I’m a member of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Educational Equity Project Advisory Committee. The organization does important work in Chicago.

The Chicago Lawyer’s Committee on Civil Rights Under Law and the Education Law and Policy Institute at Loyola Law School are seeking volunteers for the Independent School Monitoring Project.

Pending the outcome of both federal and state litigation, Chicago will be closing as many as forty-nine schools and sending students to designated welcoming schools. The Independent School Monitoring Project is intended to assist in the orderly transition of children to new schools and ensure that their right to a high quality education is preserved during that process. Volunteers will work brief shifts in front of welcoming schools on the first days of the school year, talking directly with parents and students about their experiences at the new school. Volunteers will not provide legal advice, but will be given know your rights materials to hand out and will be able to provide legal referrals as needed.

Volunteering with the Independent School Monitoring Project will be a minimum three-hour commitment: one hour of training and two hours of monitoring time. Trainings will take place on Thursday, August 22nd from 5-6 p.m. and Friday, August 23rd from 9-10 a.m. (volunteers need only attend one of the trainings). We are exploring webcast options for those unable to attend an in-person training session. Monitoring sessions will be on the first two days of the school year for CPS students: Monday, August 26th and Tuesday, August 27th, with additional days of monitoring to be scheduled on an as-needed basis.

If you are interested in signing up, registration is available HERE. Please feel free to direct any questions to Eve Rips at [email protected]. Thank you so much for your interest.