A Visit to Curtis Elementary

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to go back to Curtis Elementary School, a school that our charity provided student supplies to some two weeks ago. Our mission today was to deliver some desperately needed uniforms.


Curtis has a brand new administration and an entirely new teaching staff for the 2010-11 school year. The CPS central administration made Curtis a turnaround school following the 2009-10 school year.


Obviously a brand new building staff portends big changes. I have the sense that Ms. Payne, the Asst. Principal (to the left), and Ms. Robbins, the Principal (to the right), will do a terrific job. They were most grateful for both the supplies and the polo uniform tops. Their smiles say it all.

As I think about the challenges ahead for Ms. Robbins, Ms. Payne, the staff and students I am left with many unanswered questions. First, was the entire staff at Curtis, that was let go in the spring of 2010, that bad? Weren't there some great teachers who were let go and where are they now? Second, what will become of Ms. Robbins and Ms. Payne if they don't 'turn around' the school? Will they suffer the same fate as their predessors? Finally, will people ever truly understand, appreciate and pitch in regarding the real core issues and problems confronting students and schools that are having a difficult time trying to make it?

Our charity, for one, will do all we can to help Curtis, and other schools facing huge obstacles, to move ahead in their desire to assist children.

Many thanks for your support!
Dick

Fundraisers on the Horizon

Even though we just completed delivering student supplies to 31 Chicago and New Orleans schools in the past month, we have plenty of fundraisers lined up so that we can raise more money and help even more schools next year.

We already have three of our traditional fundraisers going strong for 2011!!!

Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010: The Hinsdale Central H.S. boys varsity soccer team is holding its annual soccer-tennis team competition from 2 to 5 pm at the Hinsdale Central tennis courts. To be a part of this great day contact me, Dick Flesher, at rich219@comcast.net and I'll provide additional details on how you can help !

Friday, October 15, 2010: What better way to help Schools Count Corp than having some delicious chili prior to the Hinsdale Central vs. York football game. This event is sponsored by the Hinsdale Central Habitat for Humanity Club with a good portion of the proceeds aiding our charity. The all-you-can-eat chili comes with a refreshment and dessert!! Further ticket information will be forthcoming. This event will be held from 5 to 7 pm in the Hinsdale Central High School cafeteria.

February 22, 2011: The HC Jazz Ensembles will again put on an amazing jazz concert to benefit Schools Count Corp. This night club event is always a whopping success, often having a standing room crowd. The concert will again be held at 6:30 pm in student cafeteria. You won't want to miss this night!!

Other terrific events are in the planning stages and will soon be taking place in the coming weeks and months!! Why not come out and have a good time while raising some funds for so many children in need. You'll have a blast. I'm looking forward to seeing one and all!

Thanks,

Dick

NOLA, 5 Years Later

Yes, parts of New Orleans have recovered from the ravages of that terrible hurricane five years ago. New homes abound, the city proper has 91% of its pre-Katrina population, the unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the country for a large urban area and some improvements have been made in the city's educational system.

The general consensus regarding education states that things are much better today than prior to the storm. That may well be as only 20% of students met or exceeded state test score mandates prior to that fateful day five years ago. This isn't hard to fathom.

But to hear the major networks and to read many media cover stories one might surmise nearly all is well. True, overall LEAP scores are on the rise and some new schools have appeared (most being charters), among some other achievements, but that just tells a part of a more sobering story. The fact of the matter is this, many issues and problems have not been addressed and, in fact are either intentionally ignored or they are being handled in what amounts to a sinister fashion.

The vast number of schools that our charity works with are outside the purview of this rosy picture. Almost all of the RSD schools we serve face huge problems, too many of which are ignored. How would you like to be Gregory Elementary, with over 200 students (and growing), and be housed in two huge trailer units? To boot, these folks are in a complex, on the same piece of property, with private schools with separate administrations. I know for a fact that Gregory, as are other RSD schools in a similar housing situation, is underresourced when it comes to daily supplies needed for the students. Draw your own conclusion.

Many of the schools we assist are in trailer complexes and are overcrowded and seem to have little chance of ever having a 'real' building with the proper facilities. These same schools lack a neighborhood feel; in fact, many aren't neighborhood schools at all as many have reported to me that over 90% of their students are bused to them. Despite heroic efforts by many, they have the feel of a holding pen.

And let's be honest, many of the higher performing schools aren't really public in their entirity. If so, they would openly seek to take their fair share of educational service students, those who are autistic and the lower achieving childen. The truth is, most of these students can't get into most of the private and charter schools in the city. Aside from that, I'm aware of the fact that skimming of the best elementary school students in the RSD system takes place further enhancing reported improved test scores of some while depriving 'real' public schools, whose students have been plucked away, from indicating their gains since the storm.

In other cases, I am aware of the threat of shutdowns or takeovers of RSD schools who, despite the sheer hard work of their students and staff, by 'the powers that be.' What a joke.

By the way, plenty of public schools (non-charter) which we serve that have made great strides on their own. Take a look for yourself at the improvements made in such schools as Banneker Elementary, Reed Elementary, A. P. Tureaud, Fannie Williams, James Weldon Johnson, and other RSD schools. Go to http://www.nolaparentsguide.org/ for more data in schools that are doing their best despite many of the problems I've described.

Don't be fooled by all that you hear about the charters of NOLA turning around the entire system. Plenty of schools still need our help. Please accept my thanks for all that you have done over the past five years.

Dick

A Note from Pickard Elementary

I want to share this note, I received yesterday, from Pickard Elementary School in Chicago. It truly is a testament to each of you for the time, effort, funds and other resources you contribute to Schools Count.

Dear Richard, The Pickard School's LSC wishes to Thank you, for the wonderful supplies you have sent to our children. We hope to continue to work with you in the future. Thanks Again, Ms. Elaine Ratajczak

A Comment

There are plenty of reasons to help struggling schools and children who are in need of various resources. Often parents, many who have jobs and are working, simply don't have enough money left over after paying for food, shelter, clothing, etc. to buy the supplies that their children need.

Primarily, the students need some help, simple as that. When people challenge me about 'why bothering to help?' I think to myself, just how is a 4 year old or a 7 year old suppose to provide for himself or herself? There is no way that people this young should be left behind with regard to not being fully equipped to attend classes.

I have also seen a plenty of students and schools who are disregarded or shown little concern by the central bureaucracy within the school system. It often seems as though those who most need the help, get the least assistance. Whether it is intended, or not, this is a simple and sad truth. I have seen in various parts of the country. This is another good reason for pitching in to aid those who have very real needs. I am tired of the truly deprived getting 'walked upon.'

Our charity also likes to pitch in because we know our efforts offer the parents, teachers, and other school personnel some sense of pride and belonging. It gives these people a ray of hope that the children they work with are important and aren't forgotten. They knew this already but our efforts reinforce this sentiment.

Though I think we do as much as we possibly can, there is a need to expand our efforts and reach out to more students. With your help we'll do just that!

Many thanks,
Dick

You Can Make a Difference

I am often asked where we get the supplies that we provide to the various Chicago and New Orleans schools. There are two sources, those recycled from area schools (in our 'Go Green' Program) and supplies purchased from stores because of your generous cash contributions.

You name it and we've done it in terms of fundraisers; bowling parties, soccer-tennis KICK competition, concerts (A Cappella Underground and Mardi Gras), car washes, chili dinners and more. Our plans are to continue to host a number of these.

I want to reach out to those of you who share our desire to help children in need. There are plenty of kids out there who are motivated to learn and whose parents can't afford various school supplies. We want to help any child who cares about improving their life through obtaining an education. I hope I have conveyed the idea that many people, in the schools we've served, have seen a real improvement in the growth of their students.

The more students we serve, the better. I'd like to ask you to run your own fundraiser. Run a car wash, do a bake sale, host a bowling party, sell Schools Count Corp wristbands, putting on a garage sale or creating your own unique means of raising money for our charity and, in turn, directly helping students.

Please consider pitching-in and running your very own fundraiser for Schools Count Corp. I'd love to hear from you.

Many thanks,
Dick

Impressions of CPS schools

After delivering supplies to 15 CPS Schools, last Thursday and Friday, I came away with some lasting impressions which I want to share with you. To say the least, it was a pleasure to work with all those people we encountered last week.

To a person, each Principal and/or School Laison who we met last week were thrilled with our arrival. They were stunned with the huge quantity and array of school supplies. Some of them called later in the day, after actually opening the boxes, to voice their appreciation. A couple of long-term principals remarked that they had never gotten this type of aid in all the years that had worked in the CPS system.

I remarked to a couple of volunteers that I felt all 15 schools were grateful for our assistance and that Schools Count would certainly want to aid them again next fall.

Don't get me wrong, I know that much remains to be done in the schools to help the students; receiving support at home, getting the proper nutrition, being provided with a safe neighborhood environment in addition to needing more educational resources. But I do know this...we were able to help 7,000 students, their families and teachers get the year off on the right foot.

Many thanks to all of you who made this possible!
Dick

NOLA Feedback

To All of our Donors and Volunteers,

Below is some feedback from Mickey Landry at Lafayette Academy, a school we assisted with needed supplies in 2008. His comments were a reaction to an article about our work that appeared in last week's New Orleans Times Picayune article. I thought you would want to get a sense of how he assessed our impact upon his school. Because of each of you, it is clear that, together, we have made a real difference.

Mr. Flesher, I had only deep gratitude when I read the news this week that Schools Count was redirecting its energies. We are very appreciative of all that you have done for the children at Lafayette Academy and all the children of the city. You are a true hero to us.

Since we last saw you, Lafayette has become one of the city’s leading charter schools, so much so that we have been asked to take over other failing schools. All of our 4th graders passed the LEAP test this year—100 out of 100—and we have won numerous championships in everything from basketball to debate. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are on the way.

Please know that we will count you as one of the people who sent us on our way to success. Thank you so much, and please keep in touch.

Mickey Landry
Head of School
Lafayette Academy Charter School
Dedicated to Children. Committed to Excellence.

ChiTown Success

Delivering 22 huge pallets of supplies to 15 CPS schools, serving nearly 7,000 students, is just one of the reasons for a successful mission the past two days. One of the other factors contributing to our whopping success was the efforts of our volunteers.

Dickie and Teri Niedospial, Barb and Lauren Cole, Terry Meyers, Dawn Oler, AnnaMarie and Mrs. Reinhofer, Mary Lothrop, Jack Albrecht, Anna Albrecht, Caroline Albrecht, and Jimmy made this happen. Without these volunteers, who spent two days delivering every school supply imaginable, this trip would have been literally impossible.

I have already had feeback from Mr Flowers, at King Elementary, singing the praises of our donors and volunteers. The excitement in his voice, relative to receiving so many school resources, made quite an impression. You made his day. Come to think of it, the Principal of Fuller Elementary (having spent 26 years at the school) said the very same thing.

To each of you, I want to thank you for all that you have done these past two days.

You're the best!

Dick Flesher

Successful Chicago Delivery Day 1

Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers today who helped us deliver to 7 CPS schools!

We were able to deliver to Curtis Elementary, Medgar Evers, Tanner, Dumas, Banneker, Wentworth and Sherwood.

Tomorrow we will be bringing supplies to 8 CPS Schools. Stay tuned. View pictures from today in the slideshow above.

Chicago, Here We Come

Just thought I would share some photos of our 20-plus volunteers who literally loaded hundreds and hundreds of boxes of desperately needed school supplies bound for Chicago Public Schools. They loaded pallets and two trucks in just over 2 hours!
They were simply amazing!





Madison Oler, left, did her fair share of carrying boxes from the garage to the pallets. Along with her friend, Mary Kate, they were indispensable to our efforts. By the way girls, nice job on running the lift on the trucks.

Shrink wrapping is not one of the most glamorous jobs but nearly everyone pitched in on this task! You were fantastic.






The Hinsdale Central Girls Varsity volleyball team gave up a morning of practice to help load trucks. If they play as well as they worked today, well, look out HC opponents!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to one all for your efforts. The students, staff and families in the CPS system are most appreciative of all that you do for them.

Thanks,

Dick

http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/2010/08/illinois_retired_teachers_a_great_example_of_post-katrina_generosity_an_editorial.html

Chicago Bound!

What you see is just a fraction of the thousands upon thousands of supplies destined for Chicago Public Schools this Thursday and Friday. You name it and it is headed for the students of 15 CPS schools.

Binders, locker gear, folders, index cards, notebooks, art supplies, glue, scissors, folders, composition books, pens, pencils, rulers and markers will make there way into the hands of students as they commence the 2010-2011 school year.

This is an exciting venture for Schools Count Corp. For years we have provided aid to hurricane ravaged New Orleans and Galveston, TX. This is the very first year of helping schools in our own backyard...a mere 25 miles from our home base in Mokena, IL. It is exciting to think we can help thousands of children get off to a good start on the first day of classes.

This has been a number of years in the making in terms of helping area schools. Our original mission (which still exists) was to assist schools and areas traumatized by hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters. But natural disasters can't be the only reason for helping people in need. Other factors certainly weigh heavily when it comes to wanting to help those in need.

I can't think of a better way to say to children "we care." When students get the message that adults; parents, the community-at-large and school personnel want students to learn and are willing to go 'all out' to make it happen, chances improve that students will want to learn.

So tomorrow we start the journey. A group of about 15-17 volunteers will make their way to Mokena to load the trucks destined for Chicago. To the volunteers and donors...you are the ones who should take pride in the fact that we can help CPS schools this fall.

Many thanks,

Dick

Times Picayune Article Today

www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2010/08/school_supply_mission_drawing.html

Schools Count Volunteers

Our trip to NOLA schools was a huge success on lots of fronts! One of the big reasons for this success is due to our hard-working volunteers who made their way to Mokena on Friday, August 6th. The above clip gives you a glimpse into the time, effort and organization that went into getting the supplies ready to be shipped to New Orleans.

The pallets were organized by schools. Each school got varying amounts of crayons, pencils, markers, pens, folders, uniforms, binders, notebooks and loose leaf paper depending upon its need and overall population.

This is no easy task but Dawn Oler, Corky and Julie King, Laura Milas, Andy Laux, Chris Wilbur, Chris Freiler (and his son and daughter), Peggy Luther, Skip Begley, Nancy Schuessler, Barb Ioli, Maria O'Donnell and Bob Skowronski loaded 27 pallets in record time.

Take a look at the video and you'll get some idea of the terrific work of so many wonderful people.

Thanks to one and all!

Supplies Hit NOLA Schools

In spite of some humidity, hot temps and some afternoon rain; John Hill, Len Serwat, Bruce and Marilyn Feldman, Dawn Oler, Kate Snider, Katie Parks, Ashley Oler, April Hardenbol, Linda Phillips, Danielle Phillips and myself brought school supplies to seven New Orleans schools today, Monday, August 9th.

It seemed to matter little to the above mentioned volunteers, or so I think, that we missed having breakfast (as the hotel restaurant wasn't open per our request!) as the group headed to Penske Trucking and the school supply warehouse to eagerly load the supplies destined for seven of the NOLA RSD schools.

Each of the seven schools received hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of folders, binders, pencils, pens, school uniforms, graphing paper, loose leaf paper, colored markers, and notebooks. These supplies may not get Coghill, Fannie Williams, Schaumburg, Carver, Gregory, Reed, and Greater Gentilly H.S. through the entire year but it sure will help them for a good portion of it.

After making our way to the east and serving four schools we escaped the heat by ducking into a Gentilly McDonalds for lunch. Usually, this isn't my idea of a great lunch but the respite from being outdoors was great!!! After lunch we made our final rounds to three more schools and by 2:00 pm we called it a day.

What struck me (after doing this for five years) was the sincere appreciation shown by Principals and office personnel. Someone, in this case Schools Count, showed them that we cared. I am always amazed at their level of gratitude. Whether they get 50 boxes or 100 boxes of supplies, to a person, they feel as though someone cares for their students.

I'll blog some more later on regarding the conditions in NOLA, where public schooling stands, and our continuing efforts to supply schools with various resources.

Dick Flesher

Bound for NOLA!

Today we loaded the semi bound for NOLA schools. Wonderful volunteers: Barb Ioli, Corky and Julie King, Chris Freiler and his 2 children, Chris Wilbur, Laura Milas, Peggy Luther, Nancy Schuessler, Bob Skowronski (our last minute forklift Saviour), Andy Laux, Skip Begley, Maria O'Donnell, and Dawn Oler, all headed up by Dick Flesher. Starting at 9AM we counted, palletized, and shrink wrapped supplies for 16 schools. The items included, loose leaf paper, notebooks, graph paper, pencils, pens, school uniforms, band instruments, binders, folders, and a variety of teacher supplies and other items.

Delivery of these items will commence on Monday in NOLA, by an equally wonderful volunteer crew coming from all over to help deliver these items. We will update you later in the week on that.

Loading Tomorrow!

We are looking forward to seeing the volunteers tomorrow as we load trucks bound for NOLA with school supplies. 9AM-until done! Lunch provided! See you all there!