IC-SS Weekly News: May 1, 2023
A New Day in Chicago: Resources
On May 2, newly elected members of Chicago’s Police District Councils will be sworn in. On May 15, Brandon Johnson will be inaugurated as Chicago’s new mayor. Stay informed!
2nd District Council – May 10 Meeting
Newly elected District Councilors for the 22 District Councils will be sworn in tomorrow. And next week, the 2nd District Council will hold its first community meeting.
Recall that, under the ECPS ordinance, residents of each of the 22 police districts will be represented by three elected members – or Councilors – for their own District Council (22 District Councils, 3 Councilors each).
In Chicago’s 2nd District Council, Julia Kline, Alexander Perez, and Ephraim Lee (L to R above) will represent the people of the 2nd police district. Learn more about the incoming District Councilors for the 2nd police district in this Hyde Park Herald story, Meet the New 2nd Police District Council.
SAVE THE DATE: The first community meeting with the 2nd District Council is set for Wednesday, May 10th at 6:30 pm at King College Prep High School, 4445 S. Drexel. Doors open at 6:00. Watch for details and registration info, coming soon.
Mayor-Elect Johnson’s Transition News
Brandon Johnson has promised a new, people-focused administration that will prioritize equity for all communities. Mayor-Elect Johnson has announced his transition team, which includes South Side legislators IL State Senator Robert Peters and State Representative Kam Buckner.
Keep up: Get news about the incoming mayoral administration at this updates webpage and at the main site of Chicago for the People.
Organizations and Opportunities
Indivisible Chicago-South Side shares information and actions from other organizations on issues important in our country, state, city, and communities.
Tonight: CWTA Event with District Councilors
From Chicago Women Take Action: TONIGHT Monday May 1 at 6:00 pm, CWTA is hosting a virtual panel discussion with five of the newly elected Councilors from the ECPS Police District Councils. Info/sign up here.
Districts from the south, west, and north sides of the city will be represented in tonight’s online panel discussion. Panelists will discuss their next steps for the district councils and their communities, plus ways for us to give them support and get involved. More info/link to register here.
Share Your Opinion on Mayor Lightfoot
Mayor Lightfoot has just over two weeks left in office. What is her legacy?
From South Side Weekly: South Side Weekly is gathering a people-level perspective on how South Siders think about the legacy of Mayor Lori Lightfoot. As the people most affected by the challenges of the past four years, South Siders should be centered when considering Lightfoot’s legacy.
SHARE YOUR OPINION: South Side Weekly asks you to share your thoughts via a short survey on Mayor Lightfoot; deadline this Friday, May 5.
Hear the Case Against IL School Vouchers
“School voucher plans are sweeping the country, transferring public funds to private schools,” writes Illinois Families for Public Schools. The advocacy group says that vouchers “harm the public good… by diverting public dollars from our already underfunded Illinois public schools.”
Watch the recorded forum on the Illinois voucher program
According to IFPS, vouchers often end up funding schools that discriminate on the basis of religion, disability status, LGBTQ+ status and more. IFPS mentions that research does not show that vouchers improve learning outcomes on the whole (e.g. this study).
For these reasons, IFPS and other advocacy groups are fighting to end Illinois’s tax credit voucher program, which was extended beyond its sunset date.
WATCH: To learn more, watch the IFPS forum, recorded last week: What You Need to Know about Invest in Kids: Illinois’s Tax Credit Voucher Program (watch forum here).
The forum features moderator Unique Mickens (IL Education Association) and panelists Jessica Levin (Education Law Center), Josh Cowen (MSU faculty), Dountonia Batts (Public Voices for Public Schools), and Cassie Creswell (IFPS).
Newsletter Notes
SUBSCRIBE: Did someone forward this newsletter to you? If you’d like to subscribe and get our newsletter every Monday morning, click here to subscribe.
SUGGEST: Got an event or resource to suggest for the newsletter? Email us here.
