South End Citizen 9-11-2019

City of Chicago Announces Expansion of Flexible Housing Pool — Page 3

Citizen Week of Sept. 11, 2019

| Vol. 52 | No. 31 | www.thechicagocitizen.com

SOUTH END

HOW ONE SCHOOL ON THE FAR SOUTH SIDE HAS UTILIZED THE OPPORTUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM

When Principal Cynthia Treadwell took over at Ira F. Aldridge Elementary School just four years ago, she said there was somewhat of a revolving door at the school.

According to information provided by Chicago Public Schools, the high turnover rate had a negative impact on the more than 180 students who attended the school. A level 2+ Chicago Public School, located on 630 E. 131st St. in Riverdale, 90.7 percent of the students at Aldridge Elementary are black.

PAGE 2 Cynthia Treadwell(left), principal at Ira F. Aldridge Elementary School, and Keya Black (right), a fifth-grade teacher at Ira F. Aldridge Elementary School, said they are thankful to be able to utilize the Opportunity Schools Program. Photo Credit: Katherine Newman

BUSINESS

NEWS

REAL ESTATE

Brown Honored Among Most Influential Women in Corporate America

Harper Tours Urban Farm with State Agriculture Director

Check out our real estate listings for important foreclosure information

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NEWS briefly EDUCATION

HIGHER EDUCATION GROUP NAMED FINALIST IN SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS PROGRAM The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) announced recently that a group of three community colleges and three universities in the Will County region, including the University of St. Francis (USF), Governors State University, Joliet Junior College, Lewis University, Moraine Valley Community College, Prairie State College, has been named a finalist for the 2019 AASHE Sustainability Awards for the group’s Growing Sustainable Communities Together Through Leadership in Higher Education project.

Winners will be announced in mid-September and recognized during the opening ceremony at the AASHE Conference & Expo in Spokane, Wash. on Oct. 27. Finalists’ entries will be judged on overall impact, innovation, stakeholder involvement, clarity and other criteria specific to each category.

“To be named a finalist for the AASHE award is a tremendous honor. It highlights the work of the South Metropolitan Regional Higher Education Consortium’s Sustainability Committee, leading the way to work together with our communities to be equipped to solve sustainability challenges now and for the future,” said Janine Hicks, sustainability coordinator at USF. To learn more about AASHE’s Sustainability Awards programs, please visit http://www.aashe.org/get-involved/awards/.

HEALTH

AMERICANS PUT THEIR CARS FIRST: TWO-THIRDS SERVICE THEIR VEHICLE MORE OFTEN THAN THEY GO TO THE DENTIST While the temperatures may be starting to cool down, things are just starting to heat up between Americans and their cars as the majority admit to having strong feelings of love toward their personal vehicles, according to a new Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) national survey. The survey uncovered that nearly three-quarters of Americans (73 percent) love their car a lot, and more than two-thirds (69 percent) have a significant amount of pride in their vehicle.

But just how deep does Americans’ love for their cars run?

The majority of respondents are more concerned with maintaining the health of their vehicle than their own oral health — nearly two-thirds of respondents (63 percent) confess they service their vehicle more often than they go to the dentist.

Americans’ preventive health care comes second, too, as more than half of respondents (57 percent) say they service their vehicle more than they see a doctor.

How One School On The Far South Side Has Utilized The Opportunity Schools Program Continued from page 1

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

When Principal Cynthia Treadwell took over at Ira F. Aldridge Elementary School just four years ago, she said there was somewhat of a revolving door at the school. According to information provided by Chicago Public Schools, the high turnover rate had a negative impact on the more than 180 students who attended the school. A level 2+ Chicago Public School, located on 630 E. 131st St. in Riverdale, 90.7 percent of the students at Aldridge Elementary are black.

Thankfully, in 2016, Aldridge Elementary became one of the first schools to receive staffing assistance from the Opportunity Schools Program which was created by Chicago Public Schools to connect hard-to-staff schools with qualified applicants.

“We are considered hard-to-staff and hard-to-retain because of the neighborhood, because of the community, and because of what happens inside the

school,” said Treadwell.

Through the Opportunity Schools Program, prospective teachers and staff members are pre-interviewed to determine if they are a good fit for the school and from there, the principal receives several resumes of qualified candidates.

“It’s a great opportunity just because oftentimes if I have a vacancy, I don’t always have a number of qualified candidates that apply. Through this program, we get a plethora of people or resumes that sit in front of us and it gives me an opportunity to really sell my school and what happens at my school to teachers that would not normally be interested,” said Treadwell.

One teacher, in particular, Keya Black, came to Aldridge Elementary, through the Opportunity Schools Program, after losing her position at another school because cuts needed to be made and she was fairly new there. She said that the Opportunity Schools Program has been good for her as a teacher because it gave her stability and has allowed her to

become a leader in the school.

“I was always on the chopping block and I was always the first one to go,” said Black. “This program gave me the assurance that it’s going to be okay and that won’t happen again because Aldridge needs me. Not because nobody else wants to teach those kids, but because I have the capacity to be an amazing teacher here and add to this building,” said Black.

Stability and job security are important to the teachers but even more than that, it impacts the students to see the same teachers return year after year and show that they are invested in the students and their education, according to Black.

“It means an absolute lot to these kids.

All of our kids here at Aldridge live in the neighborhood and the neighborhood itself is pretty small and tight-knit. The kids in third grade, they know when they get to the fifth grade, they’re going to be with Miss Black and they really look forward to that,” said Black.

LAW & POLITICS

UNDERWOOD TO HOST SERVICE ACADEMY FAIR Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) will host a service academy fair in the 14th District. Each year, Members of Congress may nominate up to ten individuals to four of the five U.S. service academies. Ahead of the October application deadline, Underwood will host a service academy fair for eligible students to learn more about each academy, the application process, and how to receive a nomination from their member of Congress. During these events, prospective cadets and midshipmen will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Details for the fair appear below: Naperville Service Academy Information Fair with Representatives Sean Casten (IL-6) and Bill Foster (IL-11) Saturday, September 14 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Naperville Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873 908 Jackson Avenue Naperville, IL To RSVP to this event please visit https://www.eventbrite. com/e/2019-service-academy-day-tickets-67260300369.

Underwood previously hosted a service academy fair at Huntley High School on September 3 in Huntley, IL.

State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, recently welcomed Illinois Department of Agriculture Director John Sullivan to Chicago to tour Growing Home, an urban farming organization in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.

Harper Tours Urban Farm with State Agriculture Director State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, recently welcomed Illinois Department of Agriculture Director John Sullivan to Chicago to tour Growing Home, an urban farming organization in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.

“Urban agriculture works to provide people with the opportunity for healthy living, meaningful eco-

nomic growth and jobs and environmentally-friendly communities,” Harper said.

“As a longtime urban agriculture advocate, I was proud to welcome Director Sullivan to Chicago’s South Side to see these goals in action through the incredible work of the Growing Home farm.”

Harper is the first African American woman to serve as the chairperson of the Illinois

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House Agriculture & Conservation Committee, where she has focused on efforts to expand urban agriculture to reduce food deserts. Sullivan was appointed as Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture in January 2019

by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and served in the Illinois State Senate from 2003 to 2017, leading the Senate Agriculture Committee. Harper and

Sullivan served together on Pritzker’s Growing Our Agricultural Economy Transition Committee.

Harper represents the 6th District, which includes all or portions of Armour Square, Bridgeport, Chicago Lawn, Englewood, Gage Park, Back of the Yards, Canaryville, New City, West Englewood, Marquette Park, South Loop and River North.

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NEWS

City of Chicago Announces Expansion of Flexible Housing Pool

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Thanks to a $1.5 million investment from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and Advocate Aurora Health over the next three years, the City of Chicago was able to announce the expansion of the Chicago and Cook County Flexible Housing Pool which supports residents experiencing homelessness with wrap-around services and access to affordable housing.

As one of the initial private funders for the Flexible Housing Pool, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will be investing $1 million in the program to help secure affordable housing for homeless residents and hopefully improve their quality of health as a result.

“The average life expectancy among America’s homeless is between 42 and 52 years old, much lower than the life expectancy for the general population at 78 years,” said Dr. Derek Robinson, chief medical officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “One estimate is that more than 80 percent of all homeless people have at least

one chronic health condition. By taking away the obstacle of homelessness, we can empower individuals to better manage their medical conditions and avoid complex problems like kidney failure, heart attack, stroke or blindness.”

The Flexible Housing Pool was created in 2018 with a $500,000 investment from the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund, $500,000 in 2018 City corporate funds, and $800,000 in housing and urban development funds from the Chicago Housing Authority, according to information provided by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.

The Flexible Housing Pool’s target clients are homeless individuals who frequently cycle through the criminal justice system or who often use local crisis response systems such as hospital emergency rooms, police stations, and paramedic services.

Outside of helping homeless individuals quickly connect with housing options, the Flexible Housing Pool also provides health and social support services for the residents they serve, ac-

The City of Chicago recently announced that the Flexible Housing Pool, a resource for homeless individuals to connect with affordable housing, would be expanding thanks to the programs first private donors. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois/Ben Hershey

cording to information provided by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.

“Homelessness should be everyone’s concern, and that is why we are joining forces with private and public entities to support a subsidy that quickly houses and provides supportive services for some of the hardest-to-reach homeless residents,” said Mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot. “We are grateful for those hospitals and organizations who have come forward to help address homelessness, and we hope others will follow suit.”

The first Flexible Housing Pool participant received housing in March 2019 and since then,

there have been a total of 26 individuals who have been housed, according to information provided by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.

“We invested in this program because we know helping people live well is about more than what happens when they see their doctor. Having a safe place to live is a big part of that whole-person care,” said Dr. Alvia Siddiqi, vice president of Population Health at Advocate Aurora Health. “We’re always looking for innovative ways to attend to important social needs that are fundamental to managing population health, and we’re proud to be a part of this effort.”

Millennials, Think You’re Digitally Better Than Us? Yes, According to Science Emails, instant messaging, app notifications, RSS feeds, and a plethora of social networks inundate almost every aspect of daily life from work to home or just keeping in touch socially.

Some people average more than four information technology (IT) switches per minute. This barrage of IT interruptions makes it increasingly difficult to focus on the task-at-hand.

Legend has it that millennials, specifically the “Net Generation,” use many technologies simultaneously, masterfully switching from one to the next. They claim that it’s easy and that they can do it much better than older generations. Research, so far, hasn’t proven this claim and the consequences of these incessant interruptions on attention and performance.

Florida Atlantic University researchers in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science are one of the first to examine this phenomenon in college-age students. The study provides some of the first results on whether or not “Net Genners,” who have grown up with widespread access to technology, are developing greater digital literacy than generations before them, and if this has enriched them with an ability to switch their attention more efficiently.

For the study, researchers simulated a typical working environment, complete with IT interruptions, to allow them to track the effects on participants’ inhibitory processes. One

“WE WERE REALLY SURPRISED TO FIND IMPAIRED PERFORMANCE IN THE GROUP THAT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INTERRUPTIONS. IT APPEARS THAT THE NET GENERATION THRIVES ON SWITCHING THEIR ATTENTION AND THEY CAN DO IT MORE EFFICIENTLY BECAUSE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IS WOVEN THROUGHOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES.” MÓNICA ROSSELLI, PH.D. Senior Author, Professor and Assistant Chair Of Psychology at Florida Atlantic University in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, And A Member of the FAU Brain Institute (I-BRAIN)

A new study provides some of the first results on whether or not “Net Genners,” who have grown up with widespread access to technology, are developing greater digital literacy than generations before them.

hundred and seventy-seven mostly college-age participants were divided into three groups: those who received IT interruptions; those who did not, and a control group. Researchers compared the three groups’ accuracy and response time on completing tasks, gauging their level of anxiety.

Results, published in the journal Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, indicate that there is no need to “pardon these interruptions,” at least for this younger generation. Findings show that switching between technologies did not deplete or diminish performance in the group that had the IT interruptions compared to the control

group or the group that did not receive IT interruptions. Unexpectedly, however, researchers discovered diminished performance in the participants from the group that did not receive any IT interruptions.

All three groups reported low levels of anxiety during the study. Seventy-five percent of two of the groups reported their anxiety as “not at all” or “a little bit,” and the researchers did not find any significant differences between groups.

“We were really surprised to find impaired performance in the group that did not receive any information technology interruptions. It appears www.thechicagocitizen.com

that the Net Generation thrives on switching their attention and they can do it more efficiently because information technology is woven throughout their daily lives,” said Mónica Rosselli, Ph.D., senior author, professor and assistant chair of psychology in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, and a member of the FAU Brain Institute (I-BRAIN), one of the University’s four research pillars. “Because younger generations are so accustomed to using instant messaging, pop-ups like the ones we used for our study, may blend into the background and may not appear surprising or unplanned, and therefore may not produce anxiety.”

Prior research in the general population has found that it takes about 25 minutes to return to an original task following an IT interruption and 41 percent of these interruptions result in discontinuing the interrupted task altogether. Emails alone cause about

96 interruptions in an eight-hour day with an added one-and-a-half hours of recovery time per day.

Results of the new FAU study sheds light on younger generations who have commonly used instant messaging as a major communication tool and this communication preference may reveal a perception gap between generations.

“How we adapt to technology and leverage it to our advantage by deciding what information we attend to at any given moment has substantial implications on our ability to remain valuable and productive in our respective work and education domains,” said Deven M. Christopher, co-author and a graduate psychology student at FAU. “Results from our study may provide a basis for further research, especially because younger generations are developing in a more connected world than preceding generations.”

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BUSINESS

Legislation Creates Worker Protection Unit in Attorney General’s Office Governor JB Pritzker recently signed legislation creating a Worker Protection Unit within the Office of the Attorney General which will protect Illinois workers from wage theft and other unlawful employment practices.

“When Illinoisans put in a hard day’s work, they deserve to be compensated fairly and treated with dignity, and this new Worker Protection Unit will make sure of it,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Attorney General Raoul and Leader Hoffman have led the charge to protect workers’ rights, and I’m proud to sign this legislation that ensures the state of Illinois expeditiously prosecutes employers violating state labor laws. Our hardworking residents deserve nothing less.”

The new unit law gives the Attorney General’s office the express authority to investigate and file suit against violators of the Prevailing Wage Act, the Employee Classification Act, the Minimum Wage Kwame Raoul Law, the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act and the Wage Payment and Collection Act. The new Worker Protection Unit will work collaboratively with the Illinois Department of Labor to detect unlawful conduct but may also take direct legal action against widespread and pervasive wage payment violations and unfair labor practices.

It also creates the Worker Protection Unit Task Force within the Office of the Illinois Attorney General to facilitate information sharing and collaboration between local and state prosecutors and regulators as well as promote a statewide outreach and enforcement effort targeting businesses that violate the state’s worker

protection laws. The task force will report on its work to the governor and General Assembly by December 1, 2020. Senate Bill 161 takes effect on January 1, 2020.

“Illinois’ diverse workforce is one of our most valuable assets, and I have long been committed to fighting unlawful employment practices, such as businesses stealing wages from and misclassifying their employees to undercut legal protections for workers. These practices harm workers, law-abiding businesses, and the Illinois economy,” said Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

“I appreciate Governor Pritzker signing this legislation to establish the Worker Protection Unit within the Attorney General’s office, and I would also like to thank Representative Hoffman and Senator Curran for partnering with my office to pass Senate Bill 161, which gives my office additional authority to protect the rights of hardworking Illinoisans.”

“Good, high-wage jobs are the backbone of a stable community. Businesses that step on their workers’ rights to widen their margins only weaken Illinois,” said House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville). “I applaud the governor for signing this legislation into law, reaffirming that Illinois workers deserve fair pay, safe working conditions and freedom from workplace discrimination.”

In 2018, Gov. Rauner vetoed substantially similar legislation – SB 193 in the 100th General Assembly – sponsored by then-Sen. Kwame Raoul and Rep. Jay Hoffman.

Danielle Brown

Brown Honored Among Most Influential Women in Corporate America Danielle Brown, vice president and chief information officer for Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), was recently honored among the “Most Influential Women in Corporate America” as chosen by Savoy Magazine.

Savoy Magazine, which announced its 2019 designees in its recent Summer issue, states that this group comprises the “definitive listing of African American Women achievers impacting corporate America.” The full list can be viewed online at SavoyNetwork.com.

Brown, who reports to Brunswick Chief Executive Officer David Foulkes, joined Brunswick in 2016.

She is charged with managing a world-class information technology function that creates value through the use of technology, while managing investment and focusing resources to improve operating efficiency and the organization’s ability to utilize analytics to provide a base for further innovation as well as to strengthen Brunswick’s connection to customers.

She has been in the information technology industry for over 20 years, focusing on the design and delivery of cross-functional transformational programs and technology initiatives that directly impact financial and operational performance. Brown recently was a finalist for the prestigious Chicago CIO of the Year Award for 2019 as well as included in Crain’s Chicago Business’ Tech 50 list for 2019.

Brown spent much of her career with DuPont. In her 16 years there, she held a series of

information technology roles of increasing responsibility, including Asia Pacific Applications Delivery, where she lived in Singapore with her family for three years; Global Chief Information Officer for Crop Protection, a $3.2-billion DuPont Strategic Business Unit; and IT Transformational Productivity Leader, where her leadership helped to significantly reduce costs through the deployment of new, aggressive breakthrough technology.

She has a bachelor of arts in computer science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania as well as earning a master of science in information systems, and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University and Drexel University, respectively.

Savoy’s Summer edition features a cover story on Oprah Winfrey and includes articles on Issa Rae, Gayle King, Tyra Banks, Regina King, Valerie Jarrett, and Serena Williams as well executive profiles such as that of Brown.

Selection of the Most Influential Women in Corporate America begins by examining the landscape of spheres of influence impacting Savoy’s readership including; corporate sector influence, scholastic achievement, career growth, community outreach and recognition. The information received from over 500 prospective candidates in diverse fields was prescreened by the selection committee, which included the Savoy editorial board and community leaders with representatives from the academic and business arenas.

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CITIZEN On The Move

Jerome Simmons

79th Street Annual Renaissance Festival The Annual 79th Street Renaissance Festival is one of the longest running neighborhood Festivals in Auburn Gresham. Each year promises to be bigger and better than the last. Now with nearly 20,000 attendees coming out annually to enjoy local food, retailers, organizations, and performers from all genres from cultural to modern dance and blues to hip hop, there is literally something for everyone.

As always, this family friendly festival was free and open to everyone. Remember that the Annual 79th Street Renaissance Festival is an opportunity for us to not only showcase our community and have a great time, it's also an opportunity to shop responsibly and locally on the southside of Chicago and to support the hard working, small businessmen and women.

Tiff Joy brought the crowd to its feet performing her hit song.

Father Michael Pfleger, St. Sabina, Ed Callahan, Callahan Funeral Home and Sgt E. Dixon CPD

Ald David Moore (37), pictured with 99 year-old Estelle Long, enjoying the Festivities.

IL Senator Collins gave away information on the U..S. Constitution and Citizen Newspapers..

MAYFAIR ACADEMY BIG SUCCESS AT AFRICAN FEST

Peggy Sutton Dir. Mayfair and Erin Bennett and kids

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CITIZEN | South End | Week of Sept. 11, 2019

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