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Education, economic development take center stage

By Richard Muhammad on Sunday, October 26, 2008

The Church of the Good Shepherd played host to a July 26 Neighborhood Summit as residents and stakeholders in Washington Park added more detail to their fast-developing Quality of Life Plan. This Saturday meeting featured special sessions devoted to education and economic development which augmented regular sessions on senior and housing issues.

Alderman Willie Cochran, of the 20^th Ward, opened the day by stressing an emphasis on projects and how projects can move forward. After his opening, participants went straight to work.

Cecilia Hunt, of St. Edmund’s Church, led the discussion about education. She focused on improving area school performance. All schools serving Washington Park, including Burke, Beasley, Carter, Dulles and Ross elementary schools and Dyett High School, have completed 2006-2008 school improvement plans. The Chicago International Charter School had an incomplete plan on file with Chicago Public Schools.

All of the schools are facing challenges meeting state and federal achievement requirements. Some problems include sparse libraries, computer maintenance, teacher experience, retention, performance and training, discipline, high student turnover, and too few mentoring and youth leadership opportunities. Schools also had signs of things moving in the right direction, which included good or increasing parental involvement, a feeling of safety among students, partnerships with colleges and churches and other institutions, a Saturday academy, small class sizes, interesting extracurricular activities, and after school programs.

Student turnover is a major problem: For every 100 students that enter a grammar school in Washington Park, only 20 will graduate from the same school. A transient population makes it difficult to raise test scores with students entering and leaving schools at different times of the year and at different academic levels.

“We’re shooting for the stars now, we still haven’t gotten down to the nitty gritty in terms of how this is going to be financed and how everything falls together. But if we had resources that were unlimited what types of ideas do you have to deal with some of the issues that they are having?” Hunt asked.

The responses came quickly. Suggested short term projects included developing a parent handbook; forming parent patrols (and taking a look at how the Woodlawn NCP program has utilized the approach); planning a community pageant or competition for youth and perhaps a Washington Park Cotillion; creating a homework helpline possibly staffed by honor students allowing youth to assist one another; exploring partnerships with organizations like CityYear, Public Allies and AmeriCorps; and establishing a center as a central place to learn about and offer guidance on higher education resources.

Ideas for helping schools that serve youth in grades K-12 included:

• Increasing parental involvement in schools and making sure schools welcome parents, use parental support properly and note where schools can also help meet parent needs;

• Introducing students to different disciplines and cultural experiences;

• Linking library resources at schools;

• Integrating GED programs and public schools (keeping parents involved/“ahead of game”);

• Increasing career exploration, internships and real world experiences, including summer jobs tied to future career interests;

• Finding ways to deal with transitional issues and student turnover to properly prepare students to move up to each grade;

• Partnering with the Big Brother/Big Sister program to supplement parental roles in checking on student academic progress;

• Inviting Boy Scouts or similar organizations to recruit students at schools for character building and life preparation activities;

• Mandatory participation in after school programs with academic assistance (reading, math, science) for struggling students long before failure would result in summer school;

• Collaborating with local colleges and forming partnerships to benefit students;

• Looking into different enrollment figures for schools to determine reasons for range of student populations, such as whether physical structures or funding are having an impact;

• Launching a “Special Services” program to help students with behavioral issues by integrating a culture of discipline, perhaps through “fancy drill,” teams, with leadership opportunities (for example promoting participants from “captain” on up) to improve behavior at school and in the home.

The group also asked if there was a way to bring the schools together, other than area meetings, to discuss problems and opportunities. Specialized programs, like Head Start for toddlers and gifted programs for older students were discussed.

More gifted programs are needed for advanced students and possible barriers to Head Start enrollment, like limited hours of operation, need to be looked at. Additional programs for students with learning disabilities are needed.

When it came to parental participation, questions were asked about whether there should be a meeting with CPS administration to set parental participation guidelines for area schools and whether a volunteer team could be assembled to check on school operations.

Schools also need to know what services are available for things like domestic violence to refer parents whose children may be struggling because of violence in the home or other problems. The Integrated Services in Schools Program, which includes schools in five NCP neighborhoods, might provide some ideas for how to bring student needs and services together to improve academic performance. The University of Chicago has a historic focus on studying the south side and students should be able to learn about such research to inspire future educational pursuits and careers, said participants. Washington Park students should learn about the research and how it can help the community, they added.

The bottom line is children need a solid foundation to build on, which includes parental support, access to services and resources, proper space/facilities, and up-to-date technology.

“I’m working with children who go to schools in the neighborhood. They can’t read. They can’t do math, they’re overcrowded,” said Stephany Price, who works with the Chicago Youth Program. She is a lifelong Washington Park resident. The weaknesses of schools have led her to make a tough decision. Though she supports improving the community, her three-year-old daughter won’t be attending school in Washington Park. The quality of education and lack of exposure for children have led her to seek a school in an adjoining community.

“If you’re not thinking about college in this day and age before you get to high school, it’s going to be a lot harder to think about when you are in high school,” observed Consuello Rudder, who works in the 20^th Ward public service office. She suggested a resource center that would provide information about programs and learning opportunities connected to colleges. The programs can range from visits and special academic sessions to summer programs for youth on college campuses.

“If we give them those opportunities and the teachers say ‘you can do this’ and ‘you can do that,’ it would be great,” said Rudder.

Senior issues session yields results

The Senior issues committee fashioned several ideas out of their discussions, which included near term projects like a shuttle service and a local directory for senior services. Suggested longer term projects include creation of a food co-op and development of community gardens as a food source. Participants also discussed when to consider someone a senior; the AARP uses 50, but some thought that was too young.

Additional discussion topics included how to help diagnose the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease; creating an Adopt-a-Grandparent program, sponsoring intergenerational events and teaching young people how to deal with senior citizens. Programs should come from a trusted source, like local churches. There were also questions about identifying services and programs for residents and citywide agencies and other help outside the community. Existing networks should be linked to any new programs and initiatives.

The Senior discussion group considered health issues as well. Health resources could be available through the University of Chicago while the Woodlawn Farmer’s Market could provide healthier food choices alongside classes on healthy cooking and eating. Washington Park is part of a “food desert” with little access to fresh fruit and produce.

Short-term projects include creating two surveys: one which would assess existing programs and services available to seniors in the Washington Park area; and another which would be used to poll individual seniors to determine their needs and wants.

Another idea was a well-promoted and well-coordinated Senior Outreach Day. Outreach to seniors needs to include agencies and potential partners and a look at barriers. For example, how would Seniors hear about University of Chicago and other programs that might be of value? Widespread outreach to churches should be a part of any effort, participants said.

Walking housing survey tested

Responding to the lack of accurate information about the housing stock in Washington Park, stakeholders in the neighborhood’s planning process took to the streets July 26 to road-test a housing survey.

The survey was conducted by participants in the housing committee, which was facilitated by Rev. Jesse Knox III of the Church of the Good Shepherd.

It covered the 5700 block of Calumet Avenue and King Drive, just east of the church.

Scott Goldstein of the planning firm Teska Associates gave brief instructions on how to do a visual inspection of each building and fill in the survey forms, including whether the building appears occupied, its condition, number of units, evidence of recent improvements and whether the grounds are well-maintained.

Vacant lots were also recorded. The survey used in the initial run will be revised and additional walking trips to complete the survey were scheduled for Aug. 7 and Aug. 16. (A complete story about the housing survey is available.)

Economic development and creating opportunity

The session ended with Chinwe Onyeagoro, managing partner of O-H Community Partners, a strategy consulting firm that helps non-profits attract new investment and build community wealth. Over the last four years, the firm has raised $100 million in private sector financing, federal, state and city grants and foundation money for innovative programming in neighborhoods, she said.

Her group led redevelopment of the Cottage Grove corridor in Bronzeville.

Economic development can be defined as strategies used to increase income and wealth in a community, both individual wealth and community wealth, she explained.

It ranges from real estate development, or attracting new businesses to improving the neighborhood’s physical environment. Education can be an economic development strategy by preparing the future workforce or future business leaders, she added.

Oyeagoro walked the group through a list of several strategies, ranging from planning, clean-up, safety and corridor enhancement, community marketing, business development and retention, to workforce development and real estate development. The different strategies can be linked together and don’t have to be looked at as separate silos, she said.

The planning process is a chance to bring together stakeholders, look at what is happening and coming to the neighborhood and what groups can take on, she said. You are considering what land is available, what can be built, what gaps exist, infrastructure development and building neighborhood consensus, Oyeagoro said.

Projects can range from neighborhood festivals to increase income and market neighborhoods to streetscapes that beautify thoroughfares or a local business directory, she explained. Technical assistance that helps businesses deal with red tape, permit requirements and conversations about their needs can help retain businesses, she said.

Special service areas can be designated to promote and attract businesses and summer jobs can tap into existing programs or be start-up initiatives, Oyeagoro pointed out.

Marketing is an important part of economic development. Media stories and events that highlight good things can promote the community and tours can bring in new investors, she said.

Neighborhoods can be marketed through trade shows and brokers as local groups look for good matches. That might include a request for proposals with incentives for development based on the Quality-of-Life Plan and other plans, she said.

The city and other local entities also sponsor fairs for grocers and businesses to look at communities and opportunities, Oyeagoro said. 

Please send any corrections of questions to LISC Scribe Richard Muhammad at straightwords@sbcglobal.net , or call 773-616-5058.