11/1/2019 1 Comment November 01st, 2019I jolt awake to the blaring of my phone's alarm. It's 8:30 am: way too early. The weather? 33 degrees Fahrenheit: way too cold. Nonetheless, I'm excited for the day to come. A quick look out the window relays a wet landscape with—wait—is that snow? A double-take says yes. I don't get too much time to enjoy the flurry-filled scene, though, because we have to get ready and pack lunch. After accidentally destroying some eggs and wrapping up a sandwich containing an excessive amount of spinach, I'm ready to head out. It's 9:40 am. We make our way by foot to the first community partner of the day, David Stovall, a professor of African American Studies and Criminology, Law, and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Upon arrival at the Chicago Public Library, Near North Branch, we meet up with him and exchange brief introductions as we wait for the library to open. At 10:02 am, we make our way into a small study room of the library and get right into it. Dr. Stovall engages us with his focused anecdotes regarding race as a central factor in the educational inequity in Chicago. He continually builds upon an extended metaphor of engineering, wondering, "Can conflict be engineered?" and demonstrating how society is carefully engineered to push down African American students and lift white ones. A key idea he touches upon is that people never usually consider how African Americans have always resisted slavery and segregation, remarking that the contentious nature of life in Chicago is critically important to our understanding of it. He poses a powerful question: "How do you justify a system based around African American disposability?" To extend our understanding of the issue, he offers statistics: Chicago Public Schools as a whole is 9% white, but selective enrollment high schools within that system are, on average, 48% white. He makes sure to emphasize that admission to these schools is not about intelligence; rather, it is a measure of the access to resources those children have. A particularly striking example manifests itself in Walter Payton High School, a U.S. News Top 10 High School, which has five counselors. This wouldn't typically be striking, except for the fact that the counselor to student ratio in Chicago as a whole is 1:1155. One to one thousand five hundred and fifty-five. There's something that doesn't add up here. In fact, Chicago—the same city that has 121 schools without any library at all—has two schools ranked in the U.S. News Top 10 High Schools. The disparities he notes are not isolated; he references a conversation he had with a police officer, who gave him an outline on "how to make a killer": 1. Don't give them anywhere viable to go to school, to live, to work, or to eat. 2. Hire a cop to contain them so that they eliminate each other. To round off his point, he emphasizes that no black or brown baby has a natural propensity to crime, BUT we know that conditions can be engineered so crime is more proximal to them. Nevertheless, he concludes, it is important to understand that people have RESISTED—and it is of the utmost importance to document that resistance. He ends by commenting upon the most recent Chicago Teachers' Union strike—that their planning has and should always expect the opposition. For instance, they were responded to with a 16% increase in pay... but that wasn't the issue they were fighting for. Instead, they wanted teachers, counselors, and librarians. After Dr. Stovall leaves, we stay in the study room of the library until 12:30 pm, chilling (is that what the kids call it nowadays?). Upon exiting, we're greeted by icy winds and harsh temperatures (courtesy of the Windy City). We head down to our next community partner: Annie Davis-Korelc of Education Pioneers. Our discussion with Annie begins as many of our other dialogues have, with a quick overview of our majors and reasons for wanting to join this Breakout trip. As we begin to discuss what we each believe to be the biggest challenge facing the Chicago Public Schools, and public school in general, we begin to zero in on American devaluing of the education system and its teachers. Annie brings an enlightening perspective to the discussion when she challenges us to question why Americans began to devalue their teachers despite the fact that in 1800 among doctors and lawyers, teachers were also revered. However, during the early 1800s, the teaching profession began to see a shift towards becoming a more feminine profession and as a result, those in the profession begin receiving lower and lower pay. As the conversation deepens and veers more towards the work being done by Education Pioneers specifically the work the organization is doing to close the opportunity gap through recruiting people with certain skill sets into leadership roles in the education world. After recruiting these people, 65% of whom are people of color that the organization has focused on recruiting, and provides professional development training. Two such programs we learn about being the Summer Fellowship, which is a 10-week program where applicants are placed with partner organization with anywhere from 10 to 30 others, and the Impact Fellowship which is a 10-month program. Furthermore, the organization also hosts workshops for their recruitees which focuses on three key ideas: 1- closing the Opportunity gap, 2- Adaptive Leadership in addressing the root causes of issues, and 3- Change Management. As our conversation with Annie draws to a close, she gives us unique, and interesting perspectives on some of the other community partners we have met and allows us to gain a more nuanced and in-depth understanding of the wealth of perspectives within Chicago surrounding the issue of Education Disparity. After returning home I scrubbed a pot for 30 minutes, finished cleaning up from the morning’s usual breakfast and lunch making session, and spent a bit of time preparing to trick or treat in the harsh cold outside. With the sun finally beginning to drop, and the wind slowly dying down, everyone set to putting together their Halloween costumes and completing their makeup.
When all was said and done we left the house with two Jokers, one tiger, one Princess Leia, one Rosie the Riveter, and a college student. As we raced around the neighboorhood trying to find the best places to trick or treat we were lucky to be sharing with one of our friends their first-ever trick-or-treating experience. With each piece of candy place into our bags, the chilling air became less perceptible as the sheer joy which only comes from the Halloween spirit began to take over. Finally, we headed home to enjoy the comforting taste of ramen and egg and tomato noodles before having our final Rose-Bud-Thorn session and then breaking up into teams and sitting down for a fun game of Jeopardy. With categories such as Chicago History and Our Partners, we got an entertaining review of the week’s activities and all the interesting knowledge we had gained from our community partners. As the night wound down we at down for our final chill movie night together and munched on the bags of candy which lay around our living room. We are excited to do some more sightseeing in the city tomorrow and we look forward to returning to Princeton sharing all the knowledge we have learned on this trip.
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10/30/2019 0 Comments Day 5: Spying the Future of Education10:30 AM We headed out to catch the Brown Line train to visit 826CHI, a writing and tutoring support center located behind the “Secret Agent Supply Co” Store. This nonprofit group, the Chicago chapter of a series of similar centers around the country (including locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, and Detroit), helps support underserved individuals through tutoring and other enrichment activities, with the ultimate goal of promoting student writing and publishing in K-12. David Pintor, the volunteer manager, led us through the spy-themed bookstore into the brightly lit and colorfully decorated collaborative learning area behind. The bookstore, in addition to selling spy-related accessories, games, toys, and books, sells books of student-published writing. The profits from the bookstore go entirely towards funding the afterschool programs, field trips, and workshops that 826CHI holds. David gave us a glimpse into the practices that 826CHI emphasizes when working with students by asking us to reflect on several questions and actively listen to each other. We reflected aloud on some of 826CHI’s core values, their pertinence in our lives, and our experiences working with children previously. David emphasized the importance of listening without interrupting, showing us how 826CHI seeks to give students the freedom to voice their thoughts in their programs. I was very struck by the organization’s genuine dedication to serving the underserved; David discussed how they had changed their workshop times and locations in order to better target underserved populations, rather than their increasingly gentrified surroundings. 12:30 PM After our visit to 826CHI, we began our long and cold journey to UChicago. The L-station closest to 826CHI was temporarily not servicing the green line that we needed, so we walked an extra mile to the “Chicago” stop. While it was cold with freezing rain, we got a fantastic view of the Chicago skyline with the tops of skyscrapers in the clouds. 2:00 PM At the final stop, we stepped out of the train--yet again--into the freezing rain and wind. Shivering, we power walked our way along the beautiful but chilly University of Chicago campus. 2:30 PM We finally arrived at the consortium -- wet, frozen cold, and twenty minutes late. Upon stepping inside, we were immediately warmly greeted by Elaine Allensworth, the director of UChicago’s Consortium on School Research, who showed us to a conference room and offered us warm tea; we gladly accepted, the heated beverage warming our chilled hands and insides, a welcome contrast to the cold outdoors. For over two hours, Elaine talked with us about the wide range of her research and the impact that her work has had in Chicago Public Schools. She told us that the role of the Consortium was to “take things off the table” for people -- to act as a neutral party with the objective of identifying the factors that are most critical to educational success, and to allow policymakers to focus on implementing change based on those research-backed findings. We learned that the Consortium has three main goals. The first goal is to figure out which factors people believe are critical to educational outcomes, and how to measure and track these factors over time. The second goal is to discover which factors matter in answering the big questions in education (e.g. how to improve high school graduation rates?) by understanding the current theories of action and testing those assumptions. Lastly, the third goal is to give research information back to the district and schools, providing them with real-time data and information so that they can make informed changes to their policies and educational methods. We all really enjoyed hearing Elaine’s perspective about the Chicago education system and witnessing her dedication to her work. We left our meeting with a key takeaway: the idea that change often comes from having a sense of direction, and isn’t necessarily due to the implementation of a particular policy. Circumstances change for the better when the schools themselves realize that changes need to be made and they figure out how to make these changes in a coordinated way. Along the same vein, Elaine stressed the importance of communication networks (teachers networks, schools networks, etc.) -- how crucial it is that these groups analyze data and share information regularly in order to establish and maintain a general sense of direction. 4:45 PM Back out into the chilly weather. We wandered around UChicago’s campus for a bit, meeting up with Sydney’s friend, who gave us a brief tour. After a brief pit stop at Starbucks, where a few of us picked up some tea and desserts (red velvet cake, brownies, and hot water for Brian), it was back to the L-station. A forty-minute train ride back to Sedgwick, and we’re back at our beloved Airbnb. Home sweet home. Man, did it feel good to step into our heated house and peel off our wet shoes and rain jackets. 6:30 PM Sally cooked up some fantastic chicken fajitas (quite the masterchef), while the rest of us were in the living area snacking on salt and vinegar chips. Apparently, salt and vinegar chips are quite controversial among our group, but the bag was emptied within fifteen minutes. Geralyn flew in all the way from Tulsa to join us for dinner; both the food and the conversation were fantastic. 8:00 PM
Finally, we enjoyed cupcakes that Geralyn brought for us a surprise dessert as we taught her how to play the card game Mao. Don’t know how to play? The only rule we can tell you is that we’re not allowed to tell you any other rules! Guess you’ll just have to play with us to find out. Today we got the chance to sleep in a bit before we set out to the big Merchandise Mart at 12:50. At the Merchandise Mart, the once largest building space in the United States, we were scheduled to meet LEAP Innovation, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting personalized learning for all students. Started back in 2014 by a Chicago native, the organization works with teachers, edtech companies, and schools to help carry out their vision. Personalized learning has become a big part of Chicago’s plan to transform their education system. Our biggest take away from LEAP Innovations was the impact personalized learning can have on student engagement. Personal learning is built on the premise of tailoring the learning experience to the interests and skills of the individual rather than a whole classroom. For example, if a student needed more time to learn fractions than another student, they would get that extra time while the other student could move on. We all learn at our own pace! Doughnuts (Yummy!) After Leap Innovations, we set out to have some yummy doughnuts at FireCakes. Alternatives and Forastero Mexican & Korean Cuisine
After a day in the city, we sat for dinner at Forastero to meet with Mary Cait from Alternatives to learn more about the exceptional work they do. Many think that punishment for what is deemed as wrong is the way to reform. We tend to overlook the underlying causes of what leads an individual to do an act that is deemed morally wrong. Alternatives seeks to understand these underlying causes by focusing on social-emotional learning through restorative justice, which is not something that kids in school are traditionally taught/exposed to. Alternatives works with students to understand their emotions and find ways to engage with them. One application of restorative justice would be to ask students to discuss their actions and its consequences in a circle rather than simply assigning a student detention for wrongdoing. 10/28/2019 1 Comment Day 3: First Impressions8:00: Alarm Some of the first to wake up in the group rise to find an overcast, slightly chilly Chicago morning, perfect weather for exploring the city and the stories and information it holds about education and academics. A routine morning preparing follows, wondering what our day will bring and what questions will be answered. 9:00 Breakfast We crowd into the kitchen in the townhouse in Old Town, looking to eat to fuel our first full day of programming. Some opt for a hot meal of eggs and meat, whereas others satisfy with cereal. We all prepare sandwiches and packed lunches, as no time or money will permit for a restaurant stop - we have things to do and places to go. 10:50: Commute The group departs from the townhouse into slightly dreary and cold Chicago weather and walks the two blocks to Sedgwick Station, the CTA stop that will take us to our first destination of the day. With the backdrop of the soaring Willis Tower behind us, we board a packed train towards The Loop and disembark at Quincy. We walk to the foot of the Willis Tower, cross the street, and pass through gilded revolving doors to a lobby that provides elevators to the tenth floor, to Teach for America, our first meeting place. 11:30 First Community Partner Meeting; Teach for America and Chicago Teachers’ Union We are greeted with warmth and gratitude by the Teach for America staff, and welcomed into the sprawling office. We take our seats and soon meet Aneesh Sohoni and Josh Anderson ‘04. Both Anderson and Sohoni offer valuable and deep insight into Chicago’s Public Schools (CPS) from the eyes of those who work and worked for Teach for America. Sohoni further describes his role as going from a student in the classroom to an interested college grad to a frontrunner in a widely-recognized organization that serves the education sector. He explains to us about how Teach for America currently supplies 300 teachers to CPS and that there is a base of over 3,000 alumni from Teach for America still in the Chicago area. Further, Anderson and Sohoni comment on the ongoing strike situation with the Chicago Teachers’ Union. They explain that originally the public was led to believe by media sources that the negotiations were going to end with the correct compromises, but it was then announced that the negotiations are still dealing with a 100-million-dollar gap. They both also mentioned that Teach for America never takes positions on the strikes and allows and encourages each individual teacher to choose their own position and action. 12:20: Commute to Primary School Visit We depart soon after the meeting ends, and walk quickly to catch the Red Line to Uptown. We eat on the train and catch cursory glimpses of the illustrious Wrigley Field, finally reaching our destination. A few-blocks walk reveals an older Chicago neighborhood rife with beautiful, antiquated architecture and a plethora of cultures represented. 13:15: Primary School Visit In the afternoon, we stopped by a CPS elementary school, emptied by the ongoing strikes. We initially planned to explore the classes in action and speak with some of the teachers but said teachers were at the strike, so most kids didn’t show up, either. We spoke to a member of the school’s non-union staff (otherwise they’d be at the strike), who did not wish to be identified. They talked about their experiences teaching and working on-the-ground with low-income, minority children with an enormous range of backgrounds, including Puerto Rican immigrants as well as a child who only spoke Russian. We also got to hear about the details about the structure of the public school system, such as principals only getting a high degree of autonomy when they reach high-enough levels of success, measured by attendance, test scores, and GPA. We got a chance to explore the school. Only one class was occupied by children who came to school anyway, but we looked at a still-life of the classrooms and what was discussed immediately before teachers went on strike. On our way out, we stopped to read some of the messages teachers left their students. The experience was quite sobering. 16:00: Commute back to Sedgwick Station
Following a long and eye-opening discussion with an administrator of a local Chicago primary school, we embark on a forty-minute, two-train journey back to our original station, Sedgwick. We silently reflect upon the experiences had today, knowing that this is only our third day of programming and there is so much more to acquire and understand. 16:30: Road to Old Town Residence After a long but fruitful day, we arrived back home, with several hours of rest and reflection ahead of us. Some of us took naps, some worked on homework (annoying!), and some watched a movie. For dinner, we had chicken soup, courtesy of Michelle and Sydney. We started today with a quick trip to the grocery store to buy the rest of what we needed, and then cooked brunch as a group with (only) minor spillages (success!!!!) We then went off on a journey to get to know the city better, starting with Cloud Gate (**the Bean~**) and Millenium Park. We spent a generous amount of time taking hilariously distorted pictures, admiring sculptures on the Art Institute roof, and walked over to Navy Pier where we went trick or treating inside the mall (you’re never too old for candy!) After that, we went to a Dios de los Muertos celebration at the National Museum of Mexican Art, and it was a great way to connect with locals at a less touristy area of Chicago, and to immerse in culture and celebration of such an exciting national holiday. We then headed back to our airbnb before dinner. On our way back, we ended up running across the same crosswalk 4 times before we figured out which entrance to go into, and even had to chase after the train when it stopped further along the station (navigation is really our thing!)
Finally, we ended the night at a dinner organized by Princeton alum, Dani Petrie, with 5 other members of the Chicago education sphere. There, we had a chance to talk to members of community education nonprofits like Braven, Embarc, and Origami Works, as well as a CPS teacher and a Princeton alum who works at the intersection of Health Care and Education. We especially enjoyed hearing their takes on the main issues with the current education system (too much time in school, not enough multi-generational efforts to raise people out of poverty, etc) and they definitely gave us a lot to think about. We’re so grateful for this glimpse into the education field. This was a great beginning to our week-long journey of connecting with Education community partners throughout Chicago, and we can’t wait to connect what we learned tonight to future partners! 10/27/2019 0 Comments Day 1: O'Hare There!Our day started at 5AM, when we rolled down to the Wa to catch our flight to Chicago, Illinois! After we got off the plane on Saturday, our first stop was lunch at Giordano’s (pictured below: our first experience with Chicago’s famous deep dish pizza!!) After demolishing our food, we weathered the storm to travel and check in to our airbnb. Because of the lack of sleep we were all running on, we followed this up by taking 2 hour long naps, interrupted only by a necessary trek to the local stop-n-shop to buy groceries. We then had a nourishing meal of leftover pizza, and cooked some great tomato soup, gourmet grilled cheese, and salad. After Qing alphabetized our group by first name (she enjoyed it), we cleaned up, talked about our plans for the next day, and went to bed pretty early, to recharge for another full day of activity.
Our first day in Chicago was amazing, and we keep getting more and more excited about what’s to come! |
AuthorsCo-leaders: Qing Huang '22 // Nastasia Klevak '22 |