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

Court Reform is Cost Reform

New Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle initially called for budget cuts of up to 21 percent, to combat a budget deficit of nearly 500 million dollars. In the last weeks of 2010, the Board president was still waiting for ideas from the Sheriff’s Office, the State’s Attorney, and the Clerk o...
January 10, 2011

The JPC’s Work Continues After the Election

For most of us, as the adrenaline rush of watching a close election wears off, we forget about the returns and put aside the research into candidates we did prior to the election. But at the Judicial Performance Commission (JPC), our work continues. All judges on the retention ballot were retained....
November 10, 2010

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

Parental Involvement and Community Support

Earlier this month, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called for increased parental and community involvement in schools. This emphasis on marrying formal education with family support reinforced speculation that the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, slated for later this year, will...
July 7, 2010