Help a small, community driven school in Chicago prevent closure!

[AlyssaN]

Hi everyone!

The KATG community is a very important part of my life, which is why I'm choosing to share this difficult situation with all of you and ask if you can help out one of the other central communities in my life.

I'm the principal of Amandla Charter School, a small (330 students in grades 5 - 12) school in the Englewood neighborhood in Chicago. Right now, we are fighting to convince the board of education to keep us open and keep our students and families from having to leave a community that they have chosen to be a part of, and that has become a second home for many of them.

Here is exactly what is going on: Amandla has been notified that CEO Claypool intends to recommend to the Board of Education to close Amandla at the end of this school year and The Chicago Board of Education is scheduled to issue a final decision regarding Amandla’s future at its regular meeting on November 18, 2015. The entire Amandla community -- parents and students, faculty and staff, and our own Board of Directors -- is deeply upset by this decision and strongly disagrees with this recommendation. We remain steadfast in our belief -- and evidence substantiates -- that Amandla is delivering a quality public education to students in this community who are in great need of such options. At the most basest of arguments, there are few public school options in the community that have a track record of better serving our student population (more information in the attachment).

I'm here asking for help, so here is what you can do if you are able or interested:

1. Sign and share our online petition at Petition #SaveAmandla

2. Follow us on Twitter and IG @AmandlaCS and like our Amandla Charter School Facebook page.

3. Tweet/post about our work using #SaveAmandla (this is student-led and has been awesome so far)

4. If you are in Chicago and are able to attend any of our public events, please let me know and I will share them with you. Right now, our anticipated dates for these events are Wednesday 11/11, Friday 11/13, and Wednesday 11/18.

5. Write letters of support to CPS board members and elected officials (if you want some sample language, let me know)

6. Share the one-pager attached below with anyone who might be willing to support in some way.

7. We are working to secure meetings with key decision makers including Chicago Board of Education Board Members, CPS CEO Forrest Claypool and the Mayor. If you have access to any of these decision-makers, please contact me ASAP. BOE Board Members and Bios are at: Board bios Chicago Board of Education.

8. Any other ideas? Share them with me!

If you would like more information about the Amandla story, please let me know as I'm happy to share information and answer any questions you might have.


Amandla Supporter Guide - https://goo.gl/ssPvy9

[Sparrow]

this is important, guys. communities need schools, we in the /chat community have become very fond of her students, and Alyssa herself is one of our finest treasures. if there was ever a time to get to gettin', it's now. do a thing!

[Scumhook]

I assume that now I've voted, I'll get access to the live feeds from the girls locker rooms and toilets?

You should also give rewards on the donate page. Like $10 gets you a PoV cam feed from a urinal's perspective.

[dannyhatch]

I'm starting to think Scumhook is one of those Japanese used schoolgirl panty vending machines that gained sentience and decided to move to Australia.

[Scumhook]

Originally Posted by dannyhatch

I'm starting to think Scumhook is one of those Japanese used schoolgirl panty vending machines that gained sentience and decided to move to Australia.

> implying sentience is a requirement for moving to Australia

[BigDumbJay]

Petition signed. Sorry to hear about your school. I won't need the video feeds, but maybe you could name a wing after me or something?

[The Girl]

This is so sad. Let's help save the school!

[dEadERest]

petition signed, donation made, scumspoon acknowledged as thought leader in the field of "he really went there"

cake boss

[AlyssaN]

Thank you to everyone who signed the online petition and participated in our social media campaign.

Way back in November, the city's board of education unanimously voted to close us at the end of the school year. Since then, we have been working tirelessly at an appeal to the state charter commission.

After many months of work, today the commission voted and unanimously agreed to grant our appeal! Thank you all for the support that came from this community. Can't wait for KATG Weekend!