Comprehensive Educational Services
for North, West, and South Cook Educators
for North, West, and South Cook Educators
The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln is once again offering a statewide scholarship for descendants of Illinois World War II veterans (the World War II Illinois Descendants Scholarship). The Foundation has been partnering with IARSS for the last three years to disseminate the scholarship information and select finalists.
There are two statewide scholarships available ($1,000 each) and we are asking each of you to nominate TWO students from your area to apply for this scholarship. The Nomination Form is due to us by February 10, 2012.
Form: Nomination Form (due 2-10-12)
Form:
Preliminary Application Form (for students)
Schedule your “4th Grade In-School Field Trip” for the 2011-2012 School Year..
Cook County Farm Bureau's program, The “In-School Field Trip” provides fourth grade students the opportunity to experience Illinois agriculture without leaving the classroom!
More Info: 4th Grade In-School Field Trip
Ag in the Classroom- Spring 2012 Workshops. This program offers teacher workshops throughout the year that allow the teachers to earn 2 CPDU’s. Click below for more information about the workshops!
More Info : Ag in the Classroom Workshops
Cook County Farm Bureau 17th Annual - SAI 1 Agricultural In Action
Ag-in-the-Classroom program offers a week-long comprehensive training seminar for teachers in Cook County
More Info: Agriculture in Action
Institute of Fuel, Fiber and Food. This course will be an all-inclusive three-day event and includes two overnights as we travel through Illinois. All comfortable transportation, lodging, and meals will be included.
More Info: Institute of Fuel, FIber and Food >
Annually school districts who enroll a student receiving services under the McKinney-Vento Act are encouraged to complete and submit a Common Form (83-04L) to the local Intermediate Service Center. This forms can be submitted to a central collection email address: rerdman@west40.org Thank you for your cooperation and for all that you do for our at-risk, homeless youth.
Download: Common Core Form (83-04L)
Overview | North Cook | West Cook | South Cook
While having the opportunity to enroll and succeed in school may seem like a given to many of us, the McKinney-Vento Act was enacted due to the numerous barriers homeless children faced in obtaining a free, appropriate, public education. It is the goal of the Intermediate Service Centers to create public awareness of the rights of homeless children and youth and to ensure compliance with the law at the state and local levels.
The Role of Education
The role of education in the life of a homeless child is crucial. In a life that is filled with uncertainty, school is a place of safety. Something as simple as a desk to call his/her own can provide a homeless child with a sense of routine and ownership. A free, appropriate, public education is also a right to which homeless children and youth are legally entitled. This right put into practice has the potential to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness that may otherwise continue. For a homeless child, the importance of a stable, quality education is immeasurable.
If you have questions regarding the education of homeless children, please call:
Priscilla (Pat) Bradley, McKinney-Vento Student Advocate,
West 40 ISC#2 – Region 6
Phone: (773) 558-4890
Email: Priscilla Bradley
McKinney-Vento: Federal homeless education legislation
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act ensures the educational rights and protections of homeless children and youth so that they may enroll in school, attend regularly, and be successful. The legislation requires a local homeless education liaison in every school district to assist children and unaccompanied youth in their efforts to attend school. This act guarantees homeless children and youth the following:
• The right to immediate enrollment in school, even if lacking paperwork normally required for enrollment.
• The right to attend school in his/her school of origin or in the school in the attendance area where the
family or youth is currently residing.
• The right to receive transportation to his/her school of origin.
• The right to services comparable to those received by housed schoolmates, including transportation and supplemental educational services.
• The right to an “equal playing field” and the removal of all barriers to receiving educational services.
• The right to attend school along with children not experiencing homelessness. Segregation based on a student's status as homeless is strictly prohibited.
• The posting of homeless students’ rights in all schools and other places around the community.
Who is homeless?
The term "homeless children and youth" as defined by the McKinney-Vento Act refers to individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and includes:
• Children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or a awaiting foster care placement.
• Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
• Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus/train stations, or similar settings.
• Migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described above
More Information on Homelessness
After learning more about the issue of homeless education, you may be wondering how you can help. Consider the following suggestions:
• Frequently Asked Questions http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/faq.pdf
• ISBE Homeless Policy http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdf
• Other Homeless Resources http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/default.htm
Should school fees be waived for homeless students?
Yes, school related fees should be waived for homeless students.
