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Local School Council
Gage Park LSC Representatives:
Principal:                        Anita L. Andrews
 
Parents:                      Celedon, Lucila          Chairperson
                                   Rodriguez, Mercedes  Vice-Chairperson
                                   Miranda, Josefina
                                   Sosa, Yolanda
                                   Tellez, Martha
                                   Ventura, Adela
 
Community Members:      Hermosillo, Eric
                                         Alfred Rodgers
 
Teachers:                         Ana Diaz, Secretary
                                        Susan Steinmiller
 
Student:                           Jasmine Lee
 
 
 
 
What Are LSCs?
 
Local School Councils (LSCs) are elected bodies at nearly every Chicago Public Schools (CPS) elementary, middle and high school. The LSC has 6 parents, 2 community members who are not parents of students at the school, 2 teachers, the principal, and, in high schools, a student member. The parents and community members are elected by the parents and community residents around the school. Teachers are selected by the school staff. These members serve for a two-year term. High school student members serve for one year. By law, the LSC chairperson must be a parent representative.
 
LSCs usually meet about once a month, though they may also hold special meetings to vote on budget and other items. The meetings are open to the public with a few exceptions (in cases where the LSC discusses personnel issues, for example) and the meetings must be posted with an announcement giving the time, date, and location of the meeting and what will be on the agenda. Parents and other interested people should also be able to call the school and find out when the meetings are held.

LSCs can be very effective in making change happen at schools. Many LSCs have committees where non-LSC members can participate. The public can also go to LSC meetings and speak out about what's happening in the school.
 
What have LSCs done?
 
LSCs have
  • Set up parent patrols
  • Replaced principals who were not attentive to school needs
  • Directed discretionary funds to pay for school bands and other fine arts programs
  • Created computer labs, lieve overcrowding
  • Fought for repairs, renovations, additions and new schools to relieve overcrowding
  • Helped move their schools off of academic probation
  • Set up before- and after-school programs
  • Established schools within schools programs
  • Implemented parent programs to increase parent involvement
  • Created gifted programs,
  • Established committees to involve more members of the school community in such areas as facilities, student climate, curriculum, parent involvement, budget, and school improvement planning, and
  • Encouraged active teacher leadership through Professional Personnel Leadership Committees.