 2013. Please visit http://wh.gov/Ua20 to sign and share this petition. Please commit to getting 10 additional signers. Your cooperation is most appreciated. A copy of the text of the petition is found below.
Stop education policies that promote massive closing of traditional public schools while expanding charter schools.
Mass school closings have proven to be disruptive to low-income minority communities, and the negative impact could outweigh the benefits. Students who transfer as a result of school closings could initially lose up to 6 months in academic achievement. Under-performing neighborhood schools are typically replaced by charter schools that perform no better. It takes at least 5 years for new schools to fully develop. In some districts nearly 40% of charters have experienced serious cash flow problems, and a significant number are having difficulty complying with state-mandated pension funding requirements. Across the nation, it is expected that 15% of charter schools will fail. Low-income minority students, who are already struggling, cannot afford such instability.
Blocks Together School Utilization Fact Sheet and Assessment Tool
I thank Carolina Gaete for sharing the Blocks Together School Utilization Fact Sheet and Assessment Tool. Feel free to modify it for use at your own schools.
BT Fact Sheet on Utilization [WorkingDraft 12.2012] by valeriefleonard
Petition the Obama Administration to Stop Policies that Promote Mass School Closings
Petition to the President to Stop School Closings by valeriefleonard
I wanted to let you know about a new petition I created on We the People, a new feature on WhiteHouse.gov, and ask for your support. Will you add your name to mine? If this petition gets 25,000 signatures by January 30, 2013, the White House will review it and respond!
We the People allows anyone to create and sign petitions asking the Obama Administration to take action on a range of issues. If a petition gets enough support, the Obama Administration will issue an official response.
You can view and sign the petition here:
http://wh.gov/Ua20
Please sign on, and commit to getting 10 others to do the same.
Developing an Optimal Individual Reentry Plan: Balancing Offender Needs, Community Factors and Practical Realities
I got the following e-mail from the National Reentry Resource Center
 |
Supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance |
WEBINAR: CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEVELOPING AN OPTIMAL INDIVIDUAL REENTRY PLAN: BALANCING OFFENDER NEEDS, COMMUNITY FACTORS AND PRACTICAL REALITIES
In recent years, researchers and practitioners have learned a great deal about properly addressing offender risks to improve post-incarceration outcomes. By conducting actuarial assessments of each individual’s risks and needs and coupling this diagnostic information with clinical judgment, practitioners can develop reentry plans that increase the likelihood of improved outcomes for both the individual and the community. In addition, practitioners can further increase the likelihood of success when factors such as employment, educational levels, and vocational aptitudes, as well as community factors (e.g., access to healthy social activities or access to pro-social individuals) are addressed in individual reentry plans.
This webinar will focus on developing optimal individual reentry plans. The presenter will discuss organizational considerations that can greatly influence how offender risk and needs are measured and addressed, and system considerations including the extent of planning and collaboration with other government and community organizations that is needed to improve the likelihood that a person will succeed after release from prison and jail. Attention will be given to resource limitations, staff training, and the availability of supports and services within communities.
The webinar will also include brief discussions about:
- Appropriate cognitive-behavioral treatment interventions that address assessed criminogenic needs;
- Improving life skills (e.g., financial literacy or interacting with employers and peers in a non-confrontational manner);
- Addressing basic education and vocational training deficits;
- Measuring and capitalizing on an individual’s strengths;
- Ensuring that the transition from living in a prison/jail to the community is as smooth as possible (e.g., How will the individual leave the institution and get to the area he/she will live? Where will he/she go immediately after release? Does the individual have suitable clothing and resources for food and other necessities?);
- Establishing pro-social “hooks” for a given individual (e.g., mentors, community organizations, employers willing to help the ex-offender avoid falling back on anti-social habits);
- Attendees can ask the presenter questions about any of these or other related topics in the last 30 minutes of the webinar.
The presenter for this webinar is Kathleen Gnall, an independent consultant with extensive experience working with criminal justice professionals, policymakers, community and business leaders, social service providers, and members of faith-based and non-profit organizations to enhance public safety while improving individual outcomes. Ms. Gnall spent 17 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PDOC), where she served as executive assistant to the Secretary of Corrections; the Director of Policy, Planning, Research, Evaluation and Grants; and the Deputy Secretary for Specialized Programs and Reentry.
Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
To register for this webinar, click here.
This is a National Reentry Resource Center announcement. This announcement is funded in whole or in part through a grant (award number: 2010-MUBX-KO84) from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this announcement (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).
This email was sent to valeriefleonard@msn.com. If you are no longer interested you can unsubscribe instantly.
Can Participatory Budgeting Work on Chicago’s West Side?
I am a member of the Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee, convened by the University of Illinois Nathalie Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement and the Participatory Budgeting Project. The role of the Steering Committee is to work with the University, community based organizations and members of City Council to bring participatory budgeting to every ward in the City. The 49th Ward, headed by Alderman Joe Moore, is the first and only ward in the city that has an active participatory budgeting process. Alderman Moore, his staff and ward volunteers have been very helpful in our understanding of how the process works in the 49th Ward. We are taking lessons learned from their experiences to apply to what we hope will be a city wide program in which each alderman works with their constituents to identify and prioritize infrastructure projects that will be funded through their annual $1.3 million infrastructure menu. The menu covers things like street lights, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street resurfacing, etc. It does not cover costs for running programs and services.
The 49th Ward process is set up such that resident-headed committees identify improvements that should be made, do the research as to how much the improvements cost and interface with the City agency responsible for the work. The committees then hold assemblies where they make presentations to ward residents. The projects are refined, and then later included on a ballot, to be voted on by community residents on a day set for voting. On the day of voting, residents go to one of the local schools to cast their votes. If they wish, they can walk through an exhibit area to review displays of the projects and speak with committee members who are promoting the various projects.
To date, there are a handful of aldermen from other wards who have signed onto the process, or have expressed strong interest. These include Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th), Alderman Ameya Pawar (47), Alderman Scott Waguespack (32) and Alderman Ricardo Munoz (22). To date, Alderman Munoz is the only West Side Alderman to sign on or show interest.
Do you think participatory budgeting should be implemented on the West Side? Why or why not? Would you be interested in learning more about the process? Please let me know.
Trade Names Versus Trademarks