Monday night I sat on my back patio staring up into a rare, starry Chicago night. I squinted and made out each point of The Big Dipper and then turned to see what I decided was Mars, twinkling in the distance. My partner and I sat in city silence, wrapped in a perfect, nearly unrecognizable temperature-and-breeze blanket. For an hour…
Tag: COVID-19
We at Chicago Unheard and the brightbeam network are deeply concerned for the children, families and educators being affected by the coronavirus. Here we are collecting resources and stories to help all of us in the Chicago area pull together to make it through this challenging time.
Chicago Public Schools offers its complete list of K-12 enrichment learning resources here.
Chicago Beyond offers a wealth of learning, financial and mental health resources for Chicagoans affected by COVID-19.
Para recursos en español, haz clic aquí.
Check back as we add resources, especially related to education and remote learning.
COVID-19 Resources for Families and Educators.
A Letter From Brightbeam in Response to Coronavirus.
During the Pandemic, We All Must Step Up Our Planning Game for Postsecondary Ed
In the next few years, low-income students will be faced with the choice of foregoing college for working, going to cheaper colleges with far worse student outcomes, or taking on private “bad” debt. None of these options are acceptable. Here’s how we can do better.
For Students of Color, Representation Matters, So Let’s Increase It
We need a fully diverse teacher workforce. We need racial, ethnic, and gender diversity to help our teachers look more like our students.
City Year Offers Schools A Research-Backed Guide to Plan for Next Year
Recovering from COVID-19 gives us a special chance to think creatively and collaboratively about how we catch students up academically while simultaneously supporting their social and emotional well-being. City Year near-peer mentors can play a key role in helping students recover.
If We Can’t Trust CPS to Take Parents Seriously, How Can Parents Trust Them With Kids Next Year?
Like every other parent in the Chicago Public Schools, I’m trying to wrap my head around what next school year might look like, both for everybody and for my own family in particular. So far, the struggle has produced more questions than answers. We don’t know much yet about how CPS will handle next school year. Late last week the…
Let’s Worry Less About What Students Aren’t Learning and Rely More on Their Communities’ Assets
Planning for next school year could be an opportunity to rebuild trust between school districts and families. Let’s lay the groundwork for an educational model that is finally worthy of the communities we serve.
It’s Time to Tell Joe Biden His Education Task Force Needs Black & Brown Parents
To be truly unifying, the Biden-Sanders Education Unity Task Force needs Black and Brown parents. Sign the petition!
Teacher Appreciation, Chicago Style!
This week, my colleague Tanesha Peeples and I want to take a moment to shout-out a handful of the many Chicago teachers we know who are working their hearts out for students every day. Take Jessica Fong, preK teacher at Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center. When schools closed due to COVID-19, half of her preK students and families began taking…