The Red Thread

Our first week of kindergarten

Veronica Arreola — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:59:00 GMT

A welcome note to any of my daughter's classmates parents who have found this blog. First, rest assure that I won't be blogging gossip here or anything I think is inappropriate for a blog so darn public. If you're the teacher, I will always bring my concerns to you before I ever write about it here. That said, back to our regularly scheduled blog...

Ah, Friday of the first week of kindergarten. I think we are all exhausted from this week. My daughter especially so. So how is she doing? She took to kindergarten like a fish to water...at least from my perspective.

Tuesday was insane. Almost every kindergartener had at least two adults with them in the lunchroom. I think we caught a few kids who also brought grandparents...very cute. Our daughter sat at the table looking a bit stunned, yet eager. We all walked over to her classroom once the teacher showed up at 9. The room was a nice size, cubbies for their coats, and the big tables were all set with their first coloring project. Once we got all her items put away and the girl was settled in a seat, she gave us that look. "OK, you can go now." We hugged her and went in for the good-bye kiss. DENIED. Overnight, our loving & kissy girl grew into a 16yo teen. Pick up was equally insane as class after class of different grades flooded into the lunchroom and kids had to sort themselves out between pick-up and bus. One teacher did have a bullhorn, but we could barely hear it over the chatter of tweens. Our babysitter came to get acquainted, thank goodness we planned it like that cause it really was a madhouse for a few minutes. But the kid found us and looked happy. She took a nap on the way home.

The rest of the week we left her in the lunchroom a few minutes before the teachers show up with a few of her classmates and the teacher's assistant. Each morning she acted as if we were the most embarrassing people in the entire world...And I wasn't even singing! That is an issue we will be working on, let me tell you!

The funniest thing is that on Wednesday she saw the kids who were going to eat breakfast line up and go in line. She got a breakfast ticket and ate breakfast...her second of the day. All without paying for it. She just followed the group. Her daddy did talk to someone the next day to pay for breakfast.

She also reported to us one day that one boy told her that he didn't like girls. Today I saw him calling for her at pick-up and patting the spot next to him on the bench. There's more to that story, but it's best told in person over a cuppa something. :)

Her teacher looks like she's going to be great. The kid loves her already.

I'm pretty hopeful for this year and this school. It was quite a leap of faith to apply to this school. I haven't written about kindergarten in months because I was waiting for us to figure out where she would go and then I didn't want to jinx what did happen. We didn't get into the lone private we applied to, but we did get into one magnet school and one gifted school. We're at a gifted. We are clearly aware of how lucky we are. Seriously. We decided to apply to this school solely based on the principal who appears to not take any BS. She stated some very high standards at orientation and while the coursework is intense for kindergarten, I think everything will work out.

This was cross-posted from my personal blog, Viva la Feminista. When Veronica isn't trying to get her daughter to act like a 5yo, she also blogs at WIMN's Voices, and Work it, Mom! You can also follow Veronica at Twitter.

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Book Review: Eco-Friendly Families & Author Conversation

Veronica Arreola — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:46:00 GMT

It's back-to-school time and I personally believe this is the real new year. This is the time for resolutions - yes, I'm that much of an academic nrrd. My life revolves around academic years. So what better resolution than to be more green?

Eco-Friendly Families, a new book by Helen Coronato, gives you the outline for your whole family to lead a more green life. Now let me tell you, we are not the picture of a green family. Forgive me Goddess, for we have sinned! We live in Chicago which has a horrible recycling program and we're too lazy to haul our recyclables to a community center. We have a 5yo girl who could draw and write 24/7 if we let her, so we go thru more than our fair share of paper. I also indulge in frozen dinners for lunch at work.
Did I feel overwhelmed by this book? Yes. Did Coronato address that? YES! Basically she reminds you to go slow. Pick things that you can do or can get your family to do.

My favorite part of the book is near the beginning in chapter 3. She gives us month to month goals and only 4 of them called "The Eco-Friendly Four." The first tip for August is this:

Once school starts, so do computer projects. this year, put a dual-can practice into place wherever you have a printer. Mark one can "garbage" and one can "paper only." If your waste baskets don't have lids, reuse a piece of cardboard from an old box and attach a homemade lid that has to be lifted. this way, no one is absentmindedly dropping paper into the garbage can or vice versa. Before computer paper ever his the recycling container, make sure you have used both sides. Set up a paper tray for collecting sheets that can be used again. When it's time to purchase a new ream, look for recycled paper products.

The book has a lot of achievable goals. Don't work the book front to back as if you have to do this before that. Jump to areas you think you can really accomplish. For us it might be about cleaning solutions and paper use. We do have a new paper collection box just a few blocks from us. I also want to start remembering to bringing old shopping bags to the mall. I keep most of the bags I get from Ann Taylor Loft...they are great reusable bags. My problem is remembering to reuse them at their store!

~~~~~

I was able to talk with author, Helen Coronato, over the phone this week about her book for a few minutes.

Why did you write this book? I wrote the book that I was looking for and I couldn't find. I am a mom with two young children (ages 3 and 1). I wanted a book that was user friendly, optimistic, and hands-on. I wrote it to be an activity book for the entire family NOT as something that would be one more thing for mom to do. I didn't grow up with being green in mind. I had to change some old habits and I wanted to raise my kids knowing how to be green, so that it was second nature for them. Hopefully if we do that with our kids, they will take being green to the next level.

How do we go from feeling hopeless about the situation to hopeful without being overwhelmed by all that we need to do? In chapter three I break it down with a year-round calendar. Each month I give you four ideas - If you do just one new idea a month, you'll be doing a lot for the environment and our world. There's a lot to do, but most of us need to start with small steps. Little ideas do make a difference. And be realistic. You aren't going to go 100% green overnight. I wrote the book and my family doesn't do everything in it! I don't expect others to do it all. We also have to stop comparing ourselves to others...We have to be as green as we can be.

What was the hardest habit for your family to get into? The easiest? There are two things that are a struggle for us. The first is my husband has a hard time recycling paper. I have to police the paper use in our house. The second is that I am overly optimistic about how much healthy cooking I will do each week. I over buy produce. Thankfully my husband is great at making veggie soup on Sundays and using up the produce. The boys get into it and it's a fun thing for them to do together. My husband & I help each other with our challenges.

The easiest? Bringing our bags to the store. We put our oldest son in charge of the bags. We also store them in the car in front of his car seat, so each time we stop somewhere he asks us, "Mommy, do we need a bag?" When we walk from the car to the store, he holds one handle, I hold the other and so we know when we forget the bags. Do you bring bags to all stores or just the grocery store? Oh, everywhere!

Thanks Helen! Thank you, Veronica.

Purchase this book at an indie bookstore, Powell's, or Amazon!

This post was originally featured at Viva la Feminista. When Veronica isn't trying to be green, she also blogs at WIMN's Voices, and Work it, Mom! You can also follow Veronica at Twitter.

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Prepping for kindergarten...with labels!

Veronica Arreola — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:00:00 GMT

When I'm not freaking out about my daughter's entry into kindergarten, I'm trying to do our back-to-school shopping little by little. While I do fondly recall hitting the stores for bargins and I *love* back-to-school shopping, I just don't want to do it all at once this year.

This week's Chicago Parent prize is a pack from Mabel's Labels. GO AND ENTER NOW!

I was lucky to get a sample pack of sticky labels in spring 2007. I wanted to give them a good trial before writing them up. I'm an office supply junkie. I've seen labels say that they survive anything that peel away within days.

My daughter's swimsuits, leotards, dolls, backpack, water bottle, tennis shoes and a few other things I can't remember have been labeled using Mabel's Labels. How many fell off? NONE! Not even the label on her water bottle fell off! I really thought this one would since, well, it got wet a lot. Water condensing, getting washed, etc. It was still there when I finally tossed the bottle for a Kleen Kanteen.

Of course now that the kid is headed off to the world of kindergarten, where I won't pick her up each day and get to make sure everything she is bringing home is hers AND that she has everything I dropped her off with, I am in desperate need for some new labels. And I could really use that prize pack, but alas, can't enter. But you can and you really should.

Veronica can be found at a coffee shop crying on September 2nd, perhaps even blogging at one her sites: Viva la Feminista, WIMN's Voices, and Work it, Mom! You can also follow Veronica at Twitter.

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A volcano? Oh, a tornado! Or why I lie to my kid

Veronica Arreola — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:34:00 GMT

That's what my five-year-old daughter said as her daddy was rushing us to the basement on Monday night. She then burst into tears from fear.

Jennifer, our resident parenting professional, blogged that we shouldn't pretend to not be scared around our kids. That we need to reassure them that we're scared too and that their fear isn't silly. *sigh* I acted the complete opposite...In a way. I gave my husband the "look" and reassured our daughter that we would be fine, but that with the storm we needed to go down to the basement. That calmed her down.

Of course, I had no idea what the weather would bring us, but I kept reassuring her that we would all be fine as I grabbed the laptop, mobile phone and the daschaund. The chance of a tornado was real, we heard the sirens and I know that the theory that tornados don't happen in the city is a load of poop. So why did I lie to her like that? Because I think that's what we need to do sometimes.

Just like when I tell her that "I'll always come home." I know that's a lie. I can't and shouldn't promise that, but I can't help it. I know that just backing out of her pre-school lot is like playing Russian roulette with the lack of courtesy that Chicago drivers offer.

She was still shaking when we got down to the basement, but I flipped open the laptop and headed over to Noggin.com. We watched a few videos and then I checked the weather on the Trib's site. Things looked clear on the satellite and the tornado warning had passed. Whew! Another lie grew into the truth. Safe.

For now.

When Veronica isn't lying to her daughter she blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, and Work it, Mom! You can also follow Veronica at Twitter.

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Progressive Stealth-Mom Voices

Veronica Arreola — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:42:00 GMT

First, welcome to any new readers who saw my last post highlighted in this month's issue of Chicago Parent!

Next...the wrap-up for the first weekend of training for the Progressive Women's Voices program. It was a blast and so tiring! Sadly Carmen & Kristin had prior commitments and had to miss the opening weekend. But the women who were there were great and uber-supportive. We spent our two days working on messaging and 30-second snippets. We practiced on camera, which is always very hard for me to do.

While I was eager to meet Kristin because I know she's a fellow mom voice and Carmen, whom I'm still unsure about her mom status, but runs an awesome parenting site, I found out that there was at least one other mom in our group.

According to our bios, you would suspect that Kristin, Carmen, & myself were the only moms in the class. Now we all wrote our own bios, so I have no idea if mom status was stripped out of the stealth mom's bio or not. But it reminded me of a panel I was at some time ago. I can't recall who was speaking, perhaps Linda Hirshman, but they were being critical of the pro-mom movement...Rather giving it a reality check. The woman said that even the most accomplished moms don't list motherhood on their resumes. So why don't we? Should we?

I remember back in my science days seeing a post-doc's CV and noticing that he listed his wife and kids on the top of his CV under personal information. This floored me because I was already aware of maternal profiling, despite the term wouldn't be coined for another decade or so. I wondered then if I'd ever be able to list my famliy on my resume or CV without fearing that it was just a way to tag me straight into the circular file. Now that I have added writer to my list of identities, people want to know where I write, so the whole mom thing is unmasked.

But if I didn't do all this writing, or rather wanted it reflected on my resume, would I list it on my resume? Then again, I still don't like MOM as a job title and I don't have a blurb at the top of my resume that says, "Progressive feminist mom in search of writing opportunities..." either. I allow people to assume it from where I write, which is bad because I know not everyone who writes on parenting issues is a parent themselves.

So what's a progressive mom to do? Especially one who views being a mom not central to who I am, but very much a large part of my identity and my work. That question will need to stay unanswered...at least for now.

When Veronica isn't clarifiying hastily written posts she blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, and Work it, Mom! You can also follow Veronica at Twitter.

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Why this mama signed up to be a progressive voice

Veronica Arreola — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:26:00 GMT

Sometime late last year a friend emailed me a description of a new program being offered through the Women's Media Center. It's called Progressive Women's Voices and it is a media training and spokesperson program to connect media professionals with smart, media-savvy women experts in a variety of fields. Funded primarily by a generous grant from the NoVo Foundation and with additional support from the UN Foundation and other supporters, Progressive Women's Voices provides each of the participants with intensive media training and ongoing support to promote their perspective and message into the national dialogue. She had a lot of questions about it, but it seemed like a great opportunity. Of course I couldn't fit it into my already packed schedule. Thus I ended up emailing it to almost every woman I knew in Chicago because I had a feeling that it would be NYC and DC heavy and well, we have some awesome subject matter experts here in the Chi.

They made another call for a second class and I wasn't accepted. But I tried for the third class and I GOT IN!

Last week I was on cloud nine about this. I sent out thank yous to almost everyone who has ever acted like a mentor to me. Even a few who might think that either they failed me or I failed them. Today? I'm scared and trying not to freak out over the fact that I have a dress that I want to wear to training, yet needs some altering...*lalala*

But during my cloud nine moment, someone asked me this - Why? Why would I do this? What's my goal?

Well not a shock to long-time readers, but my goal is to get my voice hear louded. I am simply tired of not seeing women being the experts on women's issues and well as women not being used as experts on non-women's issues. Whether it is child care or war, there are women experts out there and the media needs to start using us. That is also why I work with Women In Media & News. The founder and executive director, Jennifer Pozner, has long been documenting the lack of women's voices in the media.

I am super excited that I'll be in a class with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner of Momsrising and Carmen Van Kerchhove of Racialicious, two uber-mom-activists.

OK, now I'm super scared again!

I leave on Thursday and return Saturday night from our first weekend of training. I'll report back, especially on any strategy us moms & dads will need to take over the world.

When Veronica isnt' jetting off to sit at the big girls' table she blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, and Work it, Mom! You can also follow Veronica at Twitter...She's sure to send fan-girl messages all weekend long.

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When Tango makes more than three

Veronica Arreola — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:46:00 GMT

My daughter loves to read "And Tango Makes Three," although we haven't read it in quite some time. She loves penguins and thinks that lil Tango is "oh, so cute!" Through the book and other real life interactions I believe that she has a good grasp on the idea that families come in many different varieties. But I've been intentional in this part of her life. What if I hadn't been?

The reality is that she might have grown up to expect all families to look the same. A momma and a papa. Maybe even living in the same home too. Of course there's nothing wrong with that - That's how our family is crafted. But not my colleague Keesha's family.

Chicago Parent recently profiled her family and the bullying that her daughters have faced. It's a bit ironic that this bullying happens in Chicago. A city where I feel like I escaped to from suburban living where I grew up not thinking that families looked different or that other religions existed among my friends. One reason we stay in Chicago is for all the "diversity."

In the profile, Janean, Keesha's partner suggests that schools incorporate diverse families into the curriculum. Of course, the more conservatives among us will yelp that teaching kindergarteners about "alternative lifestyles" is a horrible idea. It's amazing how predictable some people are...A decade after "Heather Has Two Mommies" and we're still worried about teaching our kids that difference is not to be feared.

Instead of classes, I suggest that school libraries stock up on books that feature same sex parents, text books show same sex couples parenting, and even story books that don't focus on *** or gay parents, have them in the background. I've noticed how often a kid in a wheelchair pops up in the backgrounds of my daughter's books. Essentially I don't think we need to address same sex parents directly - at least not in the early grades - just have them be there, all around. Once we start to see things on an every day basis, we aren't so fearful of them. Once we start to talk to kids about s-e-x, we can include same sex couples without advocating for "alternative lifestyles."

But we should also be teaching our children to never bully or taunt other children no matter what. Now that I think we should all agree on from pre-school at the very least.

Veronica clearly recalls her 5th grade teacher lecturing her on bullying and teasing and vows to make sure her daughter doesn't repeat that mistake. Veronica also blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, and Work it, Mom!

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We're gonna need a bigger fly swatter

Veronica Arreola — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:40:00 GMT

Over the Memorial Day weekend we ventured out to The Morton Arboretum or what some affectionately call, The Tree Museum. And boy were we lucky! First, it only rained for a few minutes and second David Rogers' Big Bugs exhibit was on show.

Once we paid our entry fee I started to read the "Bug Detective" notebook that outlines which bugs are on display. The first thing out of my daughter's mouth? "Oh...J loves ants! Those are his favorite. I like lady bugs. They aren't disgusting, don't bite, and they are beautiful!" I laughed but agreed that yes, lady bugs are beautiful. After finding parking we met up with J and his family for a day of bug hunting at the tree museum.

This was our first trip to the Arboretum. I've wanted to go for years, but didn't think it would have enough to keep a kid entertained, not to mention my not-so-tree-hugging husband. I was waaaay wrong!

First, there are plenty of things for the kids to do. Climb, climb, and more climbing. There's an entire children's garden, a maze, and a few tree houses to enjoy. While you can still hear the hum of the cars driving by at times, most of the visit was spent in this weird quiet bliss that us city-dwellers are quite unfamiliar with. Add to that the sweet smell after a real spring rain and well, we had a pretty perfect day.

The Big Bugs exhibits were awesome. The kids insisted that we find all of the bugs and we did. Obviously my favorite was the bumble bee. They are breath-taking in their beauty. Apparently there are also signs that tell you about each bug, but the kids kept us moving so outside of learning what we were looking at, I couldn't tell you anything else.

The best part of the Arboretum is that while you can't climb on the trees none of the grass is off limits. You can picnic just about anywhere on the grounds or just sit and enjoy the sights. Which as you can guess with 2 pre-schoolers and 1 toddler in tow, wide open spaces are welcomed!

I can't wait for us to get back and I contemplated buying a membership. While the drive is a bit long it was well worth it. But first we need to get a bike rack so when we come back we can get lost in the trees without towing the car everywhere.

When Veronica isn't hugging trees, she blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, and Work it, Mom!

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Leave No Myth Behind

Veronica Arreola — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:11:00 GMT

In January of 2006 Newsweek put four white boys on their cover with the headline "The Boy Crisis." Inside they told the tale that was so shocking that the myth grew so fast that the factual evidence that quickly came out was ignored. What was this myth? That boys were being left behind.

By almost every benchmark, boys across the nation and in every demographic group are falling behind, reports Tyre in the January 30 Newsweek cover story "The Boy Crisis" (on newsstands Monday, January 23). With boys' standardized test scores and college enrollment rates dropping, and diagnoses of learning disabilities rising, educators are searching for new tools to help tackle the problem. In the last two decades, the education system has become obsessed with a quantifiable and narrowly defined kind of academic success, experts say, and that myopic view is harming boys.

Adbusters and others quickly came to the defense of the public school system and girls. They called into question the validity of the statistics, but the myth was born and if fed into a a deep seeded feeling that many in this country are unable to admit to - That girls were getting smarter and making our boys look bad. It wasn't just girls making boys look bad, but the media as well. Boys were lazy. Boys don't have ambition. I was appalled by this monster myth for two reasons - 1) I knew better. Having worked in education my entire adult life, I knew that boys were far from being left behind and 2) This was horrible for boys and girls in terms of a gender frame work.

For both boys and girls, the stories played up stereotypes. Boys slack because they have a sense of entitlement. Girls sit nicely in class. Yet I'm sure that each of us can think of one high strung go-getter boy and one trouble making girl. Stereotypes sell, they don't solve problems. Yet, the data was still not parroting the party line.

Yesterday, the American Association for University Women (AAUW) released a study covering 35 years of educational data from grade school to college to look for that so-called gender gap. Well folks, it's there...only it's not what we've been told:

Girls’ successes don’t come at boys’ expense: If girls’ success comes at the expense of boys, one would expect to see boys’ scores decline as girls’ scores rise, but this has not been the case. Geographical patterns further demonstrate the positive connection between girls’ and boys’ educational achievement. In states where girls do well on tests, boys also do well, and states with low test scores among boys tend to also have low scores among girls.

On average, girls’ and boys’ educational performance has improved: From standardized tests in elementary and secondary school to college entrance examinations, average test scores have risen or remained stable for both girls and boys in recent decades. Similarly, both women and men are more likely to graduate from high school and college today than ever before.

Understanding disparities by race/ethnicity and family income level is critical to understanding girls’ and boys’ achievement: Overall, educational outcomes for both girls and boys have generally improved or stayed the same. Girls have made especially rapid gains in many areas,
but boys are also gaining ground on most indicators of educational achievement. Large discrepancies by race/ethnicity and family income level remain. These long-standing inequalities could be considered a “crisis” in the sense that action is needed urgently. But the crisis is not specific to boys; rather, it is a crisis for African American, Hispanic, and low-income children. (emphasis mine)

In the end, there is a crisis, but it is far from as simple as boy versus girl. Rather it is a problem that this country has been struggling and ignoring for many years. How do we ensure a quality education for all? For the rich, the poor? For whites, for minorities? For boys, for girls? For all.

When Veronica isn't pouring over education reports, she blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, and Work it, Mom!

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These pants were made for adventures

Veronica Arreola — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:11:00 GMT

I am a jeans and t-shirt gal and I have Amelia Bloomer to thank for it. I hated wearing dresses & skirts as a kid because my mom never let me wear shorts or pants underneath so that I could still play on the monkey bars. Even thou I have made my peace with dresses and my daughter practically lives in her black and white plaid skirt, I know that it's hard to do certain things in a skirt.

Thus it makes sense that a seven-year-old project to highlight empowering stories for girls is named after Amelia Bloomer:

[T]he 2008 Amelia Bloomer Project honors the authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers who give life to books that encourage readers young and old to push the envelope and challenge what it means to be a woman, regardless of ethnicity or social-economic background.
This year’s list includes books challenging the young women of today to take a new look at what it means to be feminist, showcasing who fought for our rights. These books bring to light the stories of women who break boundaries, from civil war doctors and journalists covering WWII to graffiti artists and girls demanding to be accepted for who they are. The 32 books on the 2008 Amelia Bloomer Project list encourage and inspire girls to be smart, brave, and proud.
We are frustrated by the small number of truly powerful, well-written feminist books for young readers, and by the small number of non-white, non-Western characters. We are also dismayed by the dearth of authentic feminist fiction for beginning and middle readers. We challenge publishers to develop thoughtful feminist books that will open the eyes of young readers to the possibility of equality for women. Jyoti says simply, “The battle has just begun.”

Some of the books are about princesses and some are about regular girls who do extraordinary things. Either way, I think the stories would be more fun to read than the millionth reading of "Cinderella." One of the 2004 books, "Players in Pigtails," was an early favorite in our house.

Check out the list out it has some amazing books! I can't wait to get started on collecting them.

Veronica is actively raising a fellow bookworm in her daughter. Veronica also blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, Chicago Moms Blog and Work it, Mom!

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New Schools Aisle 7!

Veronica Arreola — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:02:00 GMT

In case you haven't heard, the Chicago Public Schools will be opening a few new schools next year and they are magnets plus a gifted center. So you CPSers know what that means - LOTTERY TIME! More choices in that whole "school choice" thing. In reality we know it's more school luck than choice, but put as the commercials say, you can't win if you don't play. So read on about the new schools and how you can try to get your lil one in them.

Here's the skinny from CPS themselves:

    Dear CPS Community,

    We're very excited about five new elementary magnet schools and a new regional gifted center that will open this fall, expanding school options for students in a variety of neighborhoods.

        * *Disney II Magnet School*
          3815 N. Kedvale Ave., will offer a fine/performing arts and technology integration curriculum.
        * *LaSalle II Magnet School*
          1148 N. Honore St., will provide a world language program that allows students to learn one of four different languages.
        * *Sir Miles Davis Magnet Academy*
          6730 S. Paulina, a brand new facility, will offer the district's first-ever children's engineering program.
        * *Joshua D. Kershaw Magnet School*
          6450 S. Lowe Ave., will offer the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme for children in kindergarten through fifth grade and the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme for students in sixth through eighth grade
        * *Oscar Mayer Magnet School*
          2250 N. Clifton Ave., will offer the Montessori Program for students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme for sixth- through
          eighth-graders.
        * John Coonley Regional Gifted Center, 4046 N. Leavitt, will receive a new regional gifted center for academically advanced students.

    These schools will offer a variety of highly coveted academic programs in neighborhoods that haven't always had access to these kinds of high-quality education options.

    The CPS Office of Academic Enhancement will accept applications until April 25 for the 2008-2009 school year. The magnet schools will not require academic testing, but will accept students from the neighborhood and through a citywide lottery. Students will have to test into Coonley Regional Gifted Center.

    For an application, please click on the school name (Coonley applications will be available in the fall for the 2009-2010 school year); to read the press release about this project, please click here: http://www.cps.k12.il.us/magnet_pdf/magnet_schools_final_release_letterhead.pdf

    Sincerely,

    Arne Duncan

Veronica wishes you the best of luck in almost all the lotteries. She won't say which one her daughter's entering. Veronica also blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, Chicago Moms Blog and Work it, Mom!

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Do you know a brave girl?

Veronica Arreola — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:32:00 GMT

Of course you do!

One of my favorite indie stores is having a contest to cap off Women's History Month:

Please post [at Sticker Sisters] about [a brave woman or girl] you know or [one] you admire from a far.

On April 1st [Ariel will] pick one of the posts out of a hat and that person will get a free Brave Girl t-shirt!

Shirts come in kids sizes up to Adult XXL.
These shirts are awesome people. I bought one for my favorite toddler girl for her birthday last year. I just saw her in it last week and it's too cute on her. And you know what? She is fiercely brave...just like her mama. I get to peek in on her at daycare and today I saw her sliding like no one's business.
And unlike other baby boutique shops, these shirts are for the tiniest of brave girls to XXL brave women.
So hurry on over and talk up the brave girls in your life. And while you're there, get some of the matching Brave Girl band-aids.
Photo from Sticker Sisters...isn't she just a cutie?
PS: An update on the CPS LSC situation is that enough people did sign up for LSC positions!

Veronica is lucky to know many brave girls and women. She blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, Chicago Moms Blog and Work it, Mom!
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Your local school needs you

Veronica Arreola — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:47:00 GMT

We all know that the Chicago Public Schools are in a state of um, flux. They are trying things that other school systems don't do or maybe even, don't need. One of the experiments that seem to work in some schools is the Local School Council:

Local School Councils (LSCs) are elected bodies at nearly every Chicago Public Schools (CPS) elementary, middle and high school. The LSC has 6 parents, 2 community members who are not parents of students at the school, 2 teachers, the principal, and, in high schools, a student member. The parents and community members are elected by the parents and community residents around the school. Teachers are selected by the school staff. These members serve for a two-year term. High school student members serve for one year. By law, the LSC chairperson must be a parent representative.
The LSC's major responsibilities are to approve the school budget and annual strategic plan (called the school improvement plan), to evaluate the principal every year and to decide every four years if they want to renew the principal's contract or hire a new principal. This is the strongest site- based management system in the nation.

The LSC system is well known in my home as my husband served one term as a community member just before our daughter was born. He didn't run for a second term because we moved out of the school area. He learned a lot from being on the LSC and quickly became connected to some of the community organizations that work on education issues. He learned a lot about CPS and how political things are even at the local school level. It was an experience that he relishes. It's 1) The only campaign he has worked on where he was on the winning end; 2) Loved the campaigning - meeting parents, talking to kids about what they wanted (recess!); and 3) Even if it was a lot of work (more than just the monthly meeting) he did have a good time. Some days he might debate that last point, but I know him. He had fun.

Monday is the last day to file for the current LSC election cycle and according to PURE, 38 schools are in danger of not having enough people to fill their LSC!

Look at this list. Look for your school, for other schools in your community, your relatives' schools, schools located near your place of worship or community center. See if they need one or two or three people to step up and volunteer.
Consider becoming a candidate yourself. With such little competition, you might just win! And there's a lot of help on this web site and elsewhere to support you as an LSC member.
Nomination forms must be submitted at the school by 3 pm Monday March 24. Forms are available on the CPS web site. You can also drop your forms off at the PURE office up until 2 pm Monday.

Take the weekend to assess if you have the time, energy, and passion to make a difference in the lives of the young people of Chicago. I know that once our lil one hits kindergarten next year, I'll be well known on the PTA/LSC circuit. But remember, you don't have to have a child there! Community member slots are just that, for those in the community.

Veronica is still obsessed with CPS and blogging at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, Chicago Moms Blog and Work it, Mom!

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CPS Boarding Schools?

Veronica Arreola — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:19:00 GMT

There are days when my husband & I joke around about shipping our sassy & (some days too) precocious daughter to boarding school. Thus it intrigued me to see the headline - No small plan: Public boarding schools for Chicago - in Friday's Chicago Tribune. Low and behold...the first time I've ever said "Brilliant!" about CPS. Yes, I know I'm hard on the public system that has to cater to us yuppie parents and work to educate kids who don't have the luxuries some of our kids have. But I'm serious that I read the first paragraphs of this article and immediately hit "email story."

Public boarding schools where homeless children and those from troubled homes could find the safety and stability to learn are being pursued by Chicago Public Schools officials.

Under the plan, still in the nascent stages, the first pilot residential program could open as soon as fall 2009. District officials hope to launch as many as six such schools in the following years, including at least one that would operate as a year-round school.

Homeless kids getting a steady home? That's a no brainer. The fact that homeless kids are even going to school should be rewarded with a home of their own. Of course to sell this idea, CPS may have to pander to some of the most insidious stereotypes about urban living:

Chicago Public Schools chief Arne Duncan said he does not want to be in the "parenting" business, but he worries that some homes and some neighborhoods are unsafe, making education an afterthought.

"Some children should not go home at night; some of them we need 24-7," he told the Tribune. "We want to serve children who are really not getting enough structure at home. There's a certain point where dad is in jail or has disappeared and mom is on crack ... where there isn't a stable grandmother, that child is being raised by the streets."

Of course the problem with stereotypes is that there is some truth to it. There are neighborhoods where it is too dangerous to walk around at night and even during the day. As a friend and frequent commenter, Dani, pointed out, that sometimes the older child of the family needs to walk the younger kids to school. That path plus the path to high school may cross gang lines a few times. But are dangerous neighborhoods enough of a reason for kids to be sent to a boarding school? I'd say if the parents say yes, then yes.

Our daughter is beginning kindergarten next year meaning that we're going to rely on her school for aftercare. It just astounds me how many "good" schools do not have aftercare. Is it because there are so many SAHMs that the demand isn't there? That the staff is too stressed to plan an aftercare program? I really don't get it. Thankfully I am sure that the school she's going to attend will have aftercare (those following our kindergarten saga have to wait a few more weeks for an update on the search). I can only imagine how hard it is for parents who are going it alone or working at jobs with inflexible schedules and super tight budgets to figure out a safe place to send the kids for the hours after school closes to when they arrive home. The insane part is that each CPS elementary school has a different start and end time.

Mothers are known for sacrificing for their children. Books upon books are written about our sacrifices. I'm sure enough parents will consent to sending their kids to a boarding school. As for the homeless students, I think this would be a godsend to them:

For her entire freshman year at North Lawndale College Prep, Tinesheia Howard commuted to school from a homeless shelter, where privacy was almost nonexistent, theft was a constant concern, and studying couldn't begin until 9 p.m., after the din around her settled down for the night.
To make it from the North Side to the West Side by 8 a.m., Tinesheia rose from her dormitory bed at 5 a.m. each day. By last-period algebra, she was fighting sleep.
Tinesheia is now a freshman at a small two-year college in Illinois. But looking back at her one year of homelessness, she says she could have benefitted from a Chicago Public Schools plan to create boarding schools for CPS high school students who can't or shouldn't go home.

I would hope that this idea that would only benefit the students' with the least advantages would go over with the majority of Chicagoans. I fear though that the racism, classism, and the "boot strap" mythology will end up killing this idea. On the other hand, the way that CPS has been able to open up many charter schools with corporate support, I think we very well will see the opening of a boarding school in Chicago in the very near future. Plus there days, I don't think that ideas like this are floated as testers...but as early warnings. If we can have a boarding school for the best of the best, why can't we have one for the neediest of our kids?

Yes, Veronica is obsessed with CPS and blogging at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, Chicago Moms Blog and Work it, Mom!

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One in four moms with daughters has failed

Veronica Arreola — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:22:00 GMT

Do you ever read headlines and you interpret them as your failure? That's what I did when I read yesterday that 1 in 4 teenaged girls have a STD.

The overall STD rate among the 838 girls in the study was 26 percent, which translates to more than 3 million girls nationwide, researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. They released the results Tuesday at an STD prevention conference in Chicago.

For once I have the same position as anti-sex ed folks - Parents must be the primary knowledge base for their children when it comes to sex. Of course I also think that school-based sexuality education is a good thing and must be medically correct without ***-shaming. ***-shaming goes like this - Jill has sex with John on Friday gets a STD and then has sex with Bill on Monday and gives it to him. Jill should have abstained from sex! Um....where did Jill get the STD? Oh, yeah...maybe John?

Thankfully the article I link to does mention the role that boys play in this apparent epidemic of STDs:

"This is pretty shocking," said Dr. Elizabeth Alderman, an adolescent medicine specialist at Montefiore Medical Center's Children's Hospital in New York.
"To talk about abstinence is not a bad thing," but teen girls — and boys too — need to be informed about how to protect themselves if they do have sex, Alderman said.

And even better than that, the article has a major focus on this rise in STD rates could be a direct result of abstinence only sex education.

"Those numbers are certainly alarming," said sex education expert Nora Gelperin, who works with a teen-written Web site called sexetc.org. She said they reflect "the sad state of sex education in our country."

Thankfully my daughter is only 4 1/2 and "the talk" is on the horizon. And I'm doubly thankful that I'll have Jennifer's wisdom to turn to when the time comes.

I also am not dumb enough to think that the teens having sex and getting STDs are doing this only because they have no idea what is going on. Teens are notorious for thinking that they can survive anything. Thus, I would like to think that anytime my daughter "fails" in life, I won't take it so personally. But I know otherwise.

When she's not wallowing in Mommy Guilt, Veronica blogs at Viva La Feminista, WIMN's Voices, Chicago Moms Blog and Work it, Mom!

NOTE: To comment on this or any blog here at Chicago Parent, you need to register & log in at the top of the page. It's easy and you won't get spammed!