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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INCS News
Alumni Spotlight: Crystal Stonewall
Crystal is part of the CICS Wrightwood class of 2011. She graduated from Wisconsin Madison in 2019 and currently attending her 2nd year in law school. As a charter alumnus, Crystal exemplifies the critical core values of academic and personal achievement. Her education journey began at an early age. Along with her family’s and school’s…
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INCS Launches $65,000 COVID Relief Fund for Charter Families
Individual grants will be made to 99 families from 43 charter public schools across Illinois CHICAGO, IL – Today, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) announced the distribution of $65,000 in cash grants to 99 families through its newly created COVID Relief Fund. More than ever, many students and families in the communities that…
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Illinois Network of Charter Schools Distributes 25,000 Masks to Local Schools
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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Charters Lead: School Re-openings 2020
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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Illinois Network of Charter Schools Applauds the CPS School Reopening Plan
The Illinois Network of Charter Schools supports the initial reopening framework released today by the Chicago Public Schools. The district’s preliminary reopening plan puts the needs of students, families, and communities first as our city continues to face this unprecedented crisis. Moving forward with a hybrid model that prioritizes the health and safety of students…
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Students First: Principal Michael Kuran, Chicago Math & Science Academy, Shared His School’s Success During COVID-19 Closures with CPS Board Members
Because of the COVID-19 health crisis, schools could not provide in-person instruction towards the end of the school year. It was a very unusual ending to the year and it was not easy for anyone involved – students, teachers, parents, school leadership. But remote learning was a “must” and it saved a lot of our students’…
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INCS Statement on the Supreme Court’s Ruling on DACA
The INCS team celebrates the Supreme Court’s decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This critical program has provided nearly 800,000 young people, often referred to as DREAMers, the opportunity to access higher education, careers, and more to lead lives of opportunity and meaningfully contribute to our communities without fear of deportation….
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Social and Emotional Learning At the Heart of Erie’s Remote Curriculum
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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Worldwide Virtual Study Session Prepares HSA McKinley Students for AP Psychology Exam
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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An Extra Special Teacher Appreciation Week: Perspectives Admin Team Goes Above & Beyond
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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Christopher House Families Embrace Philosophy of “Parents as a Child’s First Teacher” During Remote Learning
This is the fifth in a series of inspiring stories of innovation and success with distance learning from charter public schools in Illinois. You can read more here. Christopher House Charter School excels at meeting students and families where they are. The process of transitioning their Christopher House Infant & Preschool, Elementary School, and Parent…
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Community And Family Guide the Transition To Remote Learning At HSA Belmont
This is the fourth in a series of inspiring stories of innovation and success with distance learning from charter public schools in Illinois. You can read more here. Students, caregivers, and staff at Horizon Science Academy (HSA) Belmont Charter School are navigating the unknown territory of remote learning together, as one community, one team, and one…
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How Polaris Charter Academy Keeps Students, Parents, and Teachers Connected
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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#AceroLearnsEverywhere Remote Learning Program Designed to Reach Every Family By Prioritizing Equity
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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Distinctive Schools Brings Innovation and Their Signature Joy Factor to Distance Learning
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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INCS Online Educator Resume Bank Available
The Illinois Network of Charter Schools Promotes INCS Online Resume Bank to Support Charter Public Schools to find Teachers and other Staff Member In light of the current threat presented by the Coronavirus, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools will be cancelling this year’s Educator Job Fair for the first time in 15 years and…
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This Black History Month, Let’s Reclaim the Black Narrative
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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Illinois Network of Charter Schools Announces the Winners of the 2019 Charter Excellence Awards
Principal and teacher awardees each receive a well-deserved $10,000 grant CHICAGO, IL – Today, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) announced the winners of its 2019 Charter Excellence Awards. Each year since 2011, exceptional principals, teachers, students, and advocates receive the Charter Excellence Award in recognition of their contributions to the continuing success of Illinois’…
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Entrepreneurship teacher helps high school freshman develop mobile apps to meet community needs
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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