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Wm. B. Sullivan Realty & Co.
Estate Planning and General Law
RAVINIA
"A Great time in a
Wonderful Place" SJC
Adopt a Pet, Come for a Visit
CAGIS Archaeological
Consulting Services
January
20, 2010 Meeting
Beye Elementary School at 230 N. Cuyler in Oak Park on the evening
of the PTO meeting.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
Beye is a School that welcomes all
Families and Children and Will
Not Allow Students to be Bullied
commentary by Ed Vincent
The evening's scheduled program had been rumored to have the possibility of outside protests, folks from outside of the Beye School area and outside of Oak Park, who were reported to be headed our way for a moral confrontation. The confrontation was said to be based on Oak Park's potential gay agenda, some believing that schools were not only welcoming gay students and families but also encouraging and perhaps promoting gay behavior.
Oak Park is well known by the gay community for being a gay friendly village, we've had past gay presidents, gay department heads, and some gay but not happy workers. Oak Park's diversity statement welcomes gays, not gays, folks with different colored skins, some republicans, all religions, and perhaps those with little or no religion (though we do have a lot churches).
Emails went out from the school and friends to help explain what might happen and what would not happen. Everyone was welcomed to come to the meeting and witness the events, but only those who were parents or teachers from Beye School would be allowed to comment.
The Beye teachers and parents watch the film "Let's Get Real"
(clips from the film can be seen on a link below, or here)
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
The film, "Let's Get Real", shows a series of children who have faced bullying and discrimination based on their race, appearance, sexual preference, perceived sexual preference, family status, and a host of other out of the main stream backgrounds. The film promoted tolerance and understanding for a diverse population. There was nothing that we found that would homosexual promotion or anything pro-gay, just inclusive non-bullying behavior in a public setting, a safe school setting.
Beye School Principal, Jonathan Ellwanger, and
Shannon Sullivan, Executive Director of the
Illinois Safe Schools Network
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
The film concluded and members of the audience from the Beye School district or teachers from the school were asked if they had any questions or comments on the film. One woman had a nice comment to make about the film, but was not allowed to speak since she was not a teacher or parent from the Beye School district.
Six Oak Park & River Forest High School students came
to the front of the room to offer their impressions of life
in Oak Park and in the school system that either helped or
hindered their emotional development. The high school students introduced were from different racial, age, and sexual backgrounds. Each had a different story to tell, some were the children of gay parents, though themselves not gay, some were gay and of a different race (minority race), and all had a tale of prejudice and discrimination to tell. The trauma of telling your parents that you are gay and other emotional issues were all
applauded by the audience.
The audience was very supportive of the kids who spoke out against bigotry and applauded each of the young peoples' tales.
Ms. Margaret Brown, a Beye School parent, reads
a prepared statement to the gathering, by Ms. Wendy
Daniels, who is only a few feet away from her in the
lower left corner in a red garment.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
When the children
were done speaking, questions were taken. The only person to have
issue with the evenings' events
concluded had a written statement prepared that she had another woman
read for her to the audience.
Ms. Brown (to the left in green with back to camera) discusses her reading with an Islamic female and Ms. Wendy Daniels, who was reported to have written the comments read by Ms. Brown.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photos
Wendy Daniels, the Beye school parent who wrote a multi-paged opinion concerning the priorities of the Beye Schools direction, had her writing read by another Beye School parent to the gathered citizens at the Beye school PTO Meeting.
Ms. Margaret Brown read the plea for more attention being
needed for closing the achievement Gap between "Caucasian students and African American students". Wendy Daniels writing concerning the importance of moral perceptions dealing with sexual preferences in students lives appeared to some citizens as a bit insensitive to the topic of sexuality and bullying in the region, as the evenings' presentations were noted in the agenda. One of the students, incensed with remarks written by Wendy Daniels and read by Ms. Margret Brown, rushed from the meeting into the cold winter night. He was followed by several teachers and friends who comforted him.
When administrators, parents, and politians speak about the GAP in education between various groups I always wonder if they have read one of the many done by Universities from around the world, numerous research from over twenty years of study, I guess not... I also would wonder why people keep asking the same questions and not looking for answers, it must be a syndrome like drug addiction or perhaps not being very clever.
Below are some links that will provide you with answers to solving or closing the education GAP. Much of it appears to be based on actually getting up and doing some work, like school six days a week and very small summer vacations and this all translates into more money for the those at the end of the GAP and more work by them and the general populace that pay their taxes--and it works in Harlem.
Jeffrey Canada's Harlem Children's Zone
60 Minutes Show on the Harlem Children's
Zone School
Facebook Page for Harlem Children's
Zone Charter School
Website:
http://www.hcz.org
Company Overview:
Harlem Children's Zone, Inc. is an innovative community-based not-for-profit that is working to break the cycle of generational poverty for children and families in some of New York City's most devastated neighborhoods. HCZ, Inc.'s centers serve more than 16,000 children and adults, including over 10,000 at-risk children.
Mission:
The emphasis of The Children's Zone® work is not just on education, social service and recreation, but on rebuilding the very fabric of community life.
President Barack Obama Speaks About the Harlem Children's Zone
Geoffrey Canada's Harlem Children's Zone has helped put historically low-achieving students in New York on academic par with their grammar-school peers.
CNN's Anderson Cooper reported.
Links
Sample of Video shown to PTO meeting "Let's Get Real"
Right Wing Watch on the Illinois Family Institute
Beye Elementary School at 230 N. Cuyler in Oak Park on the evening
of the PTO meeting.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
Beye is a School that welcomes all
Families and Children and Will
Not Allow Students to be Bullied
commentary by Ed Vincent
The evening's scheduled program had been rumored to have the possibility of outside protests, folks from outside of the Beye School area and outside of Oak Park, who were reported to be headed our way for a moral confrontation. The confrontation was said to be based on Oak Park's potential gay agenda, some believing that schools were not only welcoming gay students and families but also encouraging and perhaps promoting gay behavior.
Oak Park is well known by the gay community for being a gay friendly village, we've had past gay presidents, gay department heads, and some gay but not happy workers. Oak Park's diversity statement welcomes gays, not gays, folks with different colored skins, some republicans, all religions, and perhaps those with little or no religion (though we do have a lot churches).
Emails went out from the school and friends to help explain what might happen and what would not happen. Everyone was welcomed to come to the meeting and witness the events, but only those who were parents or teachers from Beye School would be allowed to comment.
The Beye teachers and parents watch the film "Let's Get Real"
(clips from the film can be seen on a link below, or here)
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
The film, "Let's Get Real", shows a series of children who have faced bullying and discrimination based on their race, appearance, sexual preference, perceived sexual preference, family status, and a host of other out of the main stream backgrounds. The film promoted tolerance and understanding for a diverse population. There was nothing that we found that would homosexual promotion or anything pro-gay, just inclusive non-bullying behavior in a public setting, a safe school setting.
Beye School Principal, Jonathan Ellwanger, and
Shannon Sullivan, Executive Director of the
Illinois Safe Schools Network
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
The film concluded and members of the audience from the Beye School district or teachers from the school were asked if they had any questions or comments on the film. One woman had a nice comment to make about the film, but was not allowed to speak since she was not a teacher or parent from the Beye School district.
Six Oak Park & River Forest High School students came
to the front of the room to offer their impressions of life
in Oak Park and in the school system that either helped or
hindered their emotional development. The high school students introduced were from different racial, age, and sexual backgrounds. Each had a different story to tell, some were the children of gay parents, though themselves not gay, some were gay and of a different race (minority race), and all had a tale of prejudice and discrimination to tell. The trauma of telling your parents that you are gay and other emotional issues were all
applauded by the audience.
The audience was very supportive of the kids who spoke out against bigotry and applauded each of the young peoples' tales.
Ms. Margaret Brown, a Beye School parent, reads
a prepared statement to the gathering, by Ms. Wendy
Daniels, who is only a few feet away from her in the
lower left corner in a red garment.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
Ms. Brown (to the left in green with back to camera) discusses her reading with an Islamic female and Ms. Wendy Daniels, who was reported to have written the comments read by Ms. Brown.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photos
Wendy Daniels, the Beye school parent who wrote a multi-paged opinion concerning the priorities of the Beye Schools direction, had her writing read by another Beye School parent to the gathered citizens at the Beye school PTO Meeting.
Ms. Margaret Brown read the plea for more attention being
needed for closing the achievement Gap between "Caucasian students and African American students". Wendy Daniels writing concerning the importance of moral perceptions dealing with sexual preferences in students lives appeared to some citizens as a bit insensitive to the topic of sexuality and bullying in the region, as the evenings' presentations were noted in the agenda. One of the students, incensed with remarks written by Wendy Daniels and read by Ms. Margret Brown, rushed from the meeting into the cold winter night. He was followed by several teachers and friends who comforted him.
When administrators, parents, and politians speak about the GAP in education between various groups I always wonder if they have read one of the many done by Universities from around the world, numerous research from over twenty years of study, I guess not... I also would wonder why people keep asking the same questions and not looking for answers, it must be a syndrome like drug addiction or perhaps not being very clever.
Below are some links that will provide you with answers to solving or closing the education GAP. Much of it appears to be based on actually getting up and doing some work, like school six days a week and very small summer vacations and this all translates into more money for the those at the end of the GAP and more work by them and the general populace that pay their taxes--and it works in Harlem.
Jeffrey Canada's Harlem Children's Zone
60 Minutes Show on the Harlem Children's
Zone School
Facebook Page for Harlem Children's
Zone Charter School
Website:
http://www.hcz.org
Company Overview:
Harlem Children's Zone, Inc. is an innovative community-based not-for-profit that is working to break the cycle of generational poverty for children and families in some of New York City's most devastated neighborhoods. HCZ, Inc.'s centers serve more than 16,000 children and adults, including over 10,000 at-risk children.
Mission:
The emphasis of The Children's Zone® work is not just on education, social service and recreation, but on rebuilding the very fabric of community life.
President Barack Obama Speaks About the Harlem Children's Zone
Geoffrey Canada's Harlem Children's Zone has helped put historically low-achieving students in New York on academic par with their grammar-school peers.
CNN's Anderson Cooper reported.
Links
Sample of Video shown to PTO meeting "Let's Get Real"
Right Wing Watch on the Illinois Family Institute
Illinois Family's list of Anti-Gay Writings
Southern Poverty Law Center List of Hate Groups in Illinois with Map
Statistics on Bullying
Letter to Parents
Dear Beye Families~
It has come to my attention that there may be some misinformation
circulating about activities we have undertaken to be a welcoming
school. I’m writing today to clarify the purpose of our efforts and
ensure you have the facts. Our use of the words "welcoming school"
reflects who we want to be as a school community. We want Beye School
to be a place where every student, parent and staff member feels safe,
respected and welcome. We have not examined or purchased the
"Welcoming Schools" curriculum from the Human Rights Campaign and have
no plans to acquire that or any other program.
The School Improvement Team (made up of parents and teachers)
identified this goal last spring. A recommendation and research led us
to Shannon Sullivan and the Safe Schools Alliance. She presented a
comprehensive professional development plan aimed at helping our
teachers increase their comfort, awareness, sensitivity and skill at
dealing with issues such as family diversity, gender stereotyping and
bullying. That professional development has been for faculty only. No
students have ever been a part of these sessions.
The agenda for Tuesday night, which is intended for the adult members
of our school community, includes several items related to PTO
business and the welcoming school presentation. Lynn Kamenitsa (SIT
co-chair), Karen Foleno (student support specialist) and Karen Fogg
(5th grade teacher) will join me in providing a brief overview of how
the welcoming school goal became part of our school improvement plan,
how it connects with our anti-bullying efforts (Olweus) and what the
training has been like for teachers. Following this overview will be a
presentation by Ms. Sullivan. The links below are documents she will
reference throughout the course of her presentation. In addition, we
hope to have three or four high school students and the advisors of
the gay/straight alliance at OPRF who will share details of their own
journeys related to these issues and offer recollections/ lessons that
could help the school community be more welcoming.
We welcome all interested parties to attend the meeting on Tuesday
night, but will limit participation to PTO members (Beye teachers and
parents). Most important, we want to ensure that this meeting is
conducted in the same safe, secure, respectful environment our school
offers to our students, staff and guests on a daily basis. As with all
PTO meetings, if this topic is of interest to you, we hope you’ll join
us. If not, we hope to see you soon. If you have further questions,
please feel free to contact me.
Jonathan Ellwanger, Principal
Objectives
·
Introduce parents/guardians/families to work in 2009-10 school
year to ensure Beye has a safe and respectful climate for students and
families
· Utilize film clips to describe various issues related to sexual
orientation and gender identity (i.e., LGBT families, gender variance
in young children, anti-LGBT bullying & harassment)
· Inform local experience by older Oak Park students sharing
stories and experiences
· Create a space to share and ask important questions of
presenters and participants
· Share tools toward creating a safe and respectful climate at Beye school
year to ensure Beye has a safe and respectful climate for students and
families
· Utilize film clips to describe various issues related to sexual
orientation and gender identity (i.e., LGBT families, gender variance
in young children, anti-LGBT bullying & harassment)
· Inform local experience by older Oak Park students sharing
stories and experiences
· Create a space to share and ask important questions of
presenters and participants
· Share tools toward creating a safe and respectful climate at Beye school
Agenda
Introduction
Film Clips (more information on all films at www.groundspark.org)
· That’s a Family
· It’s STILL Elementary
· Let’s Get Real
Presentation from OPRFHS students
Tools & Resources
Conclusion
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
published by Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.