Chicago Public Schools Community Planning Process Mid-South Communities Presentation for the MPC Roundtable February 12, 2004

Topics covered today  How CPS is supporting the Plan for Transformation  The Mid-South Planning Process

Why Now?  The CHA Plan for Transformation will result in dramatic shifts in the numbers and locations of families with school aged children.  All children living in Mid-South should have access to high quality neighborhood schools with a range of educational programs  Performance of existing schools is uneven

Our Challenge… …to create a plan which is: Bold Innovative Incorporates current CPS plans and activities Reflects the desires of the current and future residents of the Mid-South communities

Opportunities  Create portfolios of high-quality and varied neighborhood schools  Extend learning opportunities across the day, calendar and generations;  Build human capacity of principals, teachers, parents, as well as the staff of community organizations;  Link resources, including public and private housing, schools, community-based organizations, foundation and corporate support

The Goal of the Planning Process  Improve the schools to enhance the lives of all Mid-South community residents.  All families will be able to choose among high- quality neighborhood schools for their children.  To insure that every opportunity – both in education and in life – is accessible to all of our children through the schoolhouse doors in Mid- South communities.  Create a process which can be replicated in other communities

Mid-South Communities  31st - 47th Street, Lake to Dan Ryan  3.3 square miles, 2,109 acres  3 Wards - 2nd, 3rd, 4th  Communities: North Kenwood Oakland Grand Boulevard Douglas

Mid-South Communities 25 Schools 21 Elementary Schools 4 High Schools  Five of the 9 CHA planned mixed-income communities are within the project area 2,645 units of public housing planned 7,999 total units planned

Mid-South’s goals  Build instructional capacity  High quality teaching and leadership  Expand choice within neighborhoods  Strengthen existing high school programs  Enhance accountability

Planning in Partnership with  The residents of Mid-South communities  The Chicago Public Schools  The Chicago Housing Authority  The Annenberg Institute for School Reform  Members of the six working groups  Bank One  The MacArthur Foundation  Chicago Community Trust

Structure of the Planning Process Executive Committee Community Forums Implementation Committee Support Staff at CPS and AISR Six Working Groups

The Working Groups  High-Performing Neighborhood Schools  Strengthening Early Childhood Learning  Building Human Capacity  Linking Housing, Schools and Communities  Extending Learning Opportunities  Supporting Innovation

Examples of possible Big Ideas  Big Idea: Create a coordinated system of learning opportunities from infancy through year 8 of a child’s life that would work to guarantee that by age 8, all children would have the basic academic and social skills to thrive in school  An Implementation Strategy: Develop an integrated early childhood intake center located in Mid-South. A mom with a 6 month old, 2 year old and a 5 year old, would go to the center to coordinate all daycare needs.

Possible big ideas cont.  Big Idea: Every child should have the ability to pursue learning opportunities outside of school which allows them to pursue areas of interest.  An Implementation Strategy: Music & dance classes, recreational programs, and many other after-school activities are offered within walking distance to every school in Mid-South.

Linking Housing Schools & Community Working Group  Developers  CHA senior staff  Resident leadership  Lenders  Community organizations  Universities  Elected Officials  Foundations

It’s the most challenging  The group focuses mostly on schools because its hard to make connections  Examples of success on the same scale do not exist  Lack of research  Historically, community development and education communities do not meet and talk the same language  It’s complicated

Themes emerging from Linking Housing, Schools & Community  Partnerships with significant institutions: Partners need to be responsible for success  Community organizing: Residents need to be organized to demand and support quality schools  Signature Programs: Schools need signature programs with proven records of success (NKO, Field Museum, High Tech High)  Community centers: Schools should be hubs of community activity through extended hours, co- located facilities (e.g., library and social services located inside the school) etc.

Timeline: The Mid-South Planning Process  Phase 1 – Developing Design Principles – December 18, 2003 to March 18, 2004  Phase 2 – Drafting a Plan – March 19, 2004 to May 24, 2004  Phase 3 – Creating an implementation strategy May 25, 2004 – January 2005

The completed plan…  The Plan will not: Include new school buildings Identify schools scheduled for closing  The Plan will: Build on good things already underway in Mid-South Align with the CPS Education Plan Identify new academic programming and ways to support learning in and out of school

The Completed Plan will also include recommendations on…  How to use schools to their maximum capacity  Ways central office can change policies and procedures to support a new system  Before and after school programs  Early childhood programs  High performing neighborhood schools  Schools that should be clustered, including a mix of specialties  School models  Sizes of schools

Plan implementation will include...  A process which involves parents, teachers, community partners, universities, and funders  Regular community updates  The opening of some Mid-South schools in the Fall 2005 for the residents of Mid-South  A 5-year phased strategy