IN THE
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CLASSROOM
How the front lines are fighting to meet students’ needs from CICS Longwood to CICS Avalon and beyond by Michael Cotter | photos by Tommy Giglio
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Schools have had no choice but to adjust. Teachers became fundraisers and principals became human resource coordinators. On April 22, 2010, in a letter addressed to the parents and guardians of all Chicago Public School students, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Ron Huberman, confirmed the rumored fears that had been circulating for weeks in the Chicago education community. He laid out some of the possible impacts of a massive budget deficit that CPS was facing in the coming school year because of delinquent compensation from Springfield.
Forced to see this economic forecast as a reality, schools have had no choice but to adjust. Teachers became fundraisers and principals became human resource coordinators. Campus communities across the Chicago International network responded by sending approximately 5,000 postcards to their legislators, visiting and calling their legislative offices in Chicago and Springfield, and urging them to find a solution to avoid the cuts laid out in the proposed state budget. Campuses sent delegations of staff, parents and students to Springfield, with some participating in one of the largest rallies in the history of the Illinois State Capitol. These campus groups joined an estimated 15,000 people gathered outside the statehouse and demanded that lawmakers enact an income tax increase to alleviate the cuts. CICS Longwood’s Junior Academy principal, Ladonna Kelly, knows all too well how these funding cuts hit her campus. A 5 percent budget cut isn’t an abstract figure to a school leader who’s responsible for coordinating the hiring of teachers, classroom aides, and tutors. Classroom needs don’t adjust with the resources available. Less money equals fewer teachers with more students—simple math. Ms. Kelly leads by example, and says despite these setbacks, “many teachers see how hard you’re working, and they’re willing to give
of their own time,” filling in for various staffing positions. There is a strong sense of solidarity during difficult times, and teachers are rising to the occasion, taking on extra responsibilities and making sure that the level of services they’re providing doesn’t suffer because of an already weak public funding stream that is cut year after year. “That just shows commitment” adds Kelly, noticeably proud of the resilience that her teachers have shown under these financial constraints. Extra time put in by the teachers doesn’t completely fix the problem. Without the money to hire extra teachers’ aides, or tutors, Ms. Kelly has had to try some creative staffing decisions. “It was very difficult to leave an interview with a prospective teacher that you knew would be a great asset to your team, but you couldn’t hire them because of the salary cap,” referring to the shrinking personnel budget. To illustrate the direct impact that funding cuts can have on students, Ms. Kelly told of how a potential crisis was averted through clear communication, quick action, and a little creative thinking. As funding for a federally mandated tutoring program was slashed over the past two school years, CICS Longwood was faced with a dilemma. The funds budgeted to serve 1,100 students were reduced to a level capable of serving 133.
“Teachers are forced to think more creatively, which is a huge challenge given that teachers are already doing this at such a high level.” FocalPoint
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CopingintheClassroom
The CICS Longwood leadership team refused to stop serving students in need, and jumped into action as soon as they learned of the cuts. To find additional tutors they recruited retired teachers and principals, student teachers from local colleges, and even engaged the academically successful older students to act as peer tutors—which would also earn them required service hours. With ingenuity and quick action, the Longwood administration was able to maintain tutoring capacity. Kelly credits early warnings of the rumored cuts as providing her with much-needed time to come up with some creative solutions. Chicago International’s central office advised all of the CICS campus directors to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. “You learn about those ‘oh my gosh’ problems in May and you’ll get to fix those ‘oh my gosh’ problems by August.” Kelly says that without an immediate mobilization of the CICS network
in response to rumored cuts, Longwood’s ad hoc response would not have been as strong. In the classrooms, teachers are feeling the squeeze as well. Cutting coupons, shopping at dollar stores, and enlisting the help of friends has long been a reality for teachers across the country, but in the wake of school districtand state-wide budget deficits, teachers have had to dig a little harder to make ends meet in the classroom. Teachers are spending more of their own money, and by default, teachers become classroom fundraisers. While it may be seen as a temporary solution to a systemic problem, it’s simply what needs to be done. Joe Joyce is the kind of career-changer teacher that can inspire you to want to change your own career and join the ranks of innovative educators. As school districts tightened their belts, Joyce, a 6th grade teacher at CICS Avalon, has been forced to get creative in
finding additional funding channels and teaching resources for his classroom. When asked where underfunding has created the most arduous strain on teaching, Joyce said, “Teachers are forced to think more creatively, which is a huge challenge given that teachers are already doing this at such a high level.” What may seem like small innovations can often have huge impacts on student learning, and Mr. Joyce epitomizes resourcefulness in the classroom. On a trip to Home Depot, he had the idea of cutting a large section of dry erase board into smaller tablets for individual student use. By cutting a wall-sized dry erase board into individual tablets, the class isn’t only saving money on paper, but is accommodating more individualized teaching and adding to overall student engagement. The reality is that prefabricated individual tablets are expensive, and if a classroom can’t afford to buy them, they’re not just missing
At charter schools, decisions about how to best serve students aren’t made at a district office; instead, those decisions are made in the school by teachers and administrators who know the children personally. 20
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out on the tablets, but they’re losing the teaching strategy that the tablets facilitate. This is just a small example of one of the creative solutions that Joyce has employed by using ingenuity to work around a reduction in classroom material stipends. “I’m not going to sit around and just wait for help” says Joyce. In addition to spending frugally, Joyce has been able to harness the enthusiasm of the students to drive classroom fundraising while using the process as a teaching tool. While he says that he has had to dip into his own savings for classroom supplies, he has also forced himself to think outside the box when it comes to finding those supplies, and in lesson planning as well. “Entrepreneurship is at the heart of everything we do in room 205!” Joyce, who has a background in investment banking and real-estate development,
explains that he left the private sector out of a life-long desire to teach. Joyce has reached out to former colleagues for support in the past, but now he is bringing business into the classroom. By spearheading these fundraising initiatives, Joyce has found a way to raise money for the classroom while teaching his students practical math and business skills. Even more impressive—the kids are all really excited about it, and that enthusiasm is apparent to everyone at school. “He gets the kids excited about learning how to run a business” says CICS Avalon director, Julia Hill. “The kids are really into it, and you can hear them talk about it, even in casual conversation.” Joyce and his students set up a 6th grade store to sell coffee, snacks, and school supplies to teachers and students. They used their proceeds to purchase needed classroom supplies and reinvested remaining profits back into the store.
At charter schools, decisions about how to best serve students aren’t made at a district office; instead, those decisions are made in the school by teachers and administrators who know the children personally. Despite receiving significantly less public funding than district schools, Chicago International continues to succeed, having effectively closed the achievement gap in reading in elementary school, and is on track to do the same for math by 2012. This freedom to innovate and do what’s best for each classroom is what has allowed these schools to survive and flourish. opposing page: LaDonna Kelly, cics longwood Junior academy principal above left: joe joyce, teacher at cics avalon above right: Joe Joyce and students at cics avalon
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