This is Urgent

Friends of Schools Count,

Below is a note I received from a Counselor at one of the elementary schools we work with in Chicago. I find it both sad and distressing that the children, their families and the school are facing these difficulties. Our charity WILL help them to the extent that we can. I omitted the name of the school and the counselor for obvious reasons (if you would like more info on the school please email me at rich219@comcast.net). They are hurting enough without seeing their names in print. If you would like to contribute towards these items simply send a check payable to Schools Count Corp., Dick Flesher, 20048 S. Kohlwood Dr., Mokena, IL. In the memo section please write the word 'holiday' so that the funds are exclusively used for the items below.

Many thanks,
Dick


We are completely tapped out for the holidays. Plus our STLS (Students in Temporary Living Situations) population has tripled this year. Here is a list of some items that we can use this year.
Christmas gifts for STLS families
Hygiene items
coats
hats, gloves, scarfs
Turkeys and non perishable Thanksgiving items
socks, underwear, boots
uniforms for our pre-k students Youth sizes small/medium
games
sport equipment
and any other items you can help us with.....

I hate to beg but we are hurting...

Enough Already

We entrust our teachers with the safety of the children of this country in addition to asking our nation's finest to educate our youth. This is as it should be. That being the case, it is time that local, state, and federal government bodies get out of the way of our nation's educational system.

Often the above government agencies create all sorts of accountability measurements and standards typically through all myriad number of standardized testing instruments. Let me be clear...every darn teachers who cares about kids realizes what it means to be held accountable. Their methods of being 'held accountable' are far more meaningful than those imposed from above.

Let local superintendents, principals, assistant principals, departments chairs, and teachers run their own affairs. It's time to restore both the integrity and system of educating our youth by putting it back in the hands of the professionals.

Dick

We Can and Must Do More

22,000,000 children live in poverty in America in 2015 and at least 15,000,000 kids often go hungry each day. Millions, yes millions, of our nation's youth are homeless. Who's to say how many are neglected, aren't afforded proper health care and aren't properly clothed.

I mention all of this because our charity works with many of these students. It is hard to fathom that the kids can perform well in school given these situations/conditions. I am not sure I would be able to do my best in school, or that I would even care about school, if I had to endure going without so many essentials.

What's important is this...the causes of the above conditions - no doubt - should be addressed; however, it is far more important to provide the assistance right now. Lives are at stake and we can't afford to wait any longer.

For the sake of everyone, let's keep on fighting for one another.

Dick

Listen to the Students

Late last week a number of CPS students descended upon the headquarters of the school system. The students know what is taking place and by taking place I mean that they understand real cuts have already been made to budgets and a reduction in the respective staffs has already taken place within the various buildings. The kids get it!!

When you get right down to it, the students have every right to protest the losses. Heck, they are the very ones who feel the impact of too few dollars, too few supplies and too few teachers.

Too often in this country a good number of people have admonished students for protesting. I say god love them for sticking up for their right to receive a decent education. In fact, that is exactly what we want people to do in terms of understanding their rights as well as to advocate for themselves. Expressing their First Amendment right in a responsible fashion is great to see. Also, having a desire to see the phrase 'with liberty and justice for all,' come to fruition is most noteworthy.

As I said, CPS, listen to the students.

Dick

Thanks for the Memories!

Last night's Hinsdale Central boys soccer banquet may well be the last one I ever attend. On the surface, one might say, "What on earth does this have to do with School Count Corp and assisting those children in need?" The answer is this...the night and the people involved have everything to do with our work.

This year the KICK initiative, headed by Mitch Collins, Bryan Loebig, Nick Silva and Jimmy Walker raised over $15,000!!! Never before has any endeavor, by any foundation raised such an impressive amount of funds so that our company can help others. It wasn't just that the KICK event raised that amount, they even involved soccer alumni!!!

My memories of my many decades of involvement with HC soccer as both a coach, timer and announcer are many. In total, as I write this brief blog, the many people who have been a part of this program have put a broad smile on my face. Your many acts of kindness, support and generosity are the likes of which I have never experienced.

I will ever be grateful!

Thanks for the memories,
Dick

Charters to Close

Thee fact that four south side charter schools are most likely to be closed in June of 2016 shouldn't come as a surprise. The four charters are languishing in terms of making academic progress. And that should come as no surprise since a good number of charter and non-charter public schools are having difficulties where the poverty rate is high among along with a whole host of other problems.

As noted in the past, the performance, generally speaking, of the charter schools compared with traditional neighborhood school is not all that different. Some charters do well, some don't, just as is the case with neighborhood schools.

The low academic performance of the four charters should not obscure the more important issues facing educators, families and students in the various types of buildings. Academic performance and progress are difficult to address where the environment presents serious problems well beyond the four walls of the building or the manner of organizing the school.

My issue is this...the four schools will close and the children will again go elsewhere but will the issues of low wages, unemployment, crime in the area, blight, and more be addressed? I have seen no evidence over the past years. What I would hope is that the CPS brass would look at the conditions that exacerbate the likelihood that growth is not taking place.

Merely shutting down any type of school, with little or no other attendant action, will do absolutely nothing.

Dick

All Sorts of Safety for Kids

I subscribe to the notion that there is a way to both make children and firearms safer. Look, it took us years to put seatbelts in vehicles to lessen the likelihood that there would be fewer deaths and injuries. Some people ranted and raved at the prospect of having to wear seatbelts and some cussed up a storm that it became law. In the final analysis we are all the better for adding this safety feature to cars.

Surely we can make sure that guns are safer. If the proposition is that guns and kids can be kept safer, as the starting point, why on earth wouldn't we want to take steps to ensure that both occur?

Let me go back to the car. You have to have a key to start the car (okay, I realize that many cars are keyless now). Is it possible that a person with a firearm would have to have a key to operate it? No key, no use of the gun. It is a random thought but, the point being, we need to sit down and take seriously any number of ways to improve gun safety and the safety of our citizens.

As I've intimated throughout the week, the fact that a 9 year old was gunned down ought to make all of us take seriously what the implications are for our friends, neighbors and families. Time to pull together.

Dick