Washington Irving School - Vote for a new Principal / LSC Meeting 11-14-13 @ 5:30pm

Introduction/Goals:

We are the members of the community within a one-mile radius of Washington Irving School. We want to help transform Irving into a model neighborhood school and have it be a school of top choice from Pre-K to 8th grade. Irving has so much potential to be a Level 1 school and to embrace the “Community Schools Initiative”.  We have come together under the belief that a strong Chicago community will help restore children’s sense of identity, belonging, and stability during these challenging times.

Why a neighborhood school?

This school can be a safe haven that kids can depend on and own as their community center all year round. Children need to experience the world and also need a sense of community where they are somebody special. The child becomes what he/she is taught. It is the school’s coordinated and comprehensive programs, resources, and expectations that create rich and lasting experiences.

As outlined by CPS, the attendance boundary of Irving is west to Western, north to 290W Expressway, south to Roosevelt, east to Wood Street. Our community makes up less than 30% of the school’s population.

Our Expectations:

We are stepping forward to voice our dismay of the last eight years under a leadership that cannot be sustained or tolerated for another four more years. The leadership under Ms Oneal-Bryant and Ms Davis have shown a steady decline for Irving School during  the past 8 years. There has been a high turnover rate among teachers, and many good ones have forced to leave, while the Principal remains intact. Excellent teachers chosen to leave because their requests for needed supplies and improving equipment was met with animosity. For example, some are still working with dated overhead projectors where students in other countries are learning on computers. The principal shows favoritism with resources- therefore alienating these great teachers and having them leave, further degrading the school.  Many still have their hearts for Irving, but won’t return to work under this leadership. I’m sure there are many parents that are here that have been upset at one time or another because a particular teacher that they valued left due to these circumstances.

Ms Bryant lives over 35 miles from Irving. How can she be invested in this school when she is not able to relate to the environment of her students and parents? Many parents think that Ms Davis is the principal because she does all the work for Ms. Bryant. She may work hard, but her leadership style is not what this school needs either. The leadership at Irving is unprofessional and does not communicate well. See the Parent Survey:

2012 PARENT SURVEY

IRVING

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

46%

NEUTRAL

PARENT-TEACHER PARTNERSHIPS

35%

WEAK

QUALITY OF FACILITIES

49%

NEUTRAL

RESPONSE RATE

54%

This school does not have restorative justice for pupil discipline, and the immediate community is kept at a distance and not engaged with.  It has been obvious despite multiple attempts by neighborhood members to volunteer their time and expertise to the school, but Ms Bryant does not wish to work with them.   Parents and prospective parents have concerns about the safety of their children at Irving school.

In 1988, the new Irving opened and tripled it’s academic standing by 2003. Irving School was selected by NCREL (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory) in 2002 as the model CPS school with high technology matched with high academic performance serving a high percentage of minority students with low-income. It was a media darling with 1995 NPR’s reports. Years later, this mission lost focus under the current leadership. NPR’s last report was titled: Two Steps Back in 2004.

Under Ms Bryant and Ms Davis, the academic standing has dropped and has plateaued. From the CPS website: it was on academic probation for a couple years and was in jeopardy of being shut down. It is currently on “Academic Watch Status”, and it is in it’s third year of not making Academic Yearly Progress . In addition, 

ISAT SCORES

2013

COMPOSITE

53.50%

READING

50.40%

MATH

47.20%

SCIENCE

80.20%

The Lifeline: Corporate Funding

Without the tremendous, non stop support of the CME corporate sponsorship and hands on improvements, this school was slated to be closed. Despite the yearly the CME funding of tens of thousands of dollars every year, it cannot be accounted for for pupil progress and technological advancements. Imagine all that money over the past several years, where has it all gone to? Ms Bryant has been asked to justify spending from CME contributions that cannot be accounted for. The allocation of corporate funding is not transparent in the school budget. The playground has not changed, there are limited sports and recreational activities even though monies were spent on equipment. Some things that are purchased are kept in storage closets. We are in talks with CME and plan to engage more corporate sponsors beginning at the Pre-K level to reach our goals.

Under the leadership of Ms Bryant and Ms Davis, enrichment and extracurricular programs have stopped or faltered. These include programs: to enhance literacy, math and technology via Poetry Slam, Bookworm Club, Family Science Night, Career Day, opening the computer lab with high performance equipment. There is a lack of promoting student development with little support for programs like First Day Assemblies, Quarterly Awards Recognition Ceremony, school newspaper and Student Council. There is limited performing arts- the community would like to see the school restore the band program and a fully equipped room, student talent shows and celebrate diversity programs. For athletics, bring afterschool  sports for both genders year round on a consistent basis.

Conclusion:

Through mutual collaboration, our goals can be achieved. We want to make Irving a life giving option and have our children walk down the street to an excellent school, bring back many lost families, and reignite forever dedicated staff that have left and still remain.

There needs to be a change in leadership at Washington Irving for our goals to be met. It can not be 4 more years of the same. We ask the LSC to postpone the vote on behalf of the community until the December meeting.  Four years ago, the principal got the vote postponed twice so she could get the votes. We insist that the principal must reapply with a no-fault, no-blame approach. Then we open up the process to all eligible candidates.

Keep all of the children in your minds and in your hearts when you contemplate and make your decision. Remember that your decision will affect their lives and their future, the future of this community, and the future of this country.