Youth And Safe Neighborhoods

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      • Increase funding for effective mentoring         programs;

      • Pass HB 174, which would equitably fund all         schools; 

      • Increase and expand drop-out prevention         programs;

      • Implement a plan to recruit male teachers,         especially those of color, who can serve as role         models for male students.  Fewer than 1 in 4         teachers between kindergarten and high school in         Illinois are male.  In CPS, the ratio is 1 in 5.  Young         men are getting the message that teaching and         education is a women’s realm.  Male teachers         must also be made to feel welcome by         administrators;

      • Reduce excessive, punitive discipline, which has         resulted in higher suspension and expulsion rates         for African-Americans, especially boys, and which,         in turn, increases the risk of failing in class and         dropping out.  The focus in discipline should be         changed, to the extent possible, to restorative         justice and addressing the root causes of a child’s         misbehavior;

      • Increase minority enrollment in CPS’ selective         public schools.  Since 2000, the number of         minority students being admitted to elementary         magnet schools and selective high schools in CPS         has been declining.  While 84 percent of CPS         students are low-income, 46 percent are African-         American and 41 are Hispanic, only half of the         students in selective enrollment high schools are         low-income, only 32 percent are African-American,         and only 28 percent are Hispanic.

• Expand job opportunities for young people by enacting the jobs proposals I call for in my position paper on jobs, including:
  
  • Make available federal and state funds for an   urban corps to clean up our cities and a green   corps to repair parks and plant trees, and target   these public service jobs to young people in cities   and rural areas;
  
  • Expansion and improvement of expungement   laws;
  
  • Give income tax credits and other incentives to   businesses that voluntarily hire, train and employ   ex-offenders;
  
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