As a Chicago Public Schools parent and a survivor of gender-based violence, I’ve seen how the presence of police did not reduce the rates of sexual violence in schools.
Tag: Sexual Assault
CPS Wants You to Think They’ve Solved Their Sexual Abuse in Schools Problem. The Feds Don’t Think So.
One person in each school building trained to prevent and address sexual assault does not equal a culture change.
What ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ Means for My Black Daughters and the Schools They Attend
As the Black mother of two Black girls, I am always acutely aware of how Black girls are harmed in this society. However, there are some moments in America, when it is amplified that me and my girls, are truly at the bottom of the totem pole of those deemed in need of protecting. This weekend, the Lifetime docu-series, “Surviving…
Preventing Sexual Abuse in Schools Starts With Training and Reducing Shame and Fear
We see the headlines about the new Title IX Office in CPS. The background checks. The handful of firings. But it’s harder to see what changes in culture are happening to stop sexual assault in schools. Back in the summer, I talked with experts about what CPS is doing to protect students. Today, I want to talk about what I’m…
Resources for Teaching About the Kavanaugh Nomination
It’s never easy to tackle highly-charged issues in the classroom. The recent furor over whether Brett Kavanaugh is fit to serve as a Supreme Court Justice is particularly complicated. The Kavanaugh hearings have sparked emotion and controversy across a range of issues: huge outpourings of stories from survivors of sexual assault, arguments about political partisanship and executive privilege, and questions…
This Week in CPS: Board Meeting Wednesday
Perhaps the top priority at Wednesday’s school board meeting is the expected transfer of responsibility for investigating sexual abuse allegations from the Chicago Public Schools Law Department to the CPS Office of the Inspector General. As WBEZ reported, CPS Inspector General Nicholas Schuler requested this authority earlier in June…
Progress, Problems and Politics in the Chicago Public Schools
Last weekend, I bought a subscription to the Chicago Sun-Times, which recently instituted a paywall. I love the gritty, bare-knuckles reporting and cut-through-the-noise columnists of the self-described “Hardest-Working Paper in America.” I’m even getting home delivery. Monday morning, the paper arrived with a lengthy story on “fiascoes” in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) that could become a headache for Mayor…
What’s Up in CPS the Week of June 4, 2018?
There’s never a dull moment in Chicago Public Schools. Sex Abuse in CPS The Chicago Tribune exposé on sex abuse in district schools prompted CPS leaders to create an action plan that features improved background checks, more employee training on reporting abuse and increased supports for victims. As the plan goes into action, it’s worth remembering inadequate protection against sexual…