I have been reading newspaper accounts of  the late Chicago mayor Harold Washington’s legacy marking 25 years since Mayor Washington died.

Very little has been said about what may arguably be the most lasting of Mayor Washington’s contributions to Chicago – our local school councils.

Although the Mayor died before the Chicago School Reform law was passed, his support for strong community voice in public schools was a key catalyst for the movement.

You can read all about how LSCs were created, including Mayor Washington’s involvement, in this excellent 1991 history, “School Reform Chicago Style,” by Mary O’Connell for the Center for Neighborhood Technology, which the late Don Moore captured electronically and posted on the Designs for Change web site.

O’Connell’s history includes many references to PURE’s founders, Joy and Bernie Noven, along with fascinating behind-the-scenes details about how the law was written and passed.

But without the support and vision of Harold Washington, LSCs may never have happened.

It was something of a surprise to hear that Mayor Emanuel has appointed Dr. Carlos Azcoitia to the Board of Education to replace Rodrigo Sierra, who moves to the CHA Board.

Not mentioned specifically in his official City Hall bio was Dr. Azcoitia’s stint in the mid-1990s as the head of the Office of School Reform, the department which served local school councils, back when CPS served LSCs and back when reform really meant something. Also not mentioned was the time Paul Vallas, then CPS CEO, fired Carlos and then, after getting heat from PURE and others, rehired him to run the newly-named Office of School-Community Relations.

Azcoitia regularly invited reform groups to the table to work on LSC training materials and LSC-related policy issues. He was also a long-time friend of PURE founders Joy and Bernie Noven. The picture above is from Joy and Bernie’s retirement party in 1995. Carlos is the one with the moustache and the mic standing between Joy (seated left) and Bernie (seated right).

There were bumps along the way in PURE’s relationship with Dr Azcoitia, especially as Vallas began to make some heavy-handed moves against certain LSC members, but he is the first person appointed to the mayoral-controlled board with any real school reform credentials. It will be interesting to see if that makes any difference.

I was proud to share the Local School Council model with my co-founders at Parents Across America, and delighted when PAA adopted it as our alternative to the “parent trigger” school privatization mechanism.

Unlike charter or private turnaround companies, LSCs have a significant track record of improving schools over time without any extra resources beyond the collaborative efforts of parents, teachers, administrators and community members.

Now, to my astonishment, organizers for such pro-privatization groups like Stand for Children and New Schools for Chicago seem to be agreeing with us on LSCs as an alternative to the parent trigger.

Here’s what’s being reported in Catalyst Notebook:

“New Schools for Chicago…says it isn’t exploring the possibility of a parent trigger law. Stand for Children is not working on a parent trigger, either. (SFC director Juan Jose) Gonzalez says that with the local school council model of governance in place at most CPS schools, he doesn’t see the need. ‘To me, through the LSC system, that is an existing parent trigger type model,’ he says.”

Sojourners Magazine just published a blog comment/letter to the editor I wrote in response to a previous article by Nicole Baker Fulgham, “Beyond ‘Superman,’” which referenced “Waiting for Superman” in recommending that meaningful reform must involve all stakeholders having a stronger, more meaningful voice in school decision-making.

Fulgham wrote: “As an African-American woman and a Christian, I have undergone my own process to unpack the unique and often deeply held beliefs of communities that have been historically marginalized and disenfranchised within public discourse. I’ve come to believe that we have to find authentic ways to give all stakeholders a voice in the dialogue and decision-making. Otherwise we run the risk of well-intentioned school reforms being viewed with heavy doses of skepticism by those left out of the process.”

Read more of her thoughtful piece here.

For this “traditional” first day of school, some teachable moments courtesy of excellent role models:

Back in 1989, Chicago became a national model for school reform, thanks in part to the late Don Moore, PURE and many others who helped craft the Chicago School Reform law creating local school councils.

Then we became a model for what NOT to do in school reform when the mayor took control of the schools in 1995, hiring a non-educator as CEO of the schools.

Well, we’re back!

Public education supporters all over the world are watching Chicago’s courageous, unified teachers’ union and the strong parent, student and community support spearheaded by such groups as Parents 4 Teachers and KOCO.

They know that if we can do it, they can do it.

Here’s what Parents4Teachers has on tap for this week.

P4T Banner Day Friday Sept. 7

On the eve of a potential strike, we want to have a visible presence across the city showing the breadth of support for our teachers. We’ll be at key locations from 4 – 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 7, with banners and leaflets–talking to Chicagoans about what’s at stake in the contract battle and urging them to support the teachers. We’re targeting 10 different, high visibility locations and will need 50 people to make this action a success. Please join us!

Email info@parents4teachers.net to get involved.

Call CPS every Thursday until teachers win a fair contract!

We flooded central office with calls last week–several people reported the number was “our of order” when they called. Let’s do it again this Thursday and every Thursday until the board offers a contract that benefits teachers and students. Call CPS CEO J.C. Brizard at 773-553-1500. Tell him you support the teachers’ contract demands for:

Smaller classes
1. A better, not just longer, day
2. More social services, counselors and nurses for our schools
3. Job security and fair compensation for teachers

Teachers’ needs and our children’s needs go hand in hand. With parents and teachers united, we can win the schools our children deserve!

Call 773-553-1500 and make your voice heard!

Host a parent/teacher meeting at your home or school

Parents have a lot of questions about the contract dispute and, if you just listened to the media, you’d think it’s only about money. In fact, it’s about so much more. The teachers–and the CTU–are fighting for the things that matter most in our schools. Good working conditions for teachers are good learning conditions for our kids.

Host a meeting at your home or school to help your friends, family and neighbors understand what’s really at stake and brainstorm ways we can all make a difference at this critical time.

Contact info@parents4teachers.net and we’ll help facilitate the meeting and make a presentation.

Parent pressure on the board is the key to avoiding a strike and winning a fair contract for our teachers and quality schools for our kids. We all need to stay informed and involved.

Please share this email with your friends!

KOZOL EVENT

And here’s an event you should plan to attend: a forum with another great role model, Jonathan Kozol.

S A V E     T H E      D A T E !

Author Jonathan Kozol to speak in Chicago September 27th. The event is free and open to the public but we recommend that you reserve a seat here.

Urban public schools and teachers who serve children in poverty are under attack. So argues activist author Jonathan Kozol. There is a profound connection, he insists, between urban poverty, racism and educational neglect. Kozol, author of a series of notable books about the conditions of children in urban America, will speak in Chicago on September 27.  He will address the current, unprecedented assault on public education and on public school teachers.

Jonathan Kozol’s new book is Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America. In this volume, Kozol reconnects with some of the children his readers first met in  Rachel and Her Children (1988), Amazing Grace (1996), Savage Inequalities (1991) and Shame of the Nation (2006) and his other works documenting the social and educational conditions facing urban children. Kozol argues that as a society, we must judge ourselves by the way we treat our children–particularly our poorest children–and that public schools are a critical anchor in a democratic society. He describes vividly the resilient and curious spirits of children growing up in adversity; he asks that we examine the priorities of our society which has seized upon their public schools as a profit center, instead of a sheltering, supportive center of learning.

A book signing by the author will follow the talk. Mr. Kozol’s new book will be available for purchase at the event.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date:  Thursday, September 27, 2012, at 6 pm. (Doors open at 5 pm).

Location: Thorne Auditorium of Northwestern University Law School, 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL

Hosted by the Children and Family Justice Center of Northwestern University Law School.

Sponsored by the Chicago Teachers Union, CReATE, Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE), Raise Your Hand Coalition

Free registration here.

News of the death of Don Moore is rippling through the Chicago public school community. Don founded Designs for Change, a key education advocacy group, and was one of the architects of Chicago’s Local School Council-based reform law.

Don dedicated his entire life to promoting LSCs and their potential for leading significant improvement in public education. He documented their successful impact on parent empowerment, teacher collaboration, and overall student learning. His user-friendly reports were truly the “wind beneath the wings” of the LSC reform movement. Check them out here: www.designsforchange.org.

I had enormous respect for Don. He had a terrific sense of humor. While we clashed from time to time, we were always on the same side where it really mattered.

We will honor him every day that we keep fighting for real reform and for a better education for all children.

Services are pending. You might also check with the DFC Facebook page.

You know she’s the best. PURE’s Wanda Hopkins will be offering LSC lessons 1 and 2 on Thursday, July 19 from 9 to 1 pm at Leslie Lewis school, 1431 N Leamington Ave.

All LSC members are welcome. Please let her know you are coming by sending an e-mail to wjhoppo4@yahoo.com.

There will be no charge for this training.

If you would like to have Wanda come out to your school for LSC training, please e-mail or call her (773-663-5420). Your LSC can donate some of your LSC training money to help defray our costs. We would also like to be able to invite other LSC members to join in any other training that Wanda offers.