Two Hundred and Fifty Eight Public School Students Shot in Chicago Last Year

The numbers are staggering: last year in Chicago, 258 public school students were shot, on their way to or from school, according to a report in the New York Times. Of these, 32 were shot fatally, as they made their way through gang-infested territory and drug wars.

Alarmed by these statistics, the school district conducted a survey to identify the next 250 victims most likely to be shot. As a result, since last December, each of those 250 students has had a professional advocate who is available 24/7, and whose job is to keep their student safe, in school, and on track to graduation. That can mean many different things: driving the student home from school, finding him a place to live if he is homeless, or spending time with him in the hospital. More than one of these advocates has sat next to a young person in a hospital emergency room after bullets ricocheted through his charge’s body.

Having taught in a school district where one section of the students, from East Palo Alto in California, routinely had to deal with the death by shooting of friends and family members, I can say that these kids are tough, and they learn to deal with it. But a kind of despair settles over them, and it shouldn’t be this way.

Experts are watching the Chicago program carefully, since it represents the most intensive safety intervention ever tried in big-city schools.

“I don’t know of anything like this either in scope or scale or intensity,” said Michael Casserly, the executive director of the Council of Great City Schools. “It is strikingly well-planned at the strategic level, backed with really unique data and followed all the way down to the kid level with 24/7 coverage. I don’t know anything in the country quite like it.”

For many of these students, not only do they not have the support structure of family and friends, but family and friends may be hurting, not helping, if they are even in their lives at all. High-risk students are often alone as they face homelessness, gang activity, drug abuse and school failure. Having an advocate to turn to can be life-saving.

Success! Monique Bond, spokeswoman for the Chicago Public Schools, said that attendance was up and suspensions and misconduct were down, among students with advocates. Systemwide, 218 students were shot this school year, 40 fewer than last year, with 27 of the shootings being fatal, compared to 32 last year.

Obviously, just one death is one too many, but it seems that kids in Chicago are a little bit safer as they get to school every day. Kudos to the Chicago advocates.

Read more: education

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

peggy p.

11:16PM PST on Jan 7, 2012

good program! i remember a movie, way back when, about a principle who put chains on the doors to keep the bad guys out of the school. he of course got into trouble with the law, but maybe he was ahead of his time.

send a green star

trina f.

11:11PM PST on Jan 7, 2012

great program! We need them all over this country...

Philippa P.

8:37PM PDT on Aug 13, 2010

Here's hoping it works and violence is reduced in these schools.

Vanessa S.

4:42PM PDT on Aug 11, 2010

This seems like a really good idea that seems to be working pretty good so far. Praise God for people who care. I hope that someday there will no longer be a need for this type of program.

Beng Kiat L.

10:07PM PDT on Aug 4, 2010

thanks.

jane d.

12:02PM PDT on Jul 23, 2010

thanks for the article

2:25AM PDT on Jul 23, 2010

thanks

Linda G.

9:57PM PDT on Jul 18, 2010

It is so easy to blame everything on parenting. While parents or the lack thereof are a major influence, we are now living in a world where access to everything from drugs to porn to violent music and games and movies is rampant. While I was growing up, life seemed so much less violent... but that was also before the internet so maybe all the violence was there and I just didn't hear about it. We have a huge issue with lack of self esteem in our youth as well as adults... no one can live up to the larger than life characters in magazines, movies and so on.
Until we deal with the underlying causes that tempt children as well as adults with violence and drugs, the problem will just escalate.
Kudos and blessings to the advocates for making such a difference. Even one death is too many.

Michele C.

11:30PM PDT on Jul 17, 2010

This is a great program! It is just really sad that it has to exist at all.

Jennifer C.

5:41AM PDT on Jul 16, 2010

The Advocates are doing a gret job and have my respect in handfuls. Banning handguns would also help them.