Rosita Chatonda (Write-In) – District 10

Co-Chair of the South Shore Community Action Council (CAC) for 8 years. I have written and received grants for CPS (CVCA and Julian) high schools to implement federal after school TRIO programs programs. I have also written grants for Elementary Schools . Those Include Music, Math an Science. Achieved the highest Math and Science gains in one year as A Math Science Coach. Author of the Literacy Gap.

Equity for all students and all schools Especially Neighborhood Schools that have been underserved for decades, Having appropriate curriculum that fits the needs of the targeted population it’s intended to serve. Having curriculum that is not culturally biased.

School Board members should advocate for all students. However the students in Chicago should be their primary responsibility.

Immediately, we need a forensic audit. According to the Sun-Times, Chicago Public Schools’ budget deficit for the upcoming school year ballooned to a half-billion dollars and has largely been filled. We need to understand how that deficit was filled, WE do need to have a third Party audit of the system.

Continue to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the new CPS funding model to improve the distribution of resources in a more equitable and transparent manner . We need to ensure that all students, regardless of their economic situation have the same opportunities as those in more economically stable communities.

First we need curriculum that is a fit for these schools. We must make the connection between what students are learning and what value that learning has in terms of the communities they live-in. For example in African American communities, Entrepreneurs Programs and financial literacy are necessary to support the needs of the community as well as enhance educational opportunities for students. A Robust STEAM initiative is also a must for the entire school district.

I would continue to advocate for the Black Student Success initiative through educating teachers about culturally diverse curriculum , that I have been doing for decades.

I Believe we can maintain our special Selective Enrollments schools while also enhancing our neighborhood schools. WE must design appropriate curriculum for our struggling neighborhood schools that fit the needs of that student population. One size curriculum does not fit all our schools.

We need to enhance the curriculum for both student populations. Non English as well as English speaking students. WE need to see to it that both populations speak more than one language.

First, teachers must receive more in -service training to identify students with special needs. We need to encourage more educators to get training in psychology so we can increase the roles of the psychologist in the schools.

It all goes back to hiring the correct staff in the schools who have a relationship with the community. We need all hands on deck. qualified staff that reflect the communities that they Programs that encourage parental involvement. Also,, additional supports with After-school programs and weekend activities.

We need more outreach top parents and students in their homes. More social workers or staff addressing parental and student needs are necessary.

WE need teacher Induction programs in High Schools as well as Fire fighter, Police induction Programs where juniors and seniors can participate. Those programs can be matched with universities and collages for the purposes of getting college credit while learning a skill or trade or earning a certificate.

n teachers have complained that Skyline is not a fit for our most at-risk students. This is an example where the district must provide curriculum for all students. Cultural obstacles as well as adapting a policy where all academic learning styles are addressed is a must for all our schools.

There needs to be more training that takes place with our LSC’s , They need to understand th power that they have in terms of facilitating the running of schools in their area.

Principals need autonomy in running their schools buildings.as well as teachers need autonomy in running their classrooms. The district should have oversight but should not be directly involved in the day to day activities of how schools are ran. The Local School Councils as well as the principals should be the primary authority when it comes to running their individual schools.

As Co-Chair of the South Shore Community Council, we opposed the closing of schools in our area. We worked with elected officials to ensure that no schools were closed in South Shore, We ALSO FOUGHT TO SEE TO IT THAT EMPTY BUILDINGS BE USED TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY of life for community residents. We were promised that the old South Shore building be used as a community hub .

We need to bring all stakeholders to the table when negotiating the contract. Principals., parents , students as well as teachers need to be represented during the process. Training needs to be done with all stakeholders before we get to the negotiation process. Also we need education in-services city-wide to talk to parents, students and stakeholders regarding what things are important to their community schools.

We desperately need a robust financial literacy program that encompasses an entrepreneurs program where we educate our youth regarding creating small businesses. We also need Spanish to be taught to all our students. To address the inequity over decades and the removal of literacy supports , Grammar, Penmanship, Phonics a nd spelling, we need repair for American students harmed overtime by the removal of educational supports that took place in the late 90’s. WE can address this by putting a line item in the Bi-lingual Education Act that includes American students suffering from literacy deficits . Specially those who are achieving 50% and lower on standardized assessments. See my dissertation, “The Literacy Gap”