Child mental health experts to speak out on school closings
With the help of the wonderful CReATE members Diane Horwitz and Ann Aviles de Bradley, PURE is putting on a press conference next Tuesday, the day before the May 22 school closings vote, to present the concerns of child mental health experts about the negative impact of school closings on children.Here’s the press alert we just sent out:
Press Alert May 17, 2013
Contact:
- Julie Woestehoff, Parents United for Responsible Education. 773-715-3989
- Diane Horwitz, Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE). 847-332-2756
- Ann Aviles de Bradley, member of CReATE; Assistant Professor, Northeastern Illinois University. 773-339-8479
Child mental health experts raise serious concerns
about the impact of proposed mass school closings on children
Who/What: Social workers, counselors, and child mental health professionals from prominent Illinois and Chicago organizations and universities will present statements of concern about the negative impact of school closings on Chicago students social-emotional health, and will identify needed actions. Among those speaking will be- Dr. Erin Mason, President of the Illinois School Counselors Association.
- Dr. Francisco X. Gaytan, Assistant Professor, Social Work, Northeastern University.
- Dr. Cassandra McKay-Jackson, the Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois-Chicago.
- Erika Schmidt, Director of the Center for Child And Adolescent Psychotherapy of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis.
When: Tuesday, May 21, 2013, 10 am
Where: Room 244, Auditorium Building, Roosevelt University, Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway.
Why:The proposed school closings and consolidations will affect as many as 47,000 children in mostly low-income, under-resourced communities. Mental health experts know that these children and their families are already disproportionately affected by the cumulative effects of multiple stressors, impairing students’ ability to engage positively in school. Their expert research and experience substantiate the concerns raised by thousands of parents and others at school closing hearings for the emotional well-being, safety, and social adjustment of our children.