CHICAGO – Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, was elected this week as one of two community representatives on the Local School Council (LSC) of George Rogers Clark Elementary School in the South Austin Community where he lives. LSCs are made up of six parents, two community members, two teachers, and one “non-teaching” school staffer. Local School Councils are in charge of: approving how school funds and resources are allocated; developing and monitoring the annual School Improvement Plan; and evaluating and selecting the school’s principal.
“As a teacher by profession and a community resident living about a block away from the school, it is an honor to be elected in the capacity of community representative to George Rogers Clark Elementary School’s Local School Council,” said Ford. “I am pleased to join the leadership team and their efforts to continue building a stronger community school for greater educational outcomes. Clark is a good school, and the community’s tax-paying homeowners and renters deserve a school that fully meets the needs of every family.”
George Rogers Clark Elementary School serves 355 students in grades pre-K-8 in The Island community, part of the Austin community in Chicago bordered by the Eisenhower Expressway, Roosevelt Road, Austin Boulevard, and Central Avenue.
Clark currently is testing higher than the current Chicago Public Schools average test scores. But Ford notes, “Clark also struggles and has room for improvement. We must continue to strengthen our relationships with Chicago Public School’s Central Office and community stakeholders to reduce overcrowded classrooms, address the teacher shortage, and confront major infrastructure problems which prevent maximal educational success and may contribute to health problems for families attending the school.”
For more information, contact one of Ford’s constituent service offices: 4800 W. Chicago Avenue in Chicago at 773-378-5902 or 239-E Stratton Office Building in Springfield at 217-782-5962.
