Moving Forward Together for Children-The Children's Voice

THE CHILDREN'S VOICE

August 2017

Moving Forward Together for Children

Implementing the CMS School Assignment Plan by Bob Simmons

It is already the middle of August. Where does the time go?

For K-12 students, August combines the exhilarating freedom of a waning summer vacation with the looming excitement of a new school year. As families gather school supplies and teachers organize classrooms for the first day of school on August 28, the administration has been busy preparing to implement Phase I of the two-phase revised student assignment policy approved by the Board of Education.

This is an exciting time for CMS as it takes initial steps toward offering new opportunities to children and families in our community by advancing the BOE's five Guiding Principles

Reduce overcrowding
Support the efficient use of resources (buses, buildings, etc.)
Reduce the number of schools with high concentrations of poor and high-needs children
Increase access to high-quality home schools
Preserve and expand schools that work

Phase I assigns students to magnet programs using a priority system based on a combination of socioeconomic status indicators such as household income, parents' education levels, siblings living in the home, home ownership, home school performance, and English speaking ability. Over the next four years, the magnet portion of the plan will feature additional changes to transportation zones and more school and program options.

In August 2018, Phase II will shift some home school boundaries, establish new and modified magnet programs, and update feeder patterns. Each stage of implementation attempts to minimize family disruptions by allowing rising students in higher grades to graduate from their current schools and keeping near-age siblings together.

Is the plan perfect? No. Is everybody happy? No. But that is the nature of coexistence in a community with competing interests, complex needs, and a focus on opportunity.

At Council for Children's Rights, we believe the Board of Education could do more to reduce concentrations of poverty, while other advocates believe the goals outlined in the Guiding Principles might be achieved without changing the assignment policy adopted in 2010. The opportunity before us now is to embrace the compromise reached in the new plan and support efforts toward successful implementation.

Special Education Advocacy - First Wednesdays

Offers Training to Parents, Caretakers, and Professionals

Our First Wednesdays series begins its new season of special education and school discipline workshops on September 6 with great information to get parents, caretakers, and professionals alike started on the path to a successful school year.

Stephanie Klitsch, Asst. Dir. of Individual Advocacy and a First Wednesday presenter, shares some of her

top suggestions for parents who want to be a more effective advocate for their child in school.

Keep up to date with your child's progress in school

Most school systems now have a website and/or smart phone app that allow you to see your child's grades, attendance, and assignments. Check this resource regularly and follow up with your child's teachers about your questions and/or concerns.

Get to know your child's teachers

Teachers often know a lot about your child's academic strengths and weaknesses. Thank them regularly for the work they do to help support your child!

Put each communication in writing

As much as possible, put your communication to the school in writing, especially if you are requesting a meeting or services. Keep a copy of the letter, email, or note for your own records. This way, you have documentation of your requests and the responses you have received.

K eep your child's education records in one place

This includes report cards, letters from the school, suspension notices, IEPs, evaluations, and other school-related documents. Create a folder in your email account to keep all school-related email communication together.

For more of our interview with Stephanie, additional tips, and information on the series, including schedules and workshop descriptions, READ HERE

Policy Updates - CMS: Reducing Poverty and Racial Isolation

Our policy team has been hard at work! A new policy brief on the CMS Student Assignment Plan was released this week. CMS: Reducing Poverty and Racial Isolation is a great resource for those who want to learn more about implementation plans and Council's position and support for these efforts.

As the brief summarizes, "CFCR supports CMS staff, the Board of Education, and the Board of County Commissioners in their respective efforts, since meaningful impact on our community's children requires effective implementation, continued evaluation of impact, and exploration of additional strategies." We support reducing concentrations of poverty and racial isolation in CMS through activities such as redrawing boundaries, passing bond referenda, and expanding the use of magnet schools. Paramount to our mission is ensuring the educational needs of children in our community are met. To that end, the Council is committed to working with CMS and other community partners to advocate for educational equity in our community.

Visit our web site for updates on our current policy priorities.

Human Trafficking - Charlotte Fights Back!

Hidden from view and often unnoticed, vulnerable boys and girls across the country are recruited, groomed, and then abused by sex traffickers. And Charlotte is a hot spot for this kind of activity. But Charlotte's schools, law enforcement, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations are fighting back and you are key to the solution.

This week, the Mecklenburg County Bar launched a crowdfunding project to support the work of the Mecklenburg County Human Trafficking Task Force (of which Council is a member). Last May a group of community stakeholders received training in a comprehensive tool that helps identify and respond effectively to vulnerable youth.

Now we want to "train the trainers" and bring these tools to more front-line professionals in our community. A donation of $25 or more helps reach the goal of $6,500 to fully fund the Train the Trainer session. You can make this knowledge available to the community-at-large to help identify and protect the most vulnerable among us. Make a gift today, be a hero in the fight against human trafficking!

Charlotte Talks Shines a Light on Child Trafficking

This week, Mike Collins, host of WFAE's Charlotte Talks, spoke with members of the Mecklenburg County Human Trafficking Task Force and Project No Rest about collaborative efforts being made in our community to tackle the growing problem of child sex trafficking. Heather Johnson, Director of Individual Advocacy for CFCR and a member of the task force, was one of the panelists. If you missed the program, you can still catch it online to learn more about what is being done and what we all can do to keep children safe.