My name is Julie Nesbitt. I am the mother of a CPS student. I’m looking for families with children in grades K-4 in a Chicago Public School for a research study on the experiences of parents who, like me, have had the school consider their child’s behavior challenging. For example, schools have sent my son home during work hours, and threatened restraints,…
Author: Maureen Kelleher
Tomorrow: Cure Violence with #Belonging
On Thursday, August 18, at 7 p.m. join Shytown Sugar Films at the Hairpin Arts Center for a night of #Belonging. A unique lineup of artists tackles “very real societal issues and in doing so, invites the audience to take an unfiltered look at how belonging looks different when diversity comes into play.” #Belonging’s dynamic line-up includes: Comedy by Aaron…
Still Looking for Summer Camp?
If you still haven’t found the right camp experience for your child, it’s not too late! Here are a couple of possibilities, with space and financial aid still available. First, an overnight camp held on the campus of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Closer to home, karate day camp in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood: Thousand Waves’ Camp Kokoro offers quality martial…

3 Ways CPS Could Bust Out of Its Budget Box
Increasingly, parents, community leaders and elected officials are calling for a massive rethink of school and district budgeting. Here are three ideas on the table.

Stop Pretending Tweaking Selective Enrollment Will Get Kids Equity
Last night, I finally got around to watching the video Chicago Public Schools released back in March to explain its proposed options for changing how students are admitted to selective enrollment schools. Take a look for yourself: True to form, Chicago Public Schools wants us to think they are all about equity, when in fact they are, at best, barely…

Hope Chicago Starts Strong, Faces Challenges
Hope Chicago expects its $1 billion in college money to transform neighborhoods and help Chicago Public Schools enrollment bounce back from years of decline. Could this big bet work?

Slow Start for CPS Tutor Corps
Despite a slow start, members of the new CPS Tutor Corps say they remain hopeful their tutoring will make a big difference for kids.

New Online Course Helps Parents, School Nurses Become Vaccine Ambassadors
To help parents and school nurses talk to parents with these concerns, last week, Coursera launched a free online course, “COVID Vaccine Ambassador Training: How to Talk to Parents.” The self-paced course can be completed at any time and takes less than two hours.