How Do We Address the Problems with LSCs?
by: Ashley Estrada
Almost three decades after the creation of Local School Councils (LSCs) in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the strive to improve and set a higher standard for education is still alive. Schools in different regions are represented by LSC members that have higher—or lower—human, social, and financial capital, thus unbalancing the equity in education that should be available to all students, regardless of where they live. Just last year, CPS and CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett launched a Five-Year Action plan between 2013 and 2018 that is intended to improve education throughout all Chicago Public Schools—in and out of LSCs. In order to accurately secure equity for the education of all students, realistic proposals to obtain and maintain this equity must be made.
The Five-Year Action Plan contains five different pillars that will provide for a higher and more equitable education. In her proposal speech describing the first pillar, CPS CEO Byrd-Bennett plans to "adopt the Common Core State Standards" in all CPS schools that will essentially provide an understanding for what students need in to have an equal opportunity to prosper in education (Five-Year Action Plan Speech 2).Creating a sense of understanding of students would help students feel more inclined and encouraged to take advantage of their education and resources. Although CPS seems to be making realistic and powerful action plans in their school system, improvement needs to be made within the LSCs because they observe and assist school performance on a much tighter and narrower aspect. According to a report on LSCs as a whole done by Donald R. Moore, "10%-15% have serious inadequacies", thus calling a need for confined work to improve their performance (1). Working on the performance and focus of each individual LSC—and members, too—would help lead a school towards success and also help them make specific changes focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning.
The Chicago Public School system and its CEO have made actions such as the Five-Year Action Plan to help establish equity in education for all students in its schools. However, realistic action needs to be done sooner and at a narrower aspect to the Local School Councils, simply because they directly reflect the performance of schools in their district and in doing so, the closure of the gap in equity in education becomes realistic.
Byrd-Bennett, Barbara. "Five-Year Action Plan Speech." CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett Five-Year Action Plan Speech. Chicago Public Schools. George Westinghouse College Prep, Chicago. 10 June 2013. Speech.
Moore, Donald R. "The Documented Strengths of Chicago’s LSCs." Chicago LSCs Local School Councils: What the Research Says. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.designsforchange.org/pdfs/LSC_rpt_final.pdf>.
Stantis, Scott. Chicago Public Schools. Digital image. Taking a Stantis, Thoughts From a Chicago Cartoonist. Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
The Five-Year Action Plan contains five different pillars that will provide for a higher and more equitable education. In her proposal speech describing the first pillar, CPS CEO Byrd-Bennett plans to "adopt the Common Core State Standards" in all CPS schools that will essentially provide an understanding for what students need in to have an equal opportunity to prosper in education (Five-Year Action Plan Speech 2).Creating a sense of understanding of students would help students feel more inclined and encouraged to take advantage of their education and resources. Although CPS seems to be making realistic and powerful action plans in their school system, improvement needs to be made within the LSCs because they observe and assist school performance on a much tighter and narrower aspect. According to a report on LSCs as a whole done by Donald R. Moore, "10%-15% have serious inadequacies", thus calling a need for confined work to improve their performance (1). Working on the performance and focus of each individual LSC—and members, too—would help lead a school towards success and also help them make specific changes focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning.
The Chicago Public School system and its CEO have made actions such as the Five-Year Action Plan to help establish equity in education for all students in its schools. However, realistic action needs to be done sooner and at a narrower aspect to the Local School Councils, simply because they directly reflect the performance of schools in their district and in doing so, the closure of the gap in equity in education becomes realistic.
Byrd-Bennett, Barbara. "Five-Year Action Plan Speech." CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett Five-Year Action Plan Speech. Chicago Public Schools. George Westinghouse College Prep, Chicago. 10 June 2013. Speech.
Moore, Donald R. "The Documented Strengths of Chicago’s LSCs." Chicago LSCs Local School Councils: What the Research Says. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.designsforchange.org/pdfs/LSC_rpt_final.pdf>.
Stantis, Scott. Chicago Public Schools. Digital image. Taking a Stantis, Thoughts From a Chicago Cartoonist. Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.