3 Questions for... Rep. Luis Gutierrez

Now in his tenth term, Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez has established himself as an effective legislator and energetic spokesman on behalf of his constituents in Illinois' Fourth District in the heart of Chicago. At the same time, Rep. Gutierrez' tireless leadership championing the causes of Latino and immigrant communities has earned him widespread acclaim and national recognition.

He serves on the prestigious House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is a senior Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, serving as the Chairman of the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee in the 111th Congress and as the Ranking Member of the Housing, Insurance, and Community Opportunity Subcommittee in the 112th Congress. He is also the Chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Married and both a father and grandfather, Rep. Gutierrez was born and raised in Chicago to parents who had themselves migrated to Chicago from Puerto Rico in the early 1950s. He previously served as an Alderman in the City of Chicago and has been a teacher, a social worker and a cab driver, among other diverse experiences. Read more about Rep. Gutierrez.

1.  Is there legislation you've introduced or supported that is important for community schools?

Community schools play a critical role in serving my constituents and meeting our communities' education needs, particularly in underserved neighborhoods and communities. Often times in education policy, when we think of education aide we focus on early childhood education and or on post secondary education assistance, like student aide and subsidized student loans. These are two very critical periods for students. But Elev8, by bringing together schools, families and other community partners in low-income areas to create these community learning centers, focuses on making sure that kids are successful in navigating the trying years between early education and post-secondary education.

Community schools have been very effective in Chicago. The program taps into community resources to ensure that children have the tools they need to be successful in the classroom and that their families are prepared and equipped to support their learning experience. Students and their families have access to a variety of services from tutoring to health screenings and dental care and English classes. These services help to relieve some of the burdens facing our disadvantaged youth and help to level the playing field for them.

Read more about Rep. Gutierrez' support for community schools and his thoughts on what students need in order to be successful.  

Community Schools Leadership Awards Bring Deserved Attention to Winners and Community Schools 
 

Since receiving the Federation's Community School Leadership Awards on October 19, Marjory Lewe-Brady and Tanika Island have received much deserved attention for their work in community schools.  In addition to being honored at their district's November board meeting, Lewe-Brady was also highlighted in the Daily Herald, enabling her to promote the WeGo Together for Kids program and their partners. Tanika Island was featured in the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute's (UEI) newsletter which provided readers with an understanding of the community school model and how UEI prioritizes this approach to education through their UChicago Charter School campuses.  The Federation is happy that winners have been able to leverage the awards to increase public awareness about the community school work underway in their communities.  Again, we congratulate all of our winners and also recognize the leadership and commitment that all of our partners demonstrate daily to ensure schools work for students and families.

Youth Guidance Presents their 20th Annual Parent Leadership Conference

December 7 - 8, 2012

Itasca, IL

Youth Guidance invites you to participate in their 20th Annual Parent Leadership Conference: Motivating the Movement -- Engaging Families, on Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8 in Itasca, IL.  This conference promises to be one of the most enlightening, interacting, empowering, and educational conferences for parent leaders, teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, and community leaders who can make a difference in you school.   

The deadline for registration is November 17, 2012.  The cost per person is $400, which includes a double occupancy room (single occupancy rooms available for $450), meals and materials.  Please note that Title I funds can be used to cover the costs of registration.  Download a conference program in English or Spanish for more information about this event and how to register. 

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is seeking nominations of effective, replicable approaches to enhancing students' social, emotional, and academic skills and competencies in middle or high school.  CASEL will consider nominees for inclusion in a systematic review, to be published and broadly disseminated in 2013 to educators, policymakers, and researchers across the United States.  The review will include universal programs and educational models for use with all students during the regular school day.

The nomination process takes less than five minutes. Visit CASEL's website and click on "Nominate a Program" to provide your contact information, the name of the approach, a link to the approach online, and a description of the approach. CASEL encourages self nominations and will follow-up with nominators with formal invitations to submit materials for review.

Nominations will be accepted through November 15, 2012.  For more information, please visit CASEL's website.

The General Mills Foundation, in partnership with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, is inviting nonprofit organizations in the United States working to improve youth nutrition and physical fitness behaviors to apply for the Champions for Healthy Kids program.

The program will award fifty grants of $10,000 to community-based groups such as health departments, government agencies, schools, and Native American Tribes that develop creative ways to help youth adopt a balanced diet and physically active lifestyle.

To ensure that the nutrition information in the proposed program is accurate and is scientifically based, a registered dietitian must either be directly involved or serve as an advisor to the program. Project

periods can vary depending on program and setting. However, the project should be completed within twelve months.  One-day/one-time events will not be funded.

Visit the General Mills Web site for complete program guidelines, an FAQ, and the online application.