Why your Local School Council matters
By Sidney Madden | @sidney_madden_
🏫 POWER OF LSCs
Want to run for your Local School Council, or LSC? Here’s what to know.
1. LSCs wield more power than you might think: Parent, student, and staff representatives vote on school budgets and curriculums, and select and evaluate principals.
Need an example? The Jones College Prep LSC could vote to remove long-time principal Joseph Powers today. A few of the council’s parents have accused Powers of financial mishandling, chronic absenteeism, and failure to prevent discrimination and inappropriate teacher behavior, CBS Chicago and Block Club Chicago reported.
LSCs also recently started voting on whether to keep its two cops in high schools, which has resulted in one or both officers being removed from dozens of campuses.
2. Participation in LSCs is declining: CPS extended the deadline to apply to run until Wednesday after the district had only received about 700 applications for its 6,000+ open positions.
This comes after 900 empty seats were filled by appointments last election cycle, according to Chalkbeat Chicago.
3. LSCs could be a stepping stone if you’re interested in public office: Uptown resident and Goudy Technology Academy Local School Council member Nick Ward is running for 48th Ward alder.
👉 Apps are due Wednesday at 3 p.m. Elections are April 18–21.
đź’– LOVE IS (SOMETIMES) BLIND
The second season of Netflix’s dating show “Love Is Blind” has captivated audiences, and features a cast from Chicago. The show works like this: 30 strangers go on blind dates with the hopes of finding a spouse. They date with a wall between them, with no idea what the other looks like. But love triangles, false promises, and broken hearts ensue — as expected.
One of this season’s biggest stars is Deepti Vempati, the 31-year-old IT analyst who chose herself in the reality competition.
🎧 She shares her experience and whether she believes love is blind 👀
đź“° NEWSFEED
▪️ The Chicago Teachers Union announced it would be taking legal action after CPS said it is going mask-optional Monday. Universal masking was part of the district and union’s reopening agreement. [WTTW]
▪️ Calls to boycott McDonald’s are growing louder after the Chicago-based company has kept its Russian franchises open even as Putin has invaded Ukraine. [Crain’s Chicago]
▪️ Order four more at-home COVID tests from the federal government — for free!
▪️ The Loyola Ramblers and Sister Jean are headed back to the March Madness tourney 🏀 [Sports Illustrated]
▪️ Reporter Natalie Moore’s new fictional play “The Billboard” follows a fight for reproductive justice in Englewood. Get a copy today, and head to the launch event at Haymarket House Monday.
đź©° COVID THEN & NOW
Right before COVID-19 shutdowns started in 2020, reader Jessica I. Strang was at a food tasting at the Chicago Yacht Club for a Ballet Chicago gala that she co-chairs. “We were all sitting around, eating deliciously prepared items, and not knowing what would happen next.”
But last week, she went back to the CYC for a tasting for next month’s gala. And that’s what we call full circle 👏