Thread by @ILRaiseYourHand

Looks like the Jan meeting of the #cpsboard will stream at link below. We will do some live tweeting in this thread. ⬇️

Looks like most CPS BOE & CPS Leadership are in the CPS boardroom. Pres Miguel del Valle reading a statement from the entire #cpsboard about what they are hearing about #CPSReopening- they are hearing all perspectives. "10 very long months..." Wants an agreement w/ CTU

del Valle continues: A strike would be devastating. Pandemic has caused fear. We need to find a path back to in person instruction for more students. Common confusion is board's involvement in plan. CPS + CDPH developed plan. BOE has helped strengthen plan & brought comm comments

del Valle: In order to provide resources for in person they have to continue to give spending authority to CEO Jackson. (Voting on an extension & increase in amount today.) We'll need "authentic partnership" to move forward & heal.

Honoring Excellence is up first. There's a pretty packed agenda. Last month the meeting lasted 7 hours.
McDade: Garvey ES student honored for supporting Lurie Children's hospital and others during pandemic. She made friendship bracelets, sold them, raised $27K+

https://twitter.com/ILRaiseYourHand/status/1354470707950923778

CEO Jackson giving update on #CPSReopening. Here's the email that was sent by CPS last night to parents: t.e2ma.net/share/inbound/…

Here's the #ChiDocumenters thread of live tweets of the meeting. This thread will be way more thorough than ours.

https://twitter.com/_KellyGarcia__/status/1354454342712107010

Vaccination centers will be set up by CPS in mid Feb as soon as doses are available by the government.
WBEZ coverage of the new CPS comprehensive proposal below.

https://twitter.com/SSKedreporter/status/1354472352923480066

Jackson: There's a New CPS dashboard which tracks "school readiness" for in person instruction. You can find it on the CPS Reopening webpage, you do have to scroll for a while but there is a link to a report. #CPSReopening
cps.edu/school-reopeni…

Here is a direct link to the CPS School Readiness for Reopening Report. datastudio.google.com/u/0/reporting/…

The Whole Child Committee of the #cpsboard just hosted a student round table. Student board member Tia Hawthorne is giving a summary & reflection of the round table. She led the conversation. Another student is also sharing his reflections of round table: "It was amazing."

Nice to hear the student perspective on what makes a school great & the troubles w/ the current CPS SQRP (School Quality Rating Policy). Sounds like the round table was productive. Hope students get more seats at more tables to influence CPS policy!

https://twitter.com/_KellyGarcia__/status/1354477742075600897

You can submit written comments to the #cpsboard now through Thursday, Jan 28th at 5PM. Go to cpsboe.org and scroll down to “Board meeting Jan 27 Form” this will take you to Google form.

Public participation has begun. Oh wait... union reps get to go first. [If you are speaking, to unmute yourself when it is your turn you have to hit *6 to unmute. (A couple of months ago the automated voice did not provide these instructions.)]

CTU's Sharkey says they got off on the wrong foot. If he could go back he would have encouraged small agreements all along the way. But here we are. Says they have made progress in the past few days. Still concerned about comm burden or COVID positivity rates varying across city

Also says concerned about ADA accomodations as well as vaccine availability- no one is talking to CTU about the really constraints w/ vaccination. Asking why Feb 1?
Suggesting a phase in plan for in person learning.
Asking for an agreement that keeps all safe.

Troy of @cpaa speaking now. He is set to propose a reopening plan written by CPAA members (principals & APs.) More on a recent ppal survey here: chicago.theschoolleader.org/news-and-advoc…

CPAA recommending a pilot group of schls (some schls ready for in person) open first so CPS can concentrate on them & learn.
Staffing is big issue according to principals (& LSCs.) Some schls will be ok now but many won't.Wants CPS to go from full open to a roll out of schls

Todd-Breland asks about the principals- what work is happening? convos? is it ok to ask now or later?
Jackson: We comm w/ ppals on very consistent basis. Webinars, emails, advisory councils, open door policy, etc. Appreciate feedback. Just received this plan yesterday

Jackson says they are working closely w/ CDPH. Looking to sci & recent studies. Working to get vaccines. We can't make everyone get them tho so that's just 1 tool. Says they've been using the readiness dashboard (released to public today) w/ ppals for some time now.

Del Valle: how do ppals report immediate concerns? Staffing? PPE? Jackson: There is no reason for ppals to not report such matters. Says ppals can lift up these concerns. On the whole we have excellent comms process & relations w/ ppals. Jackson says every schl will be ready

Public comment starting. Speaker #1 is Policy Manager of INCS (IL Network for Charter Schools) says CPS should renew charter contracts on agenda today.

Next up is @JiananShi, our Executive Director. Our full statement is below & we will have up on our website later today.

Kellogg LSC member: CPS allocated $3M to school. Pneumatic system is considered a facilities issue not a capital one so this work will be held up (if it happens at all.) Please address now & include in work that is happening now. So close to a needed fix, & need working heat

Next speaker is an AUSL parent speaking in support of AUSL. (Academy of Urban School Leadership; CPS has a whole network of AUSL schools.) There was a speaker supporting AUSL at the Committee meeting earlier.

CPS parent & part of network of parents who feel voices drowned out. Says they are 1000s now and soon will be hundreds of thousands. Addressing CTU & says measures are extreme & divisive. Asks CPS that Ps be included in partners in IEP process. CPS & CTU should partner w/ parents

CPS Sr at Jones HS speaks against CPS' removal of "Eagle Days" which will now increase synchronous time, thus increase screen time. Eagle Days helped w/ mental health b/c we are overwhelmed. Submitting student testimony. Asks for scheduling flexibility at HSs

Next speaker says renew Alain Locke charter school.

Next speaker is also in support of Alain Locke charter renewal.

Thread of our statement here.

https://twitter.com/JiananShi/status/1354488490189271041

Next speaker speaks in support of Urban Prep's charter renewal which also came up from a public speaker at the Fin & Audit Committee meeting held earlier.

Next 4 speakers are in support of Urban Prep Englewood charter renewal. The third speaker called the conditions upon which the charter will be renewed "outrageous". Notes many facilities issues and says tech offered for RL was all old and insufficient.

Next 2 speakers also speak in support of Urban Prep Englewood charter renewal. Want to backtrack to my last tweet & the speaker who mentioned the tech provided to them by CPS. Here's the story he referenced. chicago.chalkbeat.org/2020/12/14/221…

K dad: What will drive the next conflict? Who supports, speaks for the parents?
There is far more that unites parents than divides them. We must reject the power that works to divide up. CPS, CTU: help Ps understand why we should keep kids at CPS?

North Lawndale CAC member: We delayed proposal for a new school as we listened to parents & their concerns. They will partake in engagement with parents & community as they move forward. Wants parents involved in decision making. 312 857 4480 is number to call (missed email)

Another North Lawndale CAC (I think it's CAC): Doing our due dilligence to work w/ orgs, CPS, parents to make sure we have a proper safety plan and a new school plan that includes parents & community.
Next speaker from NL Comm Coordinating Council

Next speaker probably from North Lawndale but lost her (she'll get a chance in a bit)
In case you are unaware of what is happening in North Lawndale. Here's one story: blockclubchicago.org/2020/12/02/pla…

CPS mom says we need to come together & we need to reopen schls. Ed, health, safety of kids at sake.Psychiatrist & sees impact on kids everyday.On Mon, Englewood Ps rallied to get kids back at school for health & ed of their kids. Bars & restaurants are open, schls should be too.

Next CPS mom: at school 50/50 split on RL vs in person. Puts schl in bind. Ramping up to function as 2 diff schools. Also 48% teachers have accomodations to work remote. Tough time finding subs; SECAs stretched thin. Plan can't work w/ current staffing. We need help w/ staffing

Rousemary Vega is back at the #cpsboard. "We don't trust your plan." Can't keep nurses in schls but want kids in schl during pandemic. (She's calling everyone out.) All about $ and not putting kids first. "You're a rubber stamp."

Next CPS mom thanks Jackson, CO, ppals for plan & in person option. Says CPS pressers are hopeful. Feels bullied b/c of her choice. Loves teachers, gets the anxiety of the coming challenges. But we would not choose in person if we thought our kids or teachers were at risk.

Next speaker Research Assistant Professor of Neurology at Northwestern. Pointing out issues w/ plan (including staffing issues still not addressed). Will be sending data about risk areas & says they should use risk based policies w/ vaccinations & w/ opening.

CPS mom says CPS cherry picks studies plus when they try to apply to CPS is not appropriate. Not all CPS schls are safe. Says CPS needs to read the fine print in the studies they share. Kids in person need safety, kids in remote need support.

Next CPS mom: Before pandemic Black children were suffering from achievement gap. Black students & teachers have been forced out. Problem is not just CPS, also CTU. Recent FOIA: predominantly Black networks have higher failure rates. CTU should work in good faith w/ CPS

Public comments done.

Safe to say all parents pissed b/c we've been left out all over the place.

Moving on to alderfolks now... (not sure how many but here we go)

Oh! Adding, parents intimidated at several different levels as well as pissed.

State Rep Ortiz speaking now. (Sorry think I said alderfolks but imagine they'll speak too.)
And yes here is Ald Rodriguez speaking now. (City Council is in session today, too.)

Public participation done. Pres del Valle asks for ques. Todd-Breland: I really don't know what to say. I feel the pain in our city & we feel it too. The past several months... (she's summarizing.) With all of that I know that everyone in our schl communities are working so hard

Todd-Breland: Gov has felt like failure during whole pandemic. Schls are what we have left as last safety net. We hear your needs & we can't provide it now so how can we say no to reopening schls? Other hand, hear process concerns & trust issues (which aren't new)

Todd-Breland: We need to get to an agreement so we can move forward to double down on partnerships and support families, communities. Feels a heaviness.

Truss: Families, don't wait to be invited to the table. Continue to get your voices heard.
(Um, what table are parents welcome to sit at? I think parents would come univited to a table. Serious question.)

Revuluri: Complex question before us in a diverse city. Path forward will not be perfect. Hopes we can continue listening to each other. We can disagree but still keep talking.

I'm taking a lunch break. Be back in a little bit.
Up now is charter renewals presentation.

Kind of back. McDade talking about the reopening plan. This is happening at almost 3 hours in to the meeting in case you want to watch this section later. I won't be thoroughly tweeting, I need to listen.

For the most part, they are covering the email sent to parents last night. That is here: t.e2ma.net/share/inbound/…

McDade says schls have been provided w/ comprehensive Instructional Guidance. Confident in educators' ability to implement this model. 4 high quality PD sessions: 40 live sessions & pre recorded sessions. Also a deck & facilitation guide if ppals want to do it themselves

Rivera says they made 15K calls to talk to families about RL & hybrid options. LSCs were provided a readiness report. Speaks about the Readiness dashboard mentioned earlier. Hiring more custodians and now talking about air purifiers.
Readiness Report: datastudio.google.com/u/0/reporting/…

Now up is Dr Fox & CDPH's Dr Fricchione. (This is now 3hours, 15 minutes in- in case you want to watch later on CPS YouTube channel.) Fox is speaking now about testing. Fricchione is here for ques from the #cpsboard.

This is what Dr Fox is covering: the slide above plus the infographic below (which you can find on the CPS Reopening webpage) drive.google.com/file/d/1Hhc6rE…

Dr Fox talking about vaccinations now. 3 slides.

Talking about the Daily Health Screener. Screener seems to only be available in Eng & Span still? chicagopsprod.service-now.com/health

It's important for anyone who is COVID positive to report it so contract tracing can start. ⬇️

Fox: Collective Responsibility. As a community we can find ways to provide joyful, safe learning environments in school or at home.

Q & A now. Note we are a little less that 3.5 hours in
Truss: Staff member sees issue in building, who do they go to? ex:Cleaning, equipment, windows can't open
Carter (Chief Facilities Officer): Service Now Ticket (SNO Ticket is what he calls it.) Easier when thru schl admin (?)

Rome asks ques to Fricchione of CDPH.
Ans: CDC report- excited when it came out. Tone change w/ new admin. Putting out articles & sci guidance (instead of opinion). JAMA Viewpoint (this is the report referenced) is based in multiple pieces of science.

How are you prioritizing teachers in vaccination plan? Asked to CDPH Fricchione. A: Working hard to create equity framework. Fed allocation does not account for pop density of urban jurisdictions. Put in arms to break transmission chains.

Moving on... Pres del Valle asks for ques, comments on public agenda items. None. Move on to voting on these items.

Everything passed unanimously.
They just adjourned, 2:35. A little over 4 hours. You can watch the video of the meeting on CPS YouTube. Thx for tuning in.

Our notifications have been nuts this past month (like 100s a day) so will respond to some later; we are def missing some.

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