Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies
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CPS Communication: Update Regarding Student Protections

9/3/2018

 
Dear CPS Parents and Families,

We are looking forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday and I can’t wait to kick off another great school year with you and your children. As we get closer to the opening of schools, I wanted to provide another update on our work this summer to ensure student safety.

We made an unprecedented effort this summer to ensure that all adults serving in schools have cleared a comprehensive background re-check. To date, we have completed these checks on a total of 43,332 employees, and I am pleased to let you know that 97.9% of them have been cleared to work in our schools.

While there is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of adults serving in our schools are fully committed to keeping children safe, the small minority of employees whose records are either still being processed or require deeper inquiry will receive the thorough review they deserve.

Adults who have not yet cleared our background check WILL NOT be permitted in CPS facilities until their background checks are complete. The safety of your children remains our highest priority and we will take every measure to ensure their wellbeing.
In addition to re-checking backgrounds on tens of thousands of adults, we’ve also taken these additional steps based on the recommendations of former Assistant U.S. Attorney and Executive Illinois Inspector General Maggie Hickey. Ms. Hickey released her preliminary report earlier this summer, and we have taken significant steps to act on her recommendations.

●  We created the district’s first Office of Student Protections and Title IX, which will be tasked to advocate for students, provide supports for survivors of abuse, and coordinate the district’s response to any allegations of abuse in our schools.
●  We formed a new partnership with the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (CCAC) to train all employees on identifying and reporting abuse, and provide survivors with the supports they need. Parents and community members can access these same trainings later this year at our 13 Parent University sites.
●  We have strengthened our Volunteer Policy to ensure principals have the authority they need to investigate and supervise the adults who volunteer inside their buildings. All volunteers who have regular contact with students must now register with the district annually, and have their backgrounds checked against sex offender registries and records maintained by the Department of Children and Families.
● Finally, CPS has launched a district-wide education and awareness campaign to help
students, staff, and community members better understand how to identify and report abuse. This includes updating our sexual education curriculum to make sure children have the tools to recognize inappropriate relationships and sexual abuse.

As CEO, I am committed to ensuring that CPS is free of sexual discrimination, harassment, and violence and we have left no stone unturned in our effort to ensure all adults who support our students are capable of fostering safe learning environments. I would like to thank everyone who has recognized the importance of this initiative to safeguard our students including LSC members, teachers, and principals who took time this summer to have their backgrounds re-checked.

I will continue providing updates as we work to strengthen student protections. I look forward to welcoming your children back for what I know will be a positive and productive school year and I thank you for your continued support of Chicago Public Schools.

Sincerely,
Janice K. Jackson, Ed.D
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago Public Schools




Estimados Padres y Familias de CPS,
Estamos ansiosos por darles la bienvenida a los estudiantes el martes y no puedo esperar para comenzar otro gran año escolar con usted y sus hijos. A medida que nos acercamos a la apertura de escuelas, quería proporcionar otra actualización de nuestro trabajo este verano para garantizar la seguridad de los estudiantes.

Hicimos un esfuerzo sin precedentes este verano para asegurarnos de que todos los adultos que prestan servicios en las escuelas hayan sido aprobados por medio de una verificación completa de antecedentes. Hasta la fecha, hemos completado estos controles en un total de 43,332 empleados, y me complace informarle que el 97.9% de ellos han sido habilitados para trabajar en nuestras escuelas.

Aunque no hay duda de que la inmensa mayoría de los adultos que sirven en nuestras escuelas están totalmente comprometidos con la seguridad de los niños, la pequeña minoría de empleados cuyos registros aún se están procesando o requieren una investigación más profunda recibirán la revisión exhaustiva que merecen.

Los adultos que aún no han sido aprobados por nuestra verificación de antecedentes NO Serán permitidos en las instalaciones de CPS hasta que se completen las verificaciones de antecedentes. La seguridad de sus hijos sigue siendo nuestra principal prioridad y tomaremos todas las medidas para garantizar su bienestar.

Además de volver a verificar los antecedentes de decenas de miles de adultos, también hemos tomado estos pasos adicionales basados en las recomendaciones de la ex Fiscal Federal Auxiliar e Inspectora Ejecutiva de Illinois, Maggie Hickey. La Sra. Hickey publicó su informe preliminar a principios de este verano, y hemos tomado medidas importantes para cumplir con sus recomendaciones.

Creamos la primera Oficina de Protección a los Estudiantes y el Título IX del distrito, que se encargará de abogar por los estudiantes, proporcionar apoyo a los sobrevivientes de abuso y coordinar la respuesta del distrito ante cualquier acusación de abuso en nuestras escuelas.
​

●  Formamos una nueva asociación con el Centro de Defensa de los Niños de Chicago (CCAC, por sus siglas en inglés) para capacitar a todos los empleados en la identificación y denuncia de abusos, y brindar a los sobrevivientes los apoyos que necesitan. Los padres y miembros de la comunidad pueden acceder a estos mismos entrenamientos a finales de este año en nuestros 13 sitios de la Universidad para padres.
●  Hemos fortalecido nuestra Política de Voluntarios para garantizar que los directores tengan la autoridad que necesitan para investigar y supervisar a los adultos que trabajan como voluntarios dentro de sus edificios. Todos los voluntarios que tienen contacto regular con los estudiantes ahora deben registrarse con el distrito anualmente, y deben verificar sus antecedentes contra los registros y registros de delincuentes sexuales que mantiene el Departamento de Niños y Familias.
● Finalmente, CPS ha lanzado una campaña de educación y concientización en todo el distrito para ayudar a los estudiantes, el personal y los miembros de la comunidad a comprender mejor cómo identificar e informar el abuso. Esto incluye la actualización de nuestro plan de estudios de educación sexual para garantizar que los niños tengan las herramientas para reconocer las relaciones inapropiadas y el abuso sexual.

Como Directora Ejecutiva, me comprometo a garantizar que CPS esté libre de discriminación sexual, acoso y violencia y no hemos escatimado esfuerzos en nuestro esfuerzo por garantizar que todos los adultos que apoyan a nuestros alumnos sean capaces de fomentar entornos de aprendizaje seguros. Me gustaría agradecer a todos los que han reconocido la importancia de esta iniciativa para salvaguardar a nuestros estudiantes, incluyendo los miembros de LSC, maestros y directores que tomaron el tiempo este verano para volver a verificar sus antecedentes.

Continuaré brindando actualizaciones mientras trabajamos para fortalecer las protecciones de los estudiantes. Espero poder darles la bienvenida a sus hijos por lo que sé que será un año escolar positivo y productivo, y les agradezco su continuo apoyo a las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago.

Sinceramente,
Janice K. Jackson, Ed.D.
Directora Ejecutiva
Escuelas Públicas de Chicago

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 Helen C. Peirce
School of  International Studies
1423 W. Bryn Mawr
Chicago IL, 60660
Phone: (773) 534 2440
Fax: (773) 534 2577

Fax: (773) 534-2577 
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Non-Discrimination Statement It is the policy of the Board to prohibit unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation on the basis of any protected category by the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and applicable federal, state or local laws or ordinances, including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), specifically, but not limited to, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on the basis of sexual orientation, gender or sex (includes gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and pregnancy-related medical conditions), race or ethnicity, ethnic group identification, ancestry, nationality, national origin, religion, color, mental or physical disability, age, immigration status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, genetic information, political belief or affiliation (not union-related), military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics in the educational programs or activities the Board operates.

Concerns or inquiries regarding sex discrimination, harassment, or retaliation can be made to the Board’s Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Student Protections and Title IX (OSP) or the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
  • Home
  • News
  • About
    • Our History
    • Mission & Vision
    • Continuous Improvement Workplan
    • Principal's Corner
    • Enrollment Information
    • Policies & Forms
    • Branding Guidelines
    • Support Peirce
    • Garden
  • Students
    • Classroom Websites
    • Sports
    • Student of the Month
  • Parents
    • Parent Communications
    • New to Peirce
    • Student Door Entry Assignments
    • Before & After School Programs
    • Restorative Practices
    • Counseling Department
    • Case Management
    • Parent Organizations
    • Volunteer Opportunties
    • Local School Council (LSC)
  • Staff Directory
    • Key Contacts
  • Academics
    • International Baccalaureate >
      • IB Primary Years Programme
      • IB Middle Years Programme
      • IB Learner Profile
    • Ready to Learn - Pre K
    • Art
    • Bilingual Program
    • Music
    • Physical Education
    • Dance
    • Spanish
    • Technology
  • Calendar