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Prominent Chicago Entertainment lawyer Linda Mensch identified as woman killed in East Garfield Park hit-and-run – CBS Chicago

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Jessie J. Jackson
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CHICAGO (CBS) – Linda Mensch, a well-known lawyer in the music and film industry and a board member of the homeless prevention advocacy organization A Save Haven, died this week in a misdemeanor leaked into the West Side of town.

Police said at around 3:50 p.m. Thursday, a black GMC Savana pickup truck struck the 70-year-old woman in the 300 block of North Central Park Avenue near Fulton Boulevard in East Garfield Park.

READ MORE: Person injured in Eisenhower highway shooting

Police said the van struck and killed a 70-year-old woman in East Garfield Park on August 26, 2021. (Source: Chicago Police)

Although the driver stopped at the crash scene, he got back into the van and fled north on Central Park Avenue.

Mensch was later pronounced dead.

(Source: Chicago Police)

Mensch’s daughter, Jess Heyman – a New York County Defense Services attorney in Manhattan – told CBS 2 the details of what she heard.

“He hit her first, I guess, then got out of the car and came in, then left and dragged her body under the car for several yards,” Heyman said.

Heyman said the driver was driving at “insane speed” and drove recklessly, and believes it is likely that Mensch died as a result of being dragged.

Mensch was a New York native who, according to his friend and colleague Lynn Orman Weiss, became a “Chicago warrior for the arts – musicians, writers, authors, filmmakers – and a staunch advocate for artists’ rights.”

Mensch had been vice president and president of the Chicago Recording Academy in the 1990s and started a pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles where all of the Chicago artists and nominees performed, Orman Weiss wrote.

Linda Mensch at the Haven of Peace Gala

Linda Mensch at a Safe Haven Gala. (Credit: Lynn Orman Weiss)

Orman Weiss provided photos showing Mensch with icons such as Grammy-winning Chicago folk and children’s musician Ella Jenkins – who was Mensch’s long-time client – as well as blues guitarist and Grammy winner David “Honeyboy” Edwards.

Linda Mensch, Ella Jenkins

Linda Mensch and Ella Jenkins. (Credit: Lynn Orman Weiss)

Linda Mensch, David 'Honeyboy' Edwards

Linda Mensch with David ‘Honeyboy’ Edwards, (Credit: Lynn Orman Weiss)

Mensch also had a passion to help the homeless, which led her to get involved with A Safe Haven.

READ MORE: A man shot dead in a small village

Linda Mensch at the Haven of Peace Gala

Linda Mensch at a Safe Haven Gala. (Credit: Lynn Orman Weiss)

Safe Haven chairman and co-founder Neli Vazquez Rowland released a statement on the loss of Mensch on Saturday.

“Linda S. Mensch has been an incredible life force in her professional career as an award-winning lawyer in the music and film industry,” Rowland said in the release. “She has also been an extraordinary and dedicated member of the A Safe Haven Board of Directors and a champion of the homelessness cause for over 12 years. As a friend, she touched the lives of thousands of people from all walks of life and was loved by all. Her legacy will truly live on in the hearts and minds of all of us who knew her and were inspired by her intelligence, compassion, kindness, humor and joy.

Mensch was legal counsel to Mandell Menkes LLC and Leavens, Strand and Glover LLC Entertainment, and was also president of her own law firm, Safe Haven said.

Linda Mensch and her daughter Jess Heyman

Linda Mensch and her daughter Jess Heyman. (Credit: Lynn Orman Weiss)

Heyman said her mother was Chicago’s first female entertainment lawyer and loved by many.

Heyman also said his mother was a cheerful person who lived to connect with others.

“She’s led an amazing life in color,” Heyman said. She said her mother loved traveling, eating and listening to music, and loved hearing people connect and find out what their dreams were.

“All she wanted was to find a way to make your dream come true – and find the right person to connect with; the producer, the job or whatever, ”Heyman said.

Linda mensch

(Credit: Lynn Orman Weiss)

Heyman said Mensch had “really, really lived” until the end and had just been kayaking last weekend.

Heyman said her mother also inspired her to become a lawyer and called her “glamorous, brilliant, enthusiastic and charismatic inspiration.”

“I felt like a giant foot had trampled on me,” Heyman said upon hearing the news of his mother’s death. “I felt sort of flattened with grief.”

Police released surveillance footage of the pickup truck, which bears the Illinois specialty White Sox license plate number 11285WS.

NO MORE NEWS: Chicago Park District CEO Mike Kelly resigns after Mayor Lori Lightfoot says he should be fired for handling lifeguard sex abuse scandal

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call the Major Accident Investigation Unit at 312-745-4521.


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Chicago culture is too hot

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Jessie J. Jackson
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It’s been a hot and sweaty week, no doubt about it, but getting some vitamin D at outdoor festivals (or just getting out of the house into someone else’s air conditioning) might be good for him. humidity blues. Here are some of the best bets for the week ahead.

Taste of Greektown brings Greek music and Greek food to Halsted between Van Buren and Adams this weekend (sold 08/27 4-10pm; Sat 08/28 & Sun 08/29 12-10pm). More information is at festival website.

The northwest side will have flashback moments with Gladstone Park Retro music festival (featuring a classic car contest and a pet parade), which runs Friday August 27 (5:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.), Sat August 28 (11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) and Sunday August 29 (11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.). The festival lives in the area around the 6000 block north of Milwaukee Avenue, and more information can be found at festival website.

Navy Pier hosts a libation celebration with Saturday Chicago Margarita Festival, held in two paid sessions (11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to midnight) at the Miller Lite Beer Garden on the pier. Visitors must be 21 and over (natch) and will appreciate liquor vendors, salsa and reggae DJs, and more liquor vendors (hey, at least they were being honest when they named this thing). Tickets are available at festival website.

Sat 28/08 and Sun 29/08, 12 pm-10pm: My house music festival takes over Harrison Park in Pilsen this weekend with a celebration of house music, with DJs on both days (headliners and highlights include Felix Da Housecat, Mike Dunn, DJ Deeon and Ron Trent) as well as food vendors and family art activities. Tickets start at $ 25 and are available at festival website.

Edgewater Arts Festival features 70 artist, music and food vendor stalls around the 1100 block west of Granville this weekend (Sat 8/28 and Sun 8/29 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.). Donations bring beautification projects to the neighborhood, and you can check out more information at festival website.

Bronzeville Blues brings a huge roster of blues musicians to the areas around the original location of the multi-story Checkerboard Lounge on Sunday 08/29 from 12pm to 7pm. Visitors can listen to the music on three separate stages near 43rd Street and Calumet. The day also includes food trucks and walking tours of important art and blues sites in the neighborhood. See more information about the festival website and learn more about the Chicago blues in 2021 in Reader article by contributor James Porter here.

Fri 08/27, 6 p.m .: The outdoor Spark summer music series brings Rich Jones with Justice Hill, Lester Rey and Radio Free Honduras with Charlie Baran to Kosciuszko Park for a free show. Details are available on Facebook.

Sat 28/08, 8.30am-4pm: Cheer on this year’s racing teams as they compete in the 2021 Dragon Boat Literacy Race. You can have fun at Ping Tom Park and donations go to neighborhood literacy programs. More information is available on the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce website.

Sat 28/08, 6 p.m .: General admission lawn tickets are still available for the Wilco, Sleater-Kinney and NNAMDÏ show at the Pritzker Pavilion tonight. Read Reader preview of contributor Monica Kendrick’s concert here.

Sat 28/08, 6 p.m .: Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents Dream, a “reimagining” of the outdoor community A Midsummer Night’s dream, in Kelvyn d’Hermosa Park. Created by Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel and Cage Sebastian Pierre, the show partners with community arts organizations (the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center is the Hermosa partner). There are additional performances at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31 at Piotrowski Park in Little Village, Thursday 9/2 at West Pullman Park, and Saturday 9/4 at Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown. The performances are free, but registration is suggested at Chicago Shakes website in case of last minute changes.

Sun 08/29, 11 am-8pm: State Sundays has lived in Lake State Street in Madison on select Sundays this summer, and today is one of the last chances to enjoy the free entertainment, pop-up vendors, and art exhibits that take over the section closed to automobile traffic from downtown for the afternoon. Today’s highlights include street food, interactive art from the Freakeasy art collective, a chance to get a poem written for you by the writers of Poems While You Wait (5 p.m. to 5 p.m.), and a 7pm performance by the country ensemble Girls of the Ouest d’or. See more details about this free family event on Chicago Loop Alliance website.

Tue 31/08, 9 p.m .: Chicago indie duo Orisun perform at The Hideout. Read Reader Senior writer Leor Galil’s concert preview here.

Wed 9/1, 4 pm-7pm: You can sweat in a fun way while learning new moves in Dancing at the box, an ephemeral event in Boxville (332 E. 51st) created by Denita Inez and Desueño. The event also offers mini-lessons in Latin dance (bachata, salsa and merengue), also featuring freestyle and Latin dance online. It’s family-friendly and free.

Thu 9/2, 8 p.m .: During the closure, the online comedy game show Wisecrackin ‘, created by Chicago comedian and Second City instructor Angie McMahon, featured comedians competing against each other to provide the best punchline for a setup they are seeing for the first time. The show makes its inaugural debut live at The factory of laughter, but it still has a virtual component: comedian / actor / improviser Greg Proops will join online from Los Angeles. Tickets are $ 10 live, and you can also stream through the Wisecrackin ‘ Facebook page and Tic channel.


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Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum among many Chicago attractions requiring masks again

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Jessie J. Jackson
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Learn about Shedd Animal Ambassadors and hear from a Guardian

Meet and greet the animal ambassadors at the Shedd Aquarium. Andrea Oake with Shedd Aquarium shares how they care for the animals at the aquarium, upcoming offerings and support.

CHICAGO – Chicago’s major museums are again requiring masks for all visitors over 2 years of age, whether or not they are vaccinated.

The Shedd Aquarium began requiring guests to wear masks on July 31. The Field Museum began requiring all building occupants over the age of 2 to wear masks from August 2. The Art Institute of Chicago also requires masks.

While these are the main museums that visitors think of when they think of Chicago, other museums require masks as well:

  • The National Museum of Mexican Art has demanded masks since it reopened on July 1.
  • The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago requires masks.
  • The Chinese American Museum requires all visitors to wear masks, regardless of their immunization status.
  • The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture requires masks for unvaccinated people.
  • The Polish Museum of America has been demanding masks since it reopened on May 29.
  • The Hellenic National Museum has not yet reopened; it should reopen in September.
  • The Heritage Museum of Asian Art remains closed with no reopening date.

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Chicago Comics: MCA and Chicago Culture Center Exhibits Take a Serious Look at Funny

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Jessie J. Jackson
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Dale Messick Brenda-Starr 2-21-1954

Chicago’s major contributions to the comic book industry are unprecedented. The art form that through the ages hasn’t always gotten the respect it deserves is finally being recognized as it should be with two major simultaneous exhibitions in Chicago.

Exhibitions

  • Chicago: Where Comics Came to Life (1880-1960) at the Chicago Cultural Center (CCC)
  • Chicago Comics: 1960s to Now ”, until October 3, 2021 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)

Overview

For more than a century, Chicago has nurtured the art of comics and has been home to some of the world’s most important cartoonists.

Together, the two must-see exhibitions explore the art and heart of this period that spans 140 years of comics.

Exhibits can be covered in any order. to 1960 “before seeing the MCA exhibition which runs from 1960 to the present day.

Although the exhibits vary in style, scope, and emphasis, they were designed as complementary exhibits to be performed simultaneously to provide an introspective historical exploration of comic art.

The CCC exhibition organized by the artist and author Chris Ware and the City of Chicago Cultural Historian Emerituss, Tim Samuelson, discusses Chicago’s role in the development of the first comic book. The exhibit showcases popular comics of the day as well as the importance of African-American cartoonists and female cartoonists with small-scale graphics and commentary.

The MCA exhibit, curated by comic book historian and general curator Dan Nadel and MCA chief curator Michael Darling, focuses on rediscovering the work of African-American artists, women and BIPOC, showing comics as a democratic medium.

The show redefines what many think of when they think of comics.

In other words, there’s a lot more here than reproductions of your favorite Sunday funnies pages.

1880 to 1960

McCutcheon 1905

An important but often overlooked contribution to American art and culture is highlighted in the CCC exhibit.

The exhibition focuses on the origins of comics in popular publishing, the importance of African American cartoonists and publishing, the first female designers and editors, and the first daily comic strip.

Visitors will be treated to many forgotten comics from the past, including the work of Frank King’s “Gasoline Alley” (released in 1918 and pictured above). King’s popular comic book captured the rhythms and tone of everyday existence in his characters who not only aged at the same daily rate as his newspaper readers, but were also fictional versions of real people.

WHEN: from June 19 to October 3, 2021, open every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. *

O: Chicago Cultural Center (77 E. Randolph St.), Sidney R. Yates Gallery, 4th Floor North

from the 1960s to today

Chicago’s central role as a national and innovative center for comics and cartoons is at the center of the MCA Exhibition. This major exhibition showcases the last 60 years of the city’s artistic comic book history, showing how comics are a democratic medium that allows artists to speak directly to people in meaningful ways.

Over 40 cartoonists, from the tradition of Dick Tracy to Lynda Barry, Lilli Carré, Daniel Clowes, Nick Drnaso, Edie Fake, Emil Ferris, Nicole Hollander, Charles Johnson, Kerry James Marshall and Chris Ware, among others are represented by bands comics, graphic novels, zines, original drawings, dioramas, commissioned films, installations, rare ephemera and books.

Lynda Barry, 100 Demons: Dancing, 2000-02. Courtesy of Adam Baumgold Fine Art

The exhibition focuses on rediscovering the work of African-American artists, women and BIPOC.

It is divided into four key sections covering the history of Chicago comics, including:

  • 1960-70: the metro
  • 1980-1990: alternative weeklies, comics and zines
  • 1990-2000: graphic novels and community
  • 2010-Now: Chicago Rising

WHEN: June 19-October 3, 2021

OR: Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.


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Little Chicago Entertainment is looking for an Escape Game Rummer

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Jessie J. Jackson
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Details

Category: Local News

Little Chicago Entertainment is looking for an “escape room digger” after someone breaks into their building and steals props.

Shortly before midnight on Sunday, the individual was able to access the building through a side entrance and two locked doors.

Fortunately, the culprit did not enter any other area of ​​the business or building.

Courtney Brewer is one of the owners of Little Chicago Entertainment.

“Luckily they didn’t go further than what’s in the video, which we’re very grateful for. It was really, really weird that they weren’t digging any more.”

Although there was no sign of a break-in and nothing of value was stolen, the individual took some accessories and tools.

“We had some of our escape room accessories taken. It is of no value to anyone but us; it takes a lot of different locks and tools that we need to change some of the accessories in. the room. The average person doesn’t have the codes for these locks or anything, so they’re kinda useless, but for us it’s a big deal because we can’t handle this room until that we get them back. “

You can see the individual’s security footage below.


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Help save Chicago’s entertainment venues with double vinyl from 25 of Chicago’s best bands

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Jessie J. Jackson
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This is an archived article and the information in the article may be out of date. Please look at the history’s timestamp to see when it was last updated.

Situationchicago supports independent Chicago concert halls so that artists always have stages to perform on. This double vinyl record brings together 25 of Chicago’s top bands / artists to support 25 of Chicago’s favorite live music venues that are closed indefinitely due to the pandemic. Available exclusively on bandcamp at situationchicago.com.

Pressed locally and supported by Chicago-based sponsors – Smashed Plastic, Revolution Brewing, Malört / CH Distillery, Dark Matter Coffee, and Nature’s Grace & Wellness – results in a project entirely in Chicago; and with up-front costs covered, 100% of record sales will be split between sites to help them survive. The future of the Chicago music community depends on our support, so that all Chicagoans benefit from the rich and historic musical culture that has always and should continue to exist here.

Discover other segments of the Chicago scene
Think you have a good idea of ​​a Chicago scene? Tell us!

Music rooms benefiting from the sales of this project (alphabetical order):
Beat the kitchen
Mustache Coffee
by Cole
Dorian’s through the record store
Emporium Arcade Bar
Empty bottle
Fulton Street Collective
GMan Tavern
Hiding place
Liars Club
Lincoln Room
martyrs
The Subway
Moe’s Tavern
The promontory
Reggie’s Rock Club
Schubas Tavern
Silver Room
Sleepy village
Smart bar
Underground
Thalie Room
Tonic Room
Uncommon ground
The whistler


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6 Chicago attractions open to visitors in July

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Jessie J. Jackson
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With the continued (and cautious) implementation of Phase 4 in Chicago, we are seeing more and more businesses and attractions reopen across the city. Many of us are eager to regain some semblance of normalcy – at least when it comes to our summer activities – but many of us also exercise great caution when considering taking advantage of the warm weather. Check out these Chicago attractions reopening to locals and tourists, and implementing sanitization measures, face mask requirements, timed entry procedures, and a number of additional precautions.

Photo credit: Navy Pier

See what’s happening at Navy Pier this summer

Navy Pier caught your eye? Check out our guide to what’s happening at the pier this summer!

See what’s happening at Navy Pier this summer

chicago attractions
Photo credit: 360 Chicago Facebook page

875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago IL 60611

From the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building, you can once again admire the entire city center like Mufasa and Simba overlooking the savannah. You might not be Simba, and all that the light touches won’t someday be yours, but at least if you’re a Chicago resident with a zip code 606, you can get 50% off tickets all year round with a valid ID.

Photo credit: Lincoln Park Zoo Facebook page

2001 N Clark St, Chicago IL 60614

As always, the Lincoln Park Zoo remains free but requires reservations in order to preserve social distancing within the zoo. For now, many indoor animal spaces will be closed, but the grounds will be open for walking around and making new animal friends (human friends should keep their distance).

chicago attractions
Photo credit: Millennium Park Facebook

201 E Randolph St, Chicago IL 60601

The home of the Bean (or Cloud Gate, to some), the Crown Fountain, and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion is now open to groups of 10 or less, as long as everyone in those groups has masks and physically distancing themselves. Even the large lawn has reopened with painted circles that provide a visual aid for conscientious social distancing.

navy pier summer
Photo credit: Navy Pier

600 E Grand Ave, Chicago IL 60611

Many of the pier’s outdoor dining establishments are open for business, as well as Crystal Gardens and Chicago Sports & Novelty. Really, during these short summer months most of the fun and quality time to spend is outdoors anyway, preferably with an ice cream cone or tamales.

chicago attractions
Photo credit: Shedd aquarium

1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago IL 60605

If you’ve watched Instagram videos of Wellington (a resident penguin in Shedd) and are ready to visit him in person, you’re in luck! The Shedd Aquarium reopens July 3 and requires face coverings and advance purchase of scheduled entry tickets.

chicago attractions
Photo credit: Maggie Daley Park

337 E Randolph St, Chicago IL 60601

The alleys of the park, the Rink Café and the mini-golf are now open, as well as the “ribbon”, where you can roller-skate or use a scooter; until recently you had to bring your own equipment to the ribbon, but rollerblade and scooter rentals are again available on site. If your kids have been bouncing off the walls in your house in recent months, this might be a great place to hang out (with face masks on).

At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think it matters.

Let us know what matters to you in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!

Featured Image Credit: Maggie Daley Park

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Rapper Kanye West Joins Chicago Police Brutality Protest Entertainment News & Top Stories

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Jessie J. Jackson
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LOS ANGELES – American rapper and fashion designer Kanye West has taken to the streets to protest against George Floyd, a black civilian who died after a police officer knelt by his neck during an arrest.

West, 42, joined the protests in Chicago on Thursday, June 4, according to USA Today. The protest, organized by youth-led activism group GoodKids MadCity, involved a march to the Chicago Police Department headquarters.

However, the orderly protest quickly turned chaotic when news of his arrival spread. The protest organizers were furious at the mess and one of them, Taylore Norwood, 20, announced to the crowd via a megaphone that the Chicago March was a youth-led protest and that it was not didn’t want a celebrity to hijack her.

West left after a while, allowing the protest to take its course. News of the rapper joining the Black Lives Matter protests came just hours after he announced he would pay legal bills for the family of Breonna Taylor, another victim of police brutality.

Taylor was shot at least eight times in her own apartment in Louisville, Ky. On March 13 by police officers serving a search warrant without knocking.

West’s rep Tammy Brook confirmed to USA Today that West will donate US $ 2 million (SGD $ 2.78 million) of her own money to support Taylor’s civil lawsuit against the Louisville Metro Police Department , as well as to support the families of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

Earlier this week, West’s wife Kim Kardashian offered to pay the medical bills for a protester seriously injured by a rubber bullet in Louisville, Ky.


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Chicago attractions offer virtual access amid coronavirus

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Jessie J. Jackson
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CHICAGO, IL – Residents of the Chicago area can still enjoy the city’s best attractions while following orders from across the state to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. You can experience a new “adventure” every day with your phone, computer or tablet, as several museums and attractions in Chicago and around the world offer free access to tours, exhibits and more.

You can check who’s open for virtual business by simply going to your favorite attraction’s website, or better yet, let Google Arts & Culture search for you. Thanks to this platform, you can search for your favorite spots, find out what is “Nearby” or “Explore”.

Other area attractions offer daily events and updates, including the Field Museum’s “Experience the Field at Home” activities for all ages, and frequent tweets on the Museum’s Twitter page. Sue the dinosaur.

Stay tuned for updates on Precautions in the Chicago area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Be sure to follow the Brookfield Zoo’s “Bring The Zoo To You” weekday show, from 11 am CST Monday through Friday on the zoo’s Facebook page.

Email details of family friendly virtual activities taking place in Chicago area locations to [email protected]



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What Changed at George Washington High School in Chicago

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Jessie J. Jackson
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The term “educational reform” can evoke visions of top-down testing mandates. Even some supporters have dropped the term.

Yet our current system does not adequately prepare students for life after school. Perhaps, then, it is time to rethink how we are going to reform education. Perhaps we should instead turn to a holistic model that includes teachers, students and communities, focusing on relationships. and The data. Where many of us seek to fill the current gaps in democracy through education, we could also fuel education through democracy.

This is exactly what happened at George Washington High School, a public school in Chicago.

Less than a decade ago, Washington High was named a struggling Illinois priority school because it had ranked in the state’s top 5 percent for the past three years. The school is located in the far southeast of Chicago, in an 89% Latin American community just across the border from Indiana.

But over the past nine years, the school has taken a turn. Chicago Public Schools now consider it a Level 1 school, the highest ranking in the system awards. Academic success is up, disciplinary incidents are down, and the school feels like a place where students thrive.

During a recent visit to the school, members of the CivXNow Coalition witnessed these changes in action. When our team entered the school, we were immediately approached by a student asking what we were doing there. The question made us smile at the pride and sense of belonging that the student felt towards his school.

Our team visited a regular civic education class where students were engaged on issues that matter to them. We also visited an advanced placement government civic education course for first-year students, which in itself is unusual given that advanced placement courses are typically for students in the upper grades. The task that day was to study the results of survey data related to improving school meals, build arguments based on the data, and then select the best arguments to present to the principal. In separate work, students designed their own survey of the study room and its use, which included a review of how much homework teachers should assign. The students worked in groups and presented their work orally and in writing. They had written reports and were about to discuss them with the teachers and the principal.

The most striking aspect of our visit was how much the students and teachers seemed to care about their school.

During our visit, Director Kevin Gallick didn’t point out a single magic solution or a clever set of talking points. The story of improving their school is not one of those made-for-television success stories that abound on the conference circuit. Instead, it’s the story of a true transformation that took time, respectful relationships across the building and with the community, and a commitment to excellence in academics.

After conducting a number of interviews, we learned that the change in Washington involved a focus on basic literacy, along with a new principal, some excellent teachers, and a new state requirement for education. civic at the secondary level.

The state of Illinois has some of the strictest civic education mandates. Although the principal initially saw these mandates as another obstacle, the legislation proved essential to the transformation of the school. The state provided funding and requirements for the classes where most of the changes started. It also funded the necessary teacher training. Becoming a school of democracy and placing civic education and civic empowerment at the heart of the school’s mission was essential to Washington’s efforts to embark on a process of school transformation.

Civic life is, after all, about the connection between community members, our relationships with each other, and how we solve problems together. The framing question for civic education, as Peter Levine, professor at Tufts, puts it, is’ what should we do? ”This presupposes the existence of an“ we ”, and there is no unrelated civic life between individuals. The foundation of an effective school culture is flourishing civic life within the school community. based on tackling challenges together. It may not be the same in every community. The “fabric” will be different, but these core principles remain the same.

At Washington High, students had the opportunity to make their voices heard and to make change within the school. Students were allowed to vote to remove the requirement for school uniforms, and a student voice committee was formed to make improvements to the school grounds and facilities. The committee addressed issues such as lead in the water, a leaky roof and a poor bathroom. Giving students and faculty more say in decisions has fostered a culture of respect and trust.

Is Washington High School Still Having Problems? Sure. The roof is still leaking. But all members of the community now have an active role in the success of the school. They will continue to work together and hold themselves accountable for providing or receiving a great education.

Investing in the civic life of schools suggests a path for a new kind of educational reform, in which fueling democracy through education will also fuel education through democracy.

Louise Dubé is the Executive Director of iCivics, the civic education non-profit organization founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and one of the founders of CivXNow.org.

Last updated August 1, 2019


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