SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL

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In July 2020, I stepped up to fill an appointed spot on the LaSalle Language Academy LSC, was elected Secretary, and got to work right away. That summer, I helped LaSalle achieve our 100% Digital Access campaign within the first weeks of school -- ensuring that every student could connect to a device and reliable internet to navigate remote learning. Meanwhile, I supported our administration and fellow council members on more effective collaboration and communications strategies, including council member training. That November, I was reelected to the LSC, and when we took office for our COVID-term in January 2021, elected Chair. From January to June 2021, our council prioritized collaboration, establishing processes for transparently determining our projects and potential committee work aligned with the CPS LSC priorities, core roles and responsibilities.

In July and August of 2021, the LSC launched an Equity and Diversity Committee and renewed the Principal's contract. From September to present, the LSC has facilitated transparent monthly updates on the effectiveness of COVID-safety mitigations, Social and Emotional Learning, Student Discipline, and Academic Progress to help our community navigate the full return to in-person learning and its many unpredictable challenges as we continue to grapple with this pandemic.

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SUPPORTING CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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There's a great need for visionary parents to step up and lead to make things happen in Chicago's Public Schools. Outside of my role as LSC Chair, starting in September 2021, I proactively planned and organized one of the city's first, mass community, vaccine events for kids ages 5-11. Immediately upon vaccine approval, in partnership with Ward 43 and Instavaxx, we were able to host the event at LaSalle Language Academy. During that time, I also consulted for more than 20 other CPS and charter schools, collaborating with LSC and PTO leaders, teachers, administrators, as well as leaders within the Chicago Teachers' Union and other community organizations to do the same. Together, we've continued to navigate the challenges of hosting vaccine events city-wide, and strategize campaigns to increase opt-in COVID testing as well as more transparent contact tracing on school campuses.
 

During school closures from May - December 2020, as reported in the New York Times, I supported our citywide CPS community in partnership with CTU and Fox32/My50 to produce We Still Teach (2 Seasons, 44 episodes). We put teachers on television to bridge the digital divide and connect more than 50K families throughout a 100+ mile radius of Chicago to regular learning opportunities. Additionally, I developed, coordinated, and taught in a professional development training program for more robust remote learning supporting CPS teachers starting the hybrid 2020-2021 school year.

Kat4LSC started as a campaign website, and has since transformed into a hub for grassroots LSC support to educate, inspire, and engage CPS stakeholders at my school, in my community, and throughout the city, who might be interested in learning more about how they can be the change they want to see in the world.

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After decades of experience as a grassroots community organizer and changemaker impacting policy and cultural changes at the national level as well as the state and local levels from L.A. to Chicago, I'm always eager to collaborate, and innovate ways to connect our community, especially in support of our CPS students city-wide.