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Illinois
A+
Illinois
A+ Illinois is a statewide campaign led by groups and
individuals committed to real reform in the quality
and funding of public education for all Illinois children.
A+ Illinois demands changes to make school funding more
adequate and fairer for all children and communities.
A+ Illinois seeks to improve the quality of life of
children and their families through a comprehensive
restructuring of state finances that balances property
tax reform with new state revenues that fairly and adequately
respond to community needs. A+ Illinois also supports
proven strategies that build capacity to improve student
learning and close the student achievement gap.
Campaign Manager: Mary Ellen Guest
25 E Washington St., Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 863-6014
Fax: (312) 922-5619
meguest@aplusillinois.org
www.aplusillinois.org
Better
Funding for Better Schools Coalition
The Better Funding for Better Schools Coalition stated
mission is to reform the way schools are funded and
to ensure a quality education for all Illinois children.
It advocates for an increase in school funding and proposes
several tax reform ideas for generating revenue to pay
for it.
Chairman, Sharon Voliva
SVoliva@aol.com
Business
and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI)
Business and Professional People for the Public Interest
(BPI) describes itself as a public interest law and
policy center dedicated to equal justice and to enhancing
the quality and equity of life for all people living
in the Chicago region. Founded in 1969, the organization's
multi-faceted agenda currently focuses on housing, community
development, education reform, and metropolitan growth.
In its public education program, BPI supports Chicago's
Local School Councils (LSCs), advocates for small schools,
and engages the education community through its Chicago
School Policy Luncheons, the Coalition of Schools for
Better Education, and the Reading Retreat literacy program.
Executive Director: E. Hoy McConnell II
Director, Education Initiatives: Cindy S. Moelis
25 East Washington Street, Suite 1515
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Phone: (312) 641-5570
Fax: (312) 641-5454
info@bpichicago.org
CATALYST:
Voices of Chicago School Reform
CATALYST, founded in 1989, describes itself as an independent
newsmagazine that documents, analyzes, and supports
school improvement efforts in the Chicago Public Schools.
It is published monthly by the Community Renewal Society,
a faith-based organization with the stated mission of
creating racially and economically just communities
in metropolitan Chicago.
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Linda Lenz
332 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 500
Chicago, Ilinois 60604-4302
Phone: (312) 427-4830
Fax: (312) 427-6130
lenz@catalyst-chicago.org
The
Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability describes
itself as a non-profit, bipartisan research and advocacy
think tank committed to ensuring that tax, spending,
and economic policies are fair and just. It has a threefold
mission that includes: developing data that describes
the cost of and demand for public services, and government’s
fiscal capacity to fund those services; evaluating the
impact of fiscal policies on quality of life issues;
and designing and promoting policies to make fiscal
policies fair, sound, and competitive.
Center for Tax & Budget Accountability
70 East Lake Street Suite 1700
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 332-1041
Fax: (312) 578-9258
E-mail: tbisacky@ctbaonline.org
Chicago
Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, Inc.
The Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under
Law, Inc. is the public interest law consortium of 48
Chicago law firms. Formed in 1969, the organization
states that it focuses on reducing barriers to opportunity
and promoting efforts that increase the capacity of
individuals to access and sustain employment. The Children's
Health and Education Project, one of the Committee's
five major projects, addresses the lack of adequate
resources and opportunities for Chicago's poor and minority
children.
Executive Director: Clyde E. Murphy
100 North LaSalle Street, Suite 600
Chicago, Illinois 60602-2403
Phone:(312) 630-9744
Fax: (312) 630-1127
TDD: (312) 630-9749
info@clccrul.org
Chicago Panel on School Policy
The Chicago Panel on School Policy describes itself
as a nonprofit organization that advocates for quality
education on behalf of Chicago's public school students.
Founded in 1982, the Panel's current work focuses on
evaluation of policies, programs and initiatives; disseminating
practical applications of longitudinal research; encouraging
parent involvement throughout the school system; and
reporting on important educational issues.
Executive Director: Barbara Buell
180 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1870
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Phone: (312) 372-5035
Fax: (312) 372-3441
panel@chicagopanel.org
Chicago
School Leadership Cooperative
The Chicago School Leadership Cooperative describes
itself as a citywide network of neighborhood groups,
education organizations and civic leaders working to
engage diverse communities in school reform and support
the development of effective Local School Councils (LSCs).
The Cooperative states that it works to improve communication
and collaboration between various stakeholders, to coordinate
action on broad-based initiatives such as LSC elections
and trainings, and to serve as a source of information
on a variety of school reform issues through its "Cooperative
Notes" e-mail and fax newsletter.
Executive Director: Andrew Wade
111 N. Wabash Avenue, Suite 1205
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Phone: (312) 499-4800
Fax: (312) 499-4810
office@leadercoop.org
Citizen
Action/Illinois
Citizen Action is the state's largest public interest
organization. A multi-racial, progressive coalition,
it is committed to creating social change both in Illinois
and nationwide. Areas of focus in education: environment/healthy
schools, education funding, school tax reform.
Co-Directors: Lynda DeLaforgue and Wiliam McNary
28 E. Jackson, Suite 605
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 427-2114
info@citizenaction-il.org
Citizens
Organized for Responsible Education - CORE4Kids
CORE4Kids is an expansion of C.O.R.E. that was formed
over 15 years ago when a group of concerned parents
decided to get involved. According to its website, CORE4Kids
is moving forward to target change in school funding.
CORE4Kids is a statewide initiative to reach and involve
parents, citizens, local and state officials and legislators
to precipitate much needed school funding reform.
Director: Jan Thietje
CORE4Kids
3 Regal Court
Algonquin, IL 60102
CORE@CORE4KIDS.COM
Cross
City Campaign for Urban School Reform
The Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform states
that it is a national network of school reformers that
supports efforts to create high-quality schools that
ensure educational success for all urban young people.
To that end, Cross City advocates for policies and practices
that move authority, resources, and accountability to
the school level, reconnect schools with their community,
and rethink the role of school districts. Headquartered
in Chicago, Cross City's membership includes parents,
educators, researchers, and funders from nine major
cities: Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles,
New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
3740 N. Lake Shore Drive Suite 3B
Chicago, Illinois 60613
Phone: 773.832.9375
http://www.crosscity.org/
Designs
for Change
Designs for Change (DFC) describes itself as a multiracial
educational research and reform organization that works
for major improvements in the public schools in 50 major
cities, with a particular emphasis on Chicago. Formed
in 1977, the organization has conducted a series of
national research studies on the implementation and
impact of a range of urban school reform strategies.
Since 1988, DFC has worked to support the implementation
of Chicago school reform through research, advocacy,
and technical assistance for local school communities.
DFC also operates the Learning Path Institute, which
is establishing an associate degree program on civic
and educational leadership for active parents and community
members.
Executive Director: Donald R. Moore
29 East Madison, Suite 950
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Phone: (312) 236-7252
Fax: (312) 236-7927
TTY: (312) 236-7944
info@designsforchange.org
Illinois ACORN
ACORN is a national membership-based community organization
of low and moderate-income people. It organizes poor
people to take power through direct action, electoral
lobbying, educational forums, development and neighborhood
organizing. Illinois ACORN organizes Chicago's communities
of color to hold schools and the school district accountable
on issues of equitable resources, capital improvements
and teacher quality.
Illinois Learning Partnership
The Illinois Learning Partnership was established in
1997 as a nonprofit statewide partnership of the major
stakeholders in education. The Partnership states that
its purpose is to continuously and significantly improve
learning in the public schools of Illinois through the
facilitation of collaborative networks between schools
and school districts in Illinois, dissemination of data
and research, and the organization of "learning
teams" around the state to analyze education reform
issues and to develop strategies for dealing with these
issues.
Executive Director: John Allen
4 Lawrence Square
Springfield, Illinois 62704
Phone: (217) 544-6492
Fax: (217) 544-3845
jallen@illinoislearningpartnership.org
Leadership
for Quality Education
Leadership for Quality Education, founded in 1988 in
response to the landmark Chicago school reforms, describes
itself as a business-backed organization with the mission
of supporting innovation, empowering new leaders, and
facilitating public-private partnerships to improve
the opportunities for success for children in the Chicago
Public Schools. LQE's current initiatives focus on involving
the Chicago business community in creating small schools
and charter schools, encouraging technology adoption
and modern evaluation and pay schemes for principals
and teachers, and developing school-level accountability
mechanisms.
Executive Director: John Ayers
21 South Clark Street, Suite 3120
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Phone: (312) 853-1200
Fax: (312) 853-1209
info@lqe.org
Metropolitan
Alliance of Congregations (MAC)
According to its website, the churches within the Metropolitan
Alliance of Congregations are working together and with
the Illinois State Action Alliance of Congregations
to make Illinois politicians provide fair and adequate
funding for all school children in the state. Visit
their website for more information.
5001 South Ellis Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60615
Phone: (773) 538-8781
Fax: (773) 538-8784
Neighborhood
Capital Budget Group
The Neighborhood Capital Budget Group describes itself
as a coalition of nearly 200 community-based organizations
and local economic development groups in Chicago dedicated
to improving the city's neighborhoods through well-planned,
targeted public investment. One of NCBG's major focus
areas is on school construction and repair, and the
organization works with parents and Local School Councils
to organize to attain capital improvements in their
schools and to advocate for state and federal facilities
funding.
Executive Director: Jacqueline Leavy
407 S. Dearborn, Suite 1360
Chicago, Illinois 60605
Phone: (312) 939-7198
Fax: (312) 939-7480
jleavy@ncbg.org
Organization
of the NorthEast (ONE)
The Organization of the NorthEast (ONE) describes itself
as a United Way agency whose primary mission is to build
a thriving multi-ethnic, mixed-economic community on
the northeast side of Chicago (the Uptown, Edgewater,
Rogers Park, and Ravenswood neighborhoods). ONE also
works on education issues, advocating for quality schools,
better parent-teacher communication, and community use
of school buildings. Founded in 1974, ONE has 78 diverse
institutional members, including congregations, ethnic
associations, businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
Executive Director/Lead Organizer: Sarah Jane Knoy
Education Organizing Staff: Mehrdad Azemun and Astrid
Suarez
1329 W. Wilson
Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: (773) 769-3232
Fax: (773) 769-0729
mazemum@onechicago.org
or aesuarez2001@yahoo.com
Parents
United for Responsible Education (PURE)
Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE) states
that it seeks to enhance the quality of public education
in Chicago by informing parents and Local School Council
members about educational issues, bringing the views
of parents into the decision-making process, and acting
as an advocate for parents in their relationships with
the school administration. Formed in 1987, PURE publishes
two newsletters - the quarterly PENCIL and Tips and
Updates for LSCs - and conducts citywide forums and
free workshops to parents and Local School Council members.
PURE also runs an information hotline and television
call-in show for parents and LSC members.
Executive Director: Julie Woestehoff
100 S. Morgan Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
Phone: 312-491-9101
Fax: 312-491-9404
pure@pureparents.org
Small
Schools Workshop
The Small Schools Workshop, based at the University
of Illinois at Chicago, describes itself as a group
of educators, organizers and researchers that collaborates
with teachers, principals, parents, and district leaders
to create new, small, innovative learning communities
in public schools. Founded in 1991, the group has assisted
individual schools in restructuring into small schools,
advocated for citywide policies to facilitate the development
of small schools, and conducted research and evaluation
of assessment tools for small schools.
Director: Michael Klonsky
University of Illinois at Chicago
1640 W. Roosevelt Road, 6th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60608
Phone: (312) 413-8066
Fax:(312) 413-5847
To
contact by e-mail
Students
First Illinois
Students First Illinois describes itself as a non-partisan,
statewide grassroots coalition of community organizations
and private individuals that have joined together to
urge the State of Illinois to provide an efficient system
of equal, high-quality public educational institutions
and services to all of Illinois' children. SFI also
seeks to have Illinois fulfill its responsibility as
the primary funding source for public education.
Students First Illinois
225 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1800
Chicago, IL 60606
info@studentsfirst.us
Ph. (312) 943-1955
Voices
for Illinois Children
Voices for Illinois Children states that it is a nonprofit,
non-partisan statewide child advocacy organization with
the mission of working with families, communities, and
policy-makers to promote the health, safety, and education
of Illinois children by promoting preventive strategies,
building community resources, and facilitating public-private
partnerships. The organization's education policy agenda
focuses on promoting universal pre-school for 3- and
4-year-olds; reforming school funding to ensure all
children an adequate, equitable education; and supporting
community schools by creating a statewide task force
to study ways schools can serve communities' needs beyond
the school day.
President: Jerry Stermer
208 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 1490
Chicago, Illinois 60604-1103
Phone: (312) 456-0600
Fax: (312) 456-0088
info@voices4kids.org
Public
Education Network Local Affiliates:
The
Chicago Public Education Fund
The Fund describes itself as a venture capital fund
for public education. It develops working partnerships
with nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher
education, and the Chicago Public Schools to identify
needs that are not currently addressed and initiate
programs necessary to help resolve those issues.
President: Janet M. Knupp
200 West Adams Street #1910
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 263-5333
Fax: (312) 372-0478
jknupp@cpef.org
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