From left to right, Juan F. Soto, PNCC Director; Samantha Bisuet, APL leader; Steve Srike, CEO of Pilsen Little Village Network

The Longer School Day Advisory Committee announced on September 7 that CPS schools would be extended to 7.5 hours. Between 150k and 75k will be spent, and a 2% bonus will be given to teachers for the additional 105 minutes. Pilsen Neighbors Community Council’s Executive Director, Juan F. Soto is a part of the advisory committee and we need to know what you think! The committee will be meeting regularly to learn and discuss what longer days will consist of. What do you think? Please leave your comment below.

Peotone, IL

Pastors and community leaders from Gamaliel of Metro Chicago, PNCC’s city-wide network, will hold a sitting outside the office of Governor Pat Quinn on Wednesday September 14, 2011 at 10:00am. The intention of this sitting will be to demand a face-to-face meeting in order to discuss job development and plans for the construction of the Abraham Lincoln National Airport. This would be Chicago’s third airport which will be located in Peotone, IL. These plans have been sitting on the table for years, still waiting for implementation.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 10:00am

WHERE: Outside the Office of the Governor (James R. Thompson Center) 100 W. Randolph Chicago, IL 60601

WHO: Pastors and community leaders representing over ten communities from the South Suburbs.

In a New York Times column, “Flying Blind in Chicago” (2009), Bob Herbert stated that, “[…] many of the big time politicians in and around Chicago are upset at the very thought of an airport being built in which they would be unable to control the jobs and the contracts.”

Pastor James Hunt of New Hope Community Church said, “We can no longer carry business as usual. Our people are suffering and we can no longer sit in the sidelines waiting for something to happen. The Governor promised to support the construction of a third airport in Peotone IL, and so far no one’s heard anything.”

A third airport is needed for capacity reasons, according to many studies done by the Federal Aviation Administration. Sponsors estimate that the airport will generate billions of dollars and create thousands of jobs that are much needed for the struggling south suburban towns nearby

The group of pastors, priests and community leaders were not able to get a meeting with Gov. Quinn. According to staff, he was not at his office on that day. The group will return when the Gov. comes back from his trip from China, (the governor was in fact in Chicago when the group organized the sitting). According community leaders, they will not stop until a meeting is scheduled.

Brizard speaks to APL parents to discuss early childhood education funding

PNCC’s Academy of Parents in Leadership ask Brizard for support, and propose the implementation of early childhood education plans and other school programs for Southwest Side schools

In a meeting on Wednesday August 31, 2011 at Orozco Community Academy, at 10 a.m. (CT), over twenty parents from the Academy of Parents in Leadership, (APL) – with a majority made up of parents and several community leaders, gathered to meet with CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Jean-Claude Brizard to confer plans about education funding in Chicago’s Southwest Side schools, and to ask for support of other education efforts in order to improve the quality of education for children in CPS. Members of APL represented schools from Brighton Park, Little Village, Back of the Yards, and Pilsen.

Also present was, Steve Srike, CEO of Pilsen Little Village Network and Jamkio Rose, Chief Family and Community Engagement Officer.

During the meeting, Ruth Peña, a parent and former teacher spoke about the need for an early childhood education programs in Southwest side schools. “As a parent and former Head Start teacher, I can see the positive, social and emotional impacts of a full day program.”

Brizard agreed to work and support APL parents on benefiting from the 6,000 full-day early childhood seats included in the preliminary budget for fiscal year 2012. “Were trying to be very equitable…we targeted cities in the area with the greatest need. We increased the number to 6,000, but it’s not enough,” he said. According to Brizard, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel “launched a task force” that would look at early childhood education funding. 

In addition, parents asked for support on after school tutoring services, and on improving the Parent Involvement Advisory Council (PAIC) where parent involvement is “low,” according to Jose F. Henandez, President and CEO of the parent organization, Local School Council-Member Alliance of Chicago (LSC MAC) and member of APL. Herhandez proposed that PAIC “elect” parents to the council, rather than “appoint” them by CPS. “In this way, parents are engaged and involved”, said Hernandez, who is also part of the council.   “Those who have been appointed, do not show up to meetings and aren’t involved.” Brizard agreed to work closer with parents with parents in the council.

Rose, responsible for LSCs, parent and community group engagement will be working with APL parents on these efforts. Rose was appointed by Brizard last week.

“We believe that we can partner and support [Brizard] in the efforts of an extended day for schools, but we also need a commitment…for a bilateral benefit,” says Henandez.  “We want to benefit from the 6,000 seats for early childhood education and work side by side with CPS in the search and execution of solutions to the many challenges we face.”

The APL is an education initiative of Pilsen Neighbors Community Council and Gamaliel of Metro Chicago. The APL strategy is aimed to address the lack of parent involvement in schools and in the Pilsen community. The APL seeks to help parents become strong school leaders and advocates in educational issues affecting them, their children and the community. For more information about APL, call: 312-66-2663.