As part of Teacher Appreciation Week 2021, INCS is honoring the extraordinary work of teachers everywhere, including the charter public school teachers throughout Illinois. Few better illustrate the value of great teachers than the latest INCS Charter Excellence Award winners, recognized for their contributions to their profession, their schools, and – most importantly – their…
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At Providence Englewood Charter School (PECS), we celebrate and recognize black excellence every day. Black excellence means not being afraid of hard work. I see the hard work our children put in every day, and I completely understand it. I am a black woman from the Englewood neighborhood. Throughout my K-12 years of school, I…
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Wednesday, January 13, 2021 — The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) congratulates Representative Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside) on his election to Speaker of the House by the Illinois Democratic Caucus for the 102nd General Assembly. INCS looks forward to working in partnership with Speaker Welch on our policy priorities to ensure all students, teachers,…
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On Saturday, December 19, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools partnered with the Great Chicago Food Depository, Grace and Peace Church, Gap Community Center, Lowell Elementary, and CORE Response to provide families with toys and food. The event was held at Lowell Elementary School from 10 am through 2 pm in Humboldt Park. Families could…
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Principal and teacher awardees each receive $10,000 in recognition of their extraordinary accomplishments CHICAGO, IL – Today, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) announced the winners of the 2020 Charter Excellence Awards. Each year, these awards recognize the achievements of exceptional principals, teachers, students, and advocates in the charter public school community across Illinois….
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During these challenging times, the community means everything. Two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, The Seed of Abraham Church, located on the west side of Humboldt Park, gave away over 130 turkeys and bags of groceries to families in need on a Saturday morning. This has been a growing tradition that Pastores Miguel and Mayra…
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Acquired through FEMA program, masks will go to schools conducting hybrid learning or where staff use buildings at reduced capacity CHICAGO, IL – Today, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) announced the distribution of 25,000 washable cloth masks to charter public schools throughout the City of Chicago. In partnership with the Federal Emergency Management…
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Kara Bickhem May, Director, Art in Motion To develop our remote learning plans, Distinctive Schools engaged in a thoughtful, reflective, and challenging design process over the course of three months. We established an internal task force, joined INCS working groups, curated an external advisory board, and spent weeks fine tuning the Distinctive Schools Community Care…
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Students and their families at Erie Elementary Charter School headed home in mid-March equipped with the tools necessary to continue their studies at home. Perhaps more important than the Chromebooks and paper packets Erie provided students are the social and emotional learning (SEL) concepts woven into the school’s remote learning curriculum. “Social and emotional learning…
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This is the seventh in a series of inspiring stories of innovation and success with distance learning from charter public schools in Illinois. You can read more here. Everything is different about AP exams this year, including how students prepare for the rigorous tests. The AP Psychology exam is scheduled for the week of May…
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This is the sixth in a series of inspiring stories of innovation and success with distance learning from charter public schools in Illinois. You can read more here. Several dozen Illinois and Indiana teachers had an extra special Teacher Appreciation Week this May. Eron Powell, Principal of Perspectives Leadership Academy and High School of Technology…
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This is the third in a series of inspiring stories about the innovation and success with distance learning from charter public schools in Illinois. You can read the first two entries here. At Polaris Charter Academy, students learn on day one that “We are CREW, not passengers.” When such a strong school culture suddenly finds…
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This is the second in a series of inspiring stories about the innovation and success with distance learning from charter public schools in Illinois. You can read the first entry here. In the immediate days after the first COVID-19 cases hit Chicago, the staff at Acero Schools put their heads together to look at the…
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This is the first in a series of inspiring stories about the innovation and success with distance learning from charter public schools in Illinois. With Illinois schools closed until at least the end of April due to COVID-19, the teachers at Distinctive Schools are getting creative around how they deliver distance learning to their…
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It was a story that I knew white admissions counselors would like: the little South Side Black girl who persevered in the face of insurmountable odds. I suppose it made sense at the time. I needed something to distinguish myself at my predominately white school, where everyone was very qualified for college, so I focused…
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Benjamin Franklin. Steve Jobs. Mark Zuckerberg. Travis Kalanick. Garret Camp. Reed Hastings. These men have changed society through the implementation of their ideas and represent some of the most prominent entrepreneurs. Thanks to the flexibility charter public schools have in developing unique curriculums, students at ASPIRA…
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Studying abroad is often the hallmark of college students’ careers, but thanks to an Illinois charter public school, some students are receiving that experience earlier. Galapagos Rockford Charter School, an elementary school about two-and-a-half hours west of Chicago, has sent students to Costa Rica for the past three years. This past summer, the charter public…
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Freddy Boyd has dreamed of becoming a lawyer since he was seven years old. Thinking of it now, Boyd says even his siblings can attest to his early love of debating. Boyd planned to follow the same path many aspiring lawyers choose: college, law school, and then the bar exam. His dream of studying law…
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When billionaire investor Robert F. Smith announced that he would pay off $40 million in student loan debt for the entire Morehouse College Class of 2019, Jamel D. Chambers was seated two rows from the stage and yet he missed the announcement. Jolted to attention by the jumping and screaming from his classmates, Chambers stood…
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Every Friday in July, about 30 students in Chicago’s Southwest side rallied together to sell broccoli, squash, carrots and other fresh vegetables and natural products to area residents. The budding entrepreneurs from the Academy of Global Citizenship’s summer program withstood the summer heat to ensure residents enjoy a healthy treat. “It’s been good because on…
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