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“Sitting in a circle with dozens of students at Collins Academy on Chicago鈥檚 west side, Mayor Brandon Johnson asked a straightforward question: 鈥淲hat do you need?鈥�
Melvin Hines, a soft-spoken junior in purple track pants and a black zip-up jacket, chimed in: 鈥淢ore resources, better opportunities, and more exposure.鈥�
Answers from other students ricocheted around the room like a pinball: a law program, more connections to businesses, a grocery store in their neighborhood.
鈥淪ometimes it feels like the only thing that鈥檚 available for us are leftovers, right?鈥� Johnson said, nodding.
The roundtable discussion 鈥� organized with the local, state, and national teachers union, including American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, as well as district leaders 鈥� gave the mayor and his allies a moment to advocate for . The concept provides up to $500,000 a year to a school to partner with a local nonprofit on before- and after-school programming, community outreach, parent engagement, and other wraparound services.
Johnson has聽聽to grow the number of聽聽from 20 to as many as 200, possibly including Collins. It鈥檚 one of the ways he wants to聽.”