An Introduction to Illinois Redistricting

The 2010 Census results are in, and the big news is that Illinois has grown a mere 3% in the last decade, while Chicago has shrunk by nearly 7%, or 200,000 people. The data indicates that black and Hispanic Chicagoans are migrating from the city to the suburbs, taking up residence in Chicago’s so-ca...
February 17, 2011

Chicago Appleseed Promotes Community Schools in “Same Starting Line” Report

Today, Appleseed, Chicago Appleseed's national affiliate, released a major report that reveals significant resource disparities between high poverty schools and their middle and upper class counterparts. Entitled "The Same Starting Line: How School Boards Can Erase the Opportunity Gap Between Poor a...
February 3, 2011

Parents, Communities, and Chicago Public Schools: A Promising Partnership

Long-struggling Chicago Public Schools may find promise in the prospect of partnering with parents and community organizations. Research has shown that parental and community involvement yields tremendous benefits for under-resourced schools, students, parents, and communities. And the concept has l...
January 12, 2011

Taking the Lead in Promoting Community Engagement in Schools

We previously posted about the importance of parent and community engagement in schools. When parents are actively involved in their children's education, students are more positive about learning, graduate from high school and enroll in college at higher rates, and are less likely to use alcohol an...
July 22, 2010