CPS looks to Advocacy Group/Curbing Teen Violence in School

I originally posted this under Lake County's thread. I know most people don't venture far from local issues, so I felt compelled to post this under Hammond, because I am aware of some of the awful situations that occur within the schools, so I though it deserved a repeat here.

I myself thought this could be one great idea; one worth the school boards' across the city, to ponder over and maybe consider it a helpful solution. Tiger would be an authority on presenting her view off what I am about to post.

It actually startled me a year ago, while driving a young neighbor to school, when asked about whether any violence occurred in her school, she replied (at age 12)"

"Everyday...someone is always getting in fights. Police are sometimes called there."

When asked if she was ever scared she told me "I stay away from it; I just want to get to my classes, and do what I have to do." (She lives with her father since birth; her mother abandoned the marriage and her. Her mom is a drug addict that resides in one of the buildings near Strack in north Hammond).

I couldn't imagine that when I went to high school, such behavior would be tolerated or accepted as a normal, everyday thing.

When I read this article in the Tribune, I thought, "Ah-ha!" So, after posting this, would you all care to comment whether it is a good idea, should be looked into, and etc.? I was amazed to read about such a great organization, and truly feel this is a good concept/group to adopt.

By the way, Friday afternoon, while traveling down Hohman, one block south/east across from Hammond High, around 9 a.m. or as late as 9:30 a.m., two males with baggy clothes cut across Hohman, and were running. Once they turned on a block, they slowed down. First thing that came to my mind was, " they cut classes".

Then I thought, "wonder what they are up to for the rest of the day, cutting school?" They looked no older than 16, 17. Something needs to be done, and I was hoping at least a police car would come by and note them being so young, fleeing from Hammond High, while the school showed no signs of anyone being let out for any reason at that time. Your opinion, please. Our youth is our future!


Youth Advocate, Inc., A Perfect Solution For Troubled Schools..
by UrRight Today at 7:16 am
I ran across this article in the Chicago Tribune, and thought this was such a wonderful answer to curb the teen violence, and also at the same time advocate for "potential drop-outs" in the Indiana schools that are considered dangerous, or those with low graduation rates.

It is worth reading, if you are an educator from schools dealing with youths that need guidance. I would certainly hope that the schools in Hammond, East Chicago, Gary, and among others in the state would read this, and possibly look into this.

Sounds like a great idea to me!


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/chi-bd-cps-violence-15-nov15,0,4450979.story


Chicago Public Schools looks to advocacy group for curbing teen violence
Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. will hire neighborhood workers to aid at-risk kids, families



November 15, 2009
E-mail Print Share Text Size

In early September, city schools chief Ron Huberman announced an ambitious plan to combat youth street violence, in part by offering intensive mentoring and jobs for the high school kids most likely to fall victim.

Two months later, some details have changed while others remain cloaked in secrecy. But key elements of the plan are under way.

The school system has pinned its hopes for the most at-risk kids on Pennsylvania-based Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., and the $12-an-hour neighborhood workers the nonprofit has begun to hire. Much of the plan's success will hinge on the extensive work they do.

The company's CEO, Jeff Fleischer, said the advocates are grass-roots problem-solvers. If a family needs a new refrigerator or a father needs car insurance, it's their job to take care of it. While he declined to comment about the specifics of the Chicago contract, Fleischer discussed the group's work nationally.

"Our program basically says, 'If this is a tough kid and you just don't have time to individualize a plan, then we do,' " Fleischer said. "We'll individualize a program for the kid and with the family, then we'll match that person with the right (advocate) and the right agencies."

Given the web of problems that often confronts the most troubled teens, he said, the solutions take time and persistence. Often, the first plan doesn't work. "Everything will blow up and go to hell, and we'll reconvene and come up with another plan," he said.

Pressure to launch the program has mounted with the city's grim death toll. Since the start of the school year, 10 students have been struck down in street violence. In a particularly deadly five-day stretch last month, Gamaliel Toscano, Dequarrius Cannon, Martel Barrett and GeRod Thomas died of gun violence.

Though numbers are actually slightly lower than the same period last year, public awareness has been heightened by the fatal beating of 16-year-old Derrion Albert in September, which was caught on video and garnered national attention.

The list of ultra at-risk students, who the district believes have a greater than 20 percent chance of being shot in the next two years, was generated by a computer model based on data from about 500 Chicago Public Schools students shot over the last two years.

Already, the number of students on the list has grown twice, from 200 to 250, then just recently to 300, according to two sources who have knowledge of the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The sudden jumps point to both the flexibility of the plan and the limitations of the data Huberman must work with.

Principals were allowed to add and remove names from the list, sources said. After being notified which students were on the list, principals expressed concern about some students who were omitted and said some who had been included were harmless.

Further, district officials have said the data plugged into the computer formula were limited by state laws that prohibit the district from getting students' juvenile criminal histories. Chicago Public Schools is lobbying Springfield for such a legislative change, Huberman said, but for now must rely on data it collects about attendance, grades, homelessness, violent behavior in school and special education status.

Though a formal contract is still being negotiated between the district and Youth Advocate Programs, they have signed a letter of intent that allows for $150,000 of the $5 million contract to get the ball rolling.

By the end of November, the group must hire a regional director and four of the five area directors, who will be responsible for up to 60 kids each, according to the letter and sources. The group also must have identified at least 25 potential advocates for the more than 60 jobs they'll need to fill and made contact with at least 100 of the youths and their families.

The directors will typically hire advocates from the neighborhoods where they will work. Advocates, who are not required to have any minimum level of education, will receive an hourly wage of about $12, sources said. Advocates work with governmental bodies, help families solve problems and spend several hours a week with each teen. Advocates and other staff will also help the teens find jobs. Part of the plan's budget provides salaries for the kids to work.

Fleischer said his group's mentoring model has been tested in 17 states and abroad and has a proven track record.

He said Youth Advocate is known for its "no reject, no eject" policy -- they accept and retain all kids, no matter the difficulty. Though the group offers a variety of services, including gang intervention and behavioral programs that employ social workers, the school system opted to go with just the advocacy program, sources said.

This isn't the group's first contract in Chicago. It previously subcontracted with Lutheran Child and Family Services to work with wards of the state returning to their communities after incarceration. The contract is between Lutheran and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

"We've had nothing but a wonderful, positive experience working with them on dealing with the more difficult youth," said Mike Bertrand, the program director at Lutheran.

Huberman's three-pronged plan also includes helping create a safe passage to and from school and creating a "culture of calm" in the 38 high schools whose students are most often victimized. Huberman has declined to name the schools. The schools are in the process of developing their own safety and security plans. About half have submitted them to the central office for review, said district spokeswoman Monique Bond.

Some principals have expressed enthusiasm for the initiative. Robeson High School principal Gerald Morrow said it's not often that resources are given to the toughest populations. But he's cautious about relying too much on the assistance of a program funded with temporary money.

"You don't want to take anything that becomes a foundation and then is wiped away two years later," said Morrow. "I want to have what I have already that's solid. I can build on that."

aahmed@tribune.com

sounds like rewarding the worst thugs. Might cause more harm because these thugs will want to be on the list for; a. proven gangsterness, or b. jobs. But if it has worked in so many states, I must be wrong.

Tiger would know...she's very involved with all the schools, well, I know she's very active at Hammond High, but I also know she holds great knowledge on whether this would work or not.

Personally, something should be done to get these kids off the street and in the classroom. Lock'em down.!!!! Give the teachers stun guns.

UrRight wrote:

Tiger would know...she's very involved with all the schools, well, I know she's very active at Hammond High, but I also know she holds great knowledge on whether this would work or not.

Personally, something should be done to get these kids off the street and in the classroom. Lock'em down.!!!! Give the teachers stun guns.

IMO, there should be reform schools again. Pull all the juvenile delinquents out of the schools, stick them in old fashioned reform schools, and let the rest of the kids have a chance to learn.

When these brats are in trouble at school, bring them and their parents to court first. If the problems are not resolved, reform school is the logical solution.

You want to see an eyefull, UrRight? Go park on Highland and Harrison about 3:25pm. Just watch the animals come out of Eggers. Or better yet, park your car close to the bike trail off of Highland, and watch the brats from Eggers fighting, dealing, and getting frisky. Chances are, you will see the police show up, especially on the bike trail, to break up the gangs of kids.

You cannot blame the Principal of Eggers, or any other Hammond school for these kids bad behavior. You got to blame the parents, and the Administration for not doing a blasted thing about it.

I will check it out. I'm sort of down with a bad cold, but since I am back home, have errands to run around in the area, I am going to make it a point to be at that location tomorrow. If you say it's bad, it's gotta be bad. I want to come home, after I do my commitment, but I'll be darn that I won't stay involved and interested.

We found a homeless person living in our garage. My son found him. He admitted he had no place to go, no money. For all I know, he had to be there off and on. My son, the compassionate IDIOT, goes and buys him food, and gives him money. Then changes the door and puts locks on, and immediately secures that damn garage door I was crabbin about for 4 years!orrWell back to the subject, since I am back here right now due to a bad cold, I am going to check the site out tomorrow.

Thanks for the advice..was wondering about those fleeing kids, not I know something better that needs checking out. I was just flabbergasted only because it was between not time for anyone to be allowed out for school, the cops are usually on the beat, they ran, pants half down with underwear showing. All I kept thinking about is what no good they could be up to. We have so many elderly people in the neighborhood...and I kept thinking, "What if they are out to take advantage, in the middle of the day, before lunch...and do what the others did to the McClendons."

I also wondered how they managed to escape school grounds. My nephew was a straight A student and a clown the teachers adored, but he would walk out in the afternoon with the marching band, and head home. That's innocent compared to seeing pants hanging below the underwear. At least my nephew's teachers had a sense of humor...he went back and apologized for being so funny. He was a hysterical nut, cutting classes, but the teachers saw no harm in him. He is a union carpenter, $35.00 an hour, working his tail off, so my point is, there are two types leaving school. One who was a prankster, the other two possibly up to no good. I'm still in the area...sicker than I thought, but feeling much better than yesterday..I'm going over to the location you mentioned, just to see what really goes on. Gonna hit the sack...I'm not feeling good, but expect to in the a.m.

I valued your input on what I posted. It sounded good to me, but I haven't had kids in the school system for so long. I just feel angry about some parents just have babies cuz they are cute. Once they are 3 or 4, instead of reading, teaching them how to read, write, and basic math, or even teach them ENGLISH, they shove them off to the school, which throws back the other children who were taught and prepared, well before Kindergarden. I guess I am stretching the issue. I'll wait for your response. Ready to take a cold pill and watch CNN. Take care!

If the weather is nasty, the kids will not act up as much. But, if the weather is nice, LOOK OUT !!!

I have had kids in the SCH for the past 22 1/2 years. My youngest, who skipped a grade, is now a sophomore at HHS. By the time she graduates in 2012, I will continuosly have had kids in the SCH for a quarter of a century ! But then, I will finally be done ! We have run the gamut here from Special Ed to Gifted, so I guess we have had a lot more experience with differant aspects of the SCH than a lot of people.

I've always read your minutes on the meetings. Also your reporting on other schools. That's why I knew you'd be the one to ask.

Oh, I wanted to commend you for the well-written, thought provoking article you wrote to the editors at the NWITimes. You certainly did a beautiful job of laying it all out, and telling it like it is.

You're an articulate writer! Everything you said about the ramifications of a new high school, well, it was the truth, and how anyone can disagree with your points, I don't thing so!!!!

Thanks, UrRight !