HJ0105 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0105 LRB097 23453 NHT 72363 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Nearly 32,000 kindergarten through 8th grade students in City of Chicago School District 299 missed 4 weeks or more of class in the 2010-2011 school year; and

WHEREAS, Absenteeism in the elementary grades is particularly severe in African-American communities on the south and west sides of Chicago, which are marked by gang violence, unemployment, and poverty; and

WHEREAS, More than 20% of black elementary school students missed at least 4 weeks of school in the 2010-2011 school year, compared to 7% of whites and 8% of Hispanics; and

WHEREAS, Forty-two percent of kindergarten through 8th grade students with a disability or impairment missed 4 weeks of classes in the same school year, compared to 12% of students without a disability; and

WHEREAS, Nineteen percent of kindergarteners were officially listed as chronic truants because they accumulated 9 or more days of unexcused absences; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Truancy in Chicago Public Schools Task Force, consisting of all of the following members:

(1) The Governor or his or her designee;

(2) 1 member of the General Assembly, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(3) 1 member of the General Assembly, appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(4) 1 member of the General Assembly, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(5) 1 member of the General Assembly, appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(6) 1 representative from the Department of Children and Family Services, appointed by the Director of Children and Family Services;

(7) 1 representative from the State Board of Education, appointed by the Chairperson of the State Board of Education;

(8) 1 representative from the Board of Higher Education, appointed by the Chairperson of the Board of Higher Education;

(9) 1 representative from the Department of Human Services, appointed by the Secretary of Human Services;

(10) 1 representative from the Department of Corrections, appointed by the Director of Corrections;

(11) 1 representative from the Department of Juvenile Justice, appointed by the Director of Juvenile Justice;

(12) 1 representative from the Chicago Police Department, appointed by the Superintendent of Police;

(13) the Mayor of the City of Chicago or his or her designee;

(14) the Chief Executive Officer of City of Chicago School District 299 or his or her designee;

(15) 1 representative from an authority on housing in the City of Chicago, appointed by the head of that authority;

(16) 1 representative from a professional teachers' organization representing teachers in City of Chicago School District 299, appointed by the head of that organization;

(17) 1 representative from an organization that provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a holistic, scalable model, appointed by the head of that organization;

(18) 1 representative from a private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to stimulate and encourage the growth of the area's economy and its ability to provide for its people, appointed by the head of that organization;

(19) 1 representative from the Office of the Secretary of State, appointed by the Secretary of State;

(20) 1 representative from an organization in the City of Chicago dealing with children's disabilities, impairments, and social emotional issues, appointed by the head of that organization;

(21) 1 representative from a coalition for the homeless in the City of Chicago, appointed by the head of that organization;

(22) 1 representative from the Office of the Cook County Sheriff, appointed by the Cook County Sheriff;

(23) 4 chiefs of City of Chicago School District 299 from different areas of the city, appointed by the Chief Executive Office of City of Chicago School District 299;

(24) 4 public members, including a representative of a community-based organization serving school-age children, appointed by the Governor, and 3 public members representing the interests of child welfare advocates, education personnel, community-based organizations, faith-based institutions, criminal justice advocates, parents and guardians, and students (regardless of their ability, disability, advanced ability, or twice exceptionality), appointed by the Governor;

(25) 1 member from an organization representing charter schools, appointed by the head of that organization; and

(26) 1 representative of each public university in this State, appointed by the president of each of those universities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force shall meet initially at the call of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate and that members of the task force shall select a chairperson at the initial meeting and shall thereafter meet at the call of the chairperson; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education shall provide staff and administrative support to the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall be reimbursed for their travel expenses from appropriations to the State Board of Education available for that purpose and subject to the rules of the appropriate travel control board; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall examine issues and make recommendations related to current State Board of Education and City of Chicago School District 299 policies regarding truancy and excessive absences; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall identify different strategies and approaches to help educators and the City of Chicago School District 299 administration address the truancy and excessive absences epidemic in the City of Chicago, promote ongoing professional development to equip school personnel with the skills and knowledge necessary to reduce contributing factors to truancy and excessive absences, and support community-based organizations and parents in their ongoing efforts to encourage youths to adopt and practice positive social behaviors that will allow them to be successful in school and in their communities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall hold public hearings in the City of Chicago and shall report its findings to the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2013; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the Director of Children and Family Services, the Chairperson of the State Board of Education, the Chairperson of the Board of Higher Education, the Secretary of Human Services, the Director of Corrections, the Director of Juvenile Justice, the Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, the Mayor of the City of Chicago, the Chief Executive Officer of City of Chicago School District 299, the Secretary of State, the Cook County Sheriff, and the president of each public university in this State.