Chicago public schools announces a plan to use mentoring to stem tide of youth violence
From the Chicago Tribune:
The Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools, Ron Huberman, has announced that he has identified the 200 students most likely to end up shot and wants to connect them with full-time mentors and part-time jobs as a strategy to stem the violence which last year alone claimed the lives of 34 Chicago youth.
The plan, which is inspiring heated debate, calls for the use of federal stimulus funding to essentially hire paid mentors who will be assigned to four students and will act as part role model, part counselor and part truant officer.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-huberman-cps-violence-04sep...
Here is an update from the Sun Times on Chicago's anti-violence efforts. One component of the effort is providing paid mentors for youth identified as the most likely future offenders. It is too soon to tell if the mentoring component is having an effect, but there is some preliminary but encouraging news on improved behavioral outcomes arising from the school-devised "culture of calm plans" in troubled high schools. Whether the improvements are because of the specific interventions, or because everyone is pulling together and working for change is unclear, but the initial statistics are dramatic. According to the Sun Times, in the six piloting schools, serious behavior problems are down 77 percent; 46 percent fewer students have been shot; 14 percent fewer students have received Ds and Fs, and attendance is up 7 percent.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/2323122,CST-NWS-calm27.article
The problem of Chicago and other big cities is a long term problem that won't be solved in the short term, or with short term fixes. While millions are being spent on paid mentoring reaching a few kids in a few high poverty areas, many programs that are working to prevent k-12 kids from making bad decisions are struggling to find the operating dollars to stay in business let along stay informed, and innovative in what they do.
I've yet to read an article from the Mayor saying "make a donation to support one of the tutor/mentor programs on the Tutor/Mentor Connection's database at http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net
In a Tribune editorial titled "peer pressure" billionaires are encouraged to give half their wealth to philanthropy. Imagine if the Mayors of big cities were asking for this money to fund volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs with 20 year pledges, per program. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-edit-rich-20100618,0,49001...
I was asked to appear on a TV show last week to comment on this announcement. The interview can be seen at http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/garrard-mcclendon-live/chicago-public-sc...
Daniel F. Bassill
President
Cabrini Connections
Tutor/Mentor Connection
800 W. Huron, Chicago, IL 60642
312-492-9614