Chief Ed Officer for Chicago Public Schools Praises Elev8 as "Model for District"

By Maureen Keller/LISC Chicago

More than 300 school and community leaders who attended the Elev8 Chicago conference in February appreciated the chance to learn from each other.

They participated in “role-alike” sessions for administrators, teachers, parents and students, and they shared valuable how-tos on topics ranging from teachers conducting home visits to integrating health services with after-school programs.

Attendees participated in "role-alike" sessions and shared valuable how-tos. Photo: Gordon Walek

A team from Perspectives Calumet Middle School attended Marquette Elementary’s presentation on home visits and asked detailed questions, thinking hard about how to transfer the strategy from a district to a charter school.

Marquette, in turn, learned from Reavis Elementary’s experience developing “health challenges”—weeklong invitations to the school community to take on healthy practices like exercise, drinking water, eating more fruits and vegetables, and sleeping more.

“Our students really enjoyed the gallery walk,” where each school featured its programs at a display table, said Syda Segovia Taylor, Elev8 director for Reavis and the Quad Communities Development Corp. “It helped everybody understand how special Elev8 is and how big-scale it is."

Segovia Taylor also said Reavis teachers were inspired by the day’s call to advocacy. (To watch a slideshow of the event, please click here.)

Fathyeh Yessin (in head scarf), a teacher at Marquette Elementary, participates in one of the conference workshops. Photo: Gordon Walek

Carlos Nelson, executive director of the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corp. encouraged everyone present to take out their cell phones and add the numbers of their local representatives to encourage them to support funding for community schools and programs like Elev8. “Our teachers felt really empowered by that,” she observed.

Marquette teacher Courtney Rogers told the gathering that Elev8 had changed the course of her teaching career. “Two years ago, I was questioning my purpose,” she recalled. Thanks to Elev8, she was able to move from a younger grade to middle school, and she received training in Developmental Designs for Middle Schools, a program that helps teachers build classroom climate and culture.

Heather Ireland (right), the Elev8 program manager at Reavis, answers questions about school programs. Photo: Gordon Walek

“Developmental Designs changed me. I finally had a way to reach my students on a personal level. I have found that reaching the student as a person makes it a whole lot easier to reach the student as a learner,” she said.

This year, Rogers had the confidence to start the News Literacy Project at Marquette and feels a renewed purpose in her career. “I was put on this earth to be a teacher. Because of my principal, Elev8 and the vision of Developmental Designs, I am a much better one.”

Keynote speaker Barbara Eason-Watkins, chief education officer of the Chicago Public Schools, praised Elev8 for promoting best practices in line with research on effective schools.

Barbara Eason-Watkins, chief education officer for Chicago Public Schools, praised the Elev8 effort as a model. Photo: Gordon Walek

The Consortium on Chicago School Research has found that a school’s capacity for improvement is heavily influenced by the resources of its local community and the quality of trusting relationships among school staff, students, families and neighbors.

Eason-Watkins cited particular schools and their practices for special mention in building strong relationships and using community resources effectively:

Ames Middle School’s Peace Circles, through which, Watkins said, “teachers and students build trust, reduce conflict and explore issues with ground rules to ensure respect.”

Orozco Academy’s focus on Mexican art in the classroom and after school, which helps students deepen their connection to their heritage.

Marquette Elementary’s Home Visit Program, through which more than 60 families have received teachers as guests in their homes to discuss their children’s hopes and dreams for the future.

Reavis Elementary’s classes for parents, helping them build their parenting skills and providing the tools to help them help their children succeed academically.

Perspectives-Calumet Middle School’s outreach promoting the school health center. Every single middle-school student has taken advantage of the health center’s services. In addition, the center provides support for students struggling with weight issues and/or diabetes through counseling and fitness programs.

“Elev8 is a critical partner for the district,” Eason-Watkins told the assembly. “You’re setting the standard. We want to see your great work replicated across the city.”