RAISE YOUR VOICES FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR!

Update: June 28, 2010

MAGNETS AND HIGH SCHOOLS STILL AT RISK …

RAISE YOUR VOICES FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR!

While our children are enjoying summer break, the budget crisis threatening the future of Illinois public education continues. You may have heard elementary schools were spared layoffs, but layoffs remain a very real threat for magnet elementary (Hawthorne), gifted and high schools. Mayor Daley and CPS have been strangely silent about how they plan to address the remaining $232-$327 million deficit.  On June 15th, the Chicago Board of Education gave official permission to CPS to increase class size to 35 students, which would result in thousands of teacher layoffs and overcrowded classrooms.  Ron Huberman, CEO of CPS, says such a move is a last resort.  But we can't afford to take a "wait and see” attitude. A critical vote will be occurring during summer break…the CPS board will be voting on their 2010-2011 budget at their August board meeting. It is important that we raise our voices one more time even though we’ve said goodbye for the summer … this time to influence our locally elected officials.

Here’s what you can do:

We are asking our entire Hawthorne community (teachers, parents and students) to print, sign and mail this petition to Hawthorne (3319 N Clifton Ave., Chicago 60657) marked “Daley Petition” or fax to Hawthorne’s office (773) 534-5781 before July 16th.  Ideally we would appreciate every parent collecting 10 additional signatures. Any taxpayer or student can sign so you could do this at baseball games, auction parties, family/neighborhood dinners, etc.   You can also opt to simply click on this link below to find an online petition and add your name/address there. Please at least do this as it takes one minute of your time. Let's join our fellow CPS community in doing everything we can to keep ALL our teachers and programs for the upcoming school year.

Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education

Update June 10, 2010

As you know, Hawthorne PTA has joined a new coalition of CPS schools called the Raise Your Hand Coalition. The RYH coalition has worked tirelessly during the past 8 weeks to influence state lawmakers to maintain what little state funding we had.  Through rallies, a Springfield Lobby Day, meetings with legislators, letter-writing campaigns, and more than 153,000 emails our collective voices were heard. The Illinois General Assembly adjourned May 27th after approving a budget expenditure plan and catastrophic cuts to IL public education funding were avoided.  We recognize this is an incomplete solution to the education funding crisis and in no way addresses long-term equitable funding for IL public schools.  However, our collective efforts helped decrease these cuts by close to 1 billion dollars and it was an important first step.

Unfortunately CPS is still short $232-$327 million for the school year ahead.  Mayor Daley and the CPS leadership have been remarkably silent about how they plan to address the remaining deficit, other than to propose teacher lay-offs, which would force an unacceptable 35 to 37 students per classroom. A critical vote will be occurring during summer break…the CPS board will be voting on their 2010-2011 budget at their August board meeting.   Now that the state budget is passed, Raise Your Hand is shifting its focus to the City and CPS to make sure we do everything we can to keep all of our teachers and programs for the upcoming school year.  Raise Your Hand calls on local officials and CPS leadership to look at other sources to adequately fund the Chicago Public Schools, including cutting waste in the CPS budget, and reforming the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) system to halt the annual diversion of an estimated $275 million in CPS property tax revenues. It is critical that we raise our voices one more time prior to saying goodbye for the summer… this time to influence local city/CPS officials to not balance the budget by making classroom cuts.

Thanks for your help.

Raise Your Voice (PHASE II):

Let's join our fellow CPS community in sending another strong message this time at the local level. Here’s what you can do:

1. We are asking our entire Hawthorne community (teachers, parents and students) to consider signing RYH’s online petition to Mayor Daley by visiting http://ilraiseyourhand.org/petition-to-daley. The petition asks Mayor Daley to stop diverting funds away from the Chicago Public School system.   You may also see the petition being circulated by PTA representatives on the playground between now and the last day of school.
2. Attend the RYH Rally for Education on Thursday, June 17, at 10:30 am-12:00 pm
   Where: Thompson Center to City Hall. There is no school that day. Meet at the Thompson Center and then proceed to City Hall. Bring kids, bring signs, invite high-school students, neighbors & friends.