Progress Through Partnership
E-Newsletter for members and friends of Chicago Appleseed
and the Chicago Council of Lawyers

May 2007

In this e-Newsletter:

"Police Oversight in Chicago: Should the Office of Professional Standards be Changed or Replaced?"
 Sponsored by the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the American Constitution Society (Chicago chapter)

CCL no wordsThe Chicago Council of Lawyers and American Constitution Society (Chicago chapter) present "Police Oversight in Chicago: Should the Office of Professional Standards be Changed or Replaced?"

Date: Thursday, June 7, 2007
Time: Noon to 1:30pm
Location: Sidley & Austin LLP, One South Dearborn Street, 37th Floor

Scheduled speakers include Locke Bowman, Clinical Associate Professor at Northwestern University Law School, and Craig Futterman, Clinical Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School.

Lunch will be provided.

Please RSVP by Tuesday, June 5 by clicking here.

Save the Date for the 2007 Annual Luncheon!
 
dual logoThe 2007 Annual Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, October 2 at the Palmer House Hilton. We are pleased to announce Thomas Sullivan, senior partner at Jenner & Block LLP, as the keynote speaker. The Commitment to Justice honorees are Ada Skyles and Tom and Diane Geraghty.

Tickets and tables for the Annual Luncheon will go on sale June 18! To reserve your seat at the 2007 Annual Luncheon, contact Amanda Grant at 312-988-6599.

Chicago Appleseed Takes Its Parental Involvement Model on the Road
 

caffj no wordsIn recent months, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice has taken its model for improving parental involvement in schools on the road, marketing it to schools and community groups throughout Illinois and as far away as Pennsylvania. The process began in January when Chicago Appleseed released its report Improving Parental Involvement in Illinois Under the No Child Left Behind Act, which included a model for bringing together school, parent and community representatives to increase parental engagement. Chicago Appleseed set up an exhibition booth at the Illinois state-wide conference on No Child Left Behind to market the approach.

"As a result of that conference we were inundated with requests, primarily from teachers, who have been frustrated by efforts to improve parent involvement. They wanted to know what they could do to create real change on this issue," said Malcolm Rich, Executive Director of Chicago Appleseed.

That led to requests by several schools in the state for Chicago Appleseed to present its model, which involves using community groups to act as a bridge between schools and parents. Presentations so far have been made in two suburban and one Chicago school and are being planned for three other schools throughout the state.

José Meléndez, policy and research associate for Chicago Appleseed and the lead facilitator on the project, also held training sessions in Harrisburg, PA for 50 attendees at a conference run by the Center for Schools and Communities. The group had received information about the Chicago Appleseed parental involvement report through a list serve seen by a conference organizer.

Next steps include a state-wide conference during 2008, which would bring together teachers, school board representatives, school administrators, and parent and community groups to discuss plans for making parental involvement a priority throughout Illinois. Chicago Appleseed is also embarking on an innovative program that would use pro bono lawyers to negotiate and draft partnership agreements between school, parent and community groups. This summer, James Ktsanes, an incoming associate with Latham & Watkins, will provide pro bono assistance on the project as a PILI (Public Interest Law Initiative) Fellow.

"This is only the beginning," says Rich. "But clearly there is a real need out there for assistance in bringing these groups together and we are working to fill that need."

This article first appeared in the 5-03-07 issue of Appleseed This Week.