"We support democratic governance of public schools. Because public schools are responsible to the public, it is possible through elected school boards, open meetings, transparent record keeping and redress through the courts to ensure that traditional public schools provide access for all children. We believe that democratic operation of public schools is our best hope for ensuring that families can secure the services to which their children have a right."
-- A Pastoral Letter to President Obama and The Congress on Federal Policy in Public Education, National Council of Churches, May 18, 2010
"The inclusion of parents and teachers in decision-making remains for me one way to measure the degree to which public schools are public."
-- Deborah Meier, Bridging Differences Education Week Blog, October 28, 2010
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Recently, I learned that the League of Women Voters/Chicago was preparing to revisit their statement on local school councils, the elected parent-majority bodies that run most Chicago Public Schools. In reviewing their current position statement, I was surprised to learn that the current League position statement disagrees with that aspect of Illinois state law that gives LSCs the right to offer and renew or not renew four-year principal contracts, a key power.
I asked subscribers to PURE's news feed to contact any League members they know in order to offer some feedback. I received a copy of this wonderful letter to the League from PURE member Jill Wohl, which she agreed to let me share:
Wed, Oct 27, 2010
Hello,
My name is Jill Wohl. I've lived and voted in Illinois for 20 years. In my professional life, I have worked for over a decade for nonprofit, social service and advocacy organizations on behalf of access to quality early care education, primary school and higher education in Illinois.
I noticed you were soliciting information about Local School Councils. I implore the Illinois League of Women Voters membership to renew their support for LSCs. I would be delighted to provide or facilitate facts and experiences to inform this important decision.
I went to MIT undergraduate school from 1984-1988 with now Harvard professor Archon Fung (Kennedy School of Government), who helped author an important study proving the efficacy of LSCs. This research indicates the majority of LSCs are high functioning and the most successful form of participatory government.
While I have Archon's contact information, if the League would like a tenured Harvard professor to weigh in on the matter, more importantly, I personally have extensive positive experiences with LSCs that I would be happy to share.
I served two years as chair, and two as secretary for Inter-American School. I have also worked with LSC members at a variety of other Chicago public schools citywide, through citywide bilingual council, as a member of the Raise Your Hand for Illinois education coalition and other contexts.
The LSC at my child's public school has weathered many hardships and issues -- I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly -- but the community has become stronger and more vibrant with exactly this kind of active and engaged participation that can hold school and board entities accountable for their actions. Recently our community went through a facilitative process to select a new principal. We recruited a superstar from outside CPS -- which would have never been possible had CPS, the Board of Ed or even the Area Office been involved in making this important decision.
For quite some time now, I've been worried about the diminishing authority of LSCs and traction for support in the mainstream media. There is a form of cognitive dissonance between the facts about LSCs and ideological mores. Since 1995, support for LSCs has been undermined despite the reality that in 400 public schools most LSCs work, and generally serve each community far better than the top-down alternative. Over half of LSC members serving are African-American or Hispanic; LSCs are the biggest way these underrepresented minorities have a real voice in city government. Diminishing the power and capacity of LSCs further disenfranchises these communities.
Especially at a time when the CEO of CPS, Ron Huberman, announced his impending departure on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times, when the Chief Education Officer position at CPS has been and remains empty for many, many months, when tenure at Central Office has been a revolving door and the leadership suite at CPS will remain largely in flux and stagnant until after a new mayor is elected and in place, I urge your membership to gather all the facts about LSCs -- and not only stand behind, but seek to revive under new mayoral leadership, this important legacy from the school reform of the 1980s.
Kind regards,
Jill Wohl