Latest news with #WaukeganCommunityUnitSchoolDistrict60BoardofEducation
Chicago Tribune
05-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Hundreds protest Social Security cuts at Waukegan office: ‘Stop this injustice to widows and children'
A crowd of more than 500 people lining Lewis Avenue for several blocks in front of the Social Security Administration office in Waukegan Saturday made one thing very clear with their signs and voices — Social Security is an 'earned benefit' no different than a privately purchased annuity. Demonstrators were unhappy about potential changes by the federal government, which could reduce the quality of services at the Social Security office and on the phone. They voiced their concerns with chants of 'hands off Social Security' aimed at President Donald Trump. Jane Ferry of Waukegan, who collects Social Security benefits, said her contribution to the program was deducted from every paycheck she received during her working life. It is now part of the income she uses to support her lifestyle. 'All I know is, I don't want it to be cut,' Ferry said. Charlotte Callahan Wozniak, a former member of the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education and part of a longstanding local printing business, said the money comes from employer contributions too, not just from the government. 'North Shore Printers has always matched the employee contributions,' Wozniak said. 'We're been around since 1933,' she added, pointing out the company started shortly before the Social Security Act became law. Ferry and Wozniak were among the more than 500 people demonstrating against cutbacks in services offered by Social Security and the fear of cuts in the program Saturday in front of the Social Security Administration Office in Waukegan. Demonstrators, many of them senior citizens, lined Lewis Avenue holding signs and chanting phrases in protest of the cutback of government services coming from executive orders. They also criticized Elon Musk's cost-cutting as part of the Department of Government Efficiency. Unlike other recent anti-Trump administration protests in Lake County, where the demonstrations consisted of chants and signs, this time there were speeches in an adjoining parking lot from union representatives, organizers and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park. Schneider emphasized that Social Security is an earned benefit. He said it not only provides a safety net for retired seniors who worked their entire lives, but also for children, widows, spouses and disabled workers. In the 10th Congressional District he represents, Schneider said $262 million in monthly benefits are distributed. The payments go to 101,668 retirees, 5,468 children, 6,788 widows, 4,486 spouses and 9,629 disabled workers. 'Donald Trump and Elon Musk do not need to be collecting this,' Schneider said. 'Keep up this fight. Tell them to stop this injustice to widows and children. When you do that, we can make a difference.' Mark Shaw, the Republican state central committeeman for the 10th Congressional District, said neither Trump nor the Republican majority in Congress has proposed reducing Social Security benefits. He conceded that procedures are being modified. 'I believe people should get what they bargained for,' Shaw said. 'However, we do need to increase the efficiency in the way those benefits are received. Donald Trump said he is going to bring efficiency to the federal government. I don't see how anyone could disagree with that.' While Schneider realizes the ability of the Democratic minority to impact the changes Trump is trying to implement is limited, he said after the meeting, he plans to push for what he can as part of the Committee on Ways and Means. 'We'll keep emphasizing the numbers don't work,' Schneider said. 'The Democrats will work in committee to highlight what the Republicans are doing. They're taking money away from hardworking families.' David McDowell of Waukegan, one of the organizers of the demonstration, said he was at the office recently and received good service applying for Medicare Part B coverage. He is on Medicare and receives Social Security payments. He pointed out he had earned them. 'Those things were a promise made to me the minute I started to pay into FICA and Medicare in 1978,' McDowell said. 'I had a small issue with my signup and I couldn't find it online. It was a huge help to have an office to come to.' While there, McDowell said he saw other workers in the office helping individuals needing help with forms and other problems. They all seemed to be getting the assistance they needed. Others had issues more complex than his. Jill Hornick, an American Federal Government Employees official, who directs all Social Security offices in Illinois, said layoffs are likely coming because not enough people took voluntary buyouts.
Chicago Tribune
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Students try to solve problems through Waukegan High's Mikva Challenge; ‘You … do democracy to make it happen'
Learning to take action is a major goal for Waukegan High School civics students participating in the annual Mikva Challenge. In fact, two of the groups are primed to lobby members of the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education to achieve their goal. A team of Jocsan Cruz and Janet Martinez, both juniors, tested the water coming from drinking fountains at the high school's Washington campus and found it lacking. Carlos Torres, another junior, found the taste of the water varied from fountain to fountain. All the fountains are old. Calculating it will cost $26,000 to replace the campus's 18 fountains with those that are state of the art, Torres said he planned to study the names and pictures of board members so he could lobby them if they turned up at Friday's event. 'I want the district to upgrade them for all of the schools,' Torres said. 'I'm going to talk to the board. They could do it over the summer before school starts again.' Torres, Cruz and Martinez were three of more than 100 students representing 53 yearlong projects at the high school's Washington campus to improve a variety of situations in the community. Though the majority of participants were from Waukegan, there were also students from North Chicago Community High School and Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. Cliff Turner, a social studies teacher at Waukegan High School and one of the teachers overseeing the Mikva Challenge, said the theme of the program is 'democracy is a verb.' The students identify an issue, develop a plan to deal with it, do research and get support to activate it. 'You go out and do democracy to make it happen,' he said. 'You fix the problem because you are part of the community. They talk to stakeholders in the community and gather support. It's even more important now that we accept the challenge,' he added, referring to the political climate in Washington D.C. 'Otherwise democracy dies.' Ron Ashlaw, another social studies teacher who instructs civics classes, said many of his students are finding local issues centered around the school. Moving from the newer Brookside campus as freshmen and sophomores to the more than century-old Washington campus for the final two years, they see a big difference in the two buildings. 'They see a lot of things which need fixing,' Ashlaw said. Working mostly in pairs, 12 groups chose gun or gang violence as a topic, while six picked the environment, five chose addiction to drugs or alcohol, and another quintet delved into mental health issues. Discrimination, immigration, education and housing were other topics. Cruz and Martinez also want new water fountains. They tested the water, learning it was satisfactory in some of the school's fountains, but not all. They also got a visit from District 60 school board member Rick Riddle. He encouraged them to reach out to his colleagues. 'I like what I see them doing,' he said. 'I encouraged them to get involved. I told them to email the board. We've had some students come to board meetings with their projects. I encouraged (Cruz and Martinez) to come to the board. They are part of the community.' With a budget of more than $328 million for the current school year, Torres, Cruz and Martinez said they are hopeful their suggestions will lead to action. Christopher Moreno and Akemi Cruz are among the people selecting gun violence as their topic. For Cruz, it is personal because she knows people who have been impacted. It is very personal for Moreno. 'My dad was shot when I was 4,' he said. 'There was nothing I could do when I saw him in the hospital,' he added, saying his father fully recovered. Cruz said 98% of the people they surveyed felt there should be more education before anyone can buy a gun, and 92% said there should be a thorough background check before anyone can purchase one. They plan to talk to Waukegan's mayor and City Council members about stricter gun laws. Knowing schoolmates who deal with stress and trauma in their lives, juniors Ashley Sotelo and Jada Allen developed a project to help those who need to deal with mental health issues. They want counselors or social workers available to help those in need. Victims of discrimination, Josselyn Rivera — because of her accent — and Nathan Creamer — a member of the LGBTQ community — chose prejudice as their topic. They want to see an organization where all people can feel comfortable. 'English is my second language,' Rivera said. 'Spanish I my first language. When I say things, sometimes people laugh at me. That's discrimination.'
Chicago Tribune
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Waukegan school board to promote culture and traditions; ‘When students have a sense of belonging … they do better'
Seeking her seat on the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education two years ago, Christine Lensing did a lot of listening on the campaign trail. She said she heard community members talking about the safety, climate and culture of the city's public schools. Growing as a board member, Lensing continued to sense something was lacking in the overall atmosphere in the schools, which hindered the students from achieving their full potential. She talked about it at the March 11 meeting. Shortly afterward, she accepted a challenge. 'We had discussions on climate and culture, but I did not see the necessary things being done,' she said. 'I talked to the board president (Brandon Ewing) and he told me to write a resolution so we could all talk about it. I did.' The District 60 Board unanimously approved the Lensing-authored 'Resolution Regarding the Significance of School Culture, Climate and Traditions' Tuesday at the Lincoln Center administration building in Waukegan, giving the administration guidance on how to put it into effect. 'This is something that had been happening and we had been hearing in the community, things in the tradition and history they wanted to see preserved in the Waukegan public schools,' Ewing said. 'This memorializes what is the hope and will of the board.' Delving into the individual treatment of school community members, their safety, old and new traditions, student self-expression, the need to belong, inclusion, celebration of achievements with the community and more, the resolution gives the administration direction. 'This will help meet the needs of our community,' Lensing said after the meeting. 'This is about issues (some) people have with safety, with climate, and culture of our schools. We need the entire community to come together.' Superintendent Theresa Plascencia said after the meeting that much of what is contained in the resolution is already in place. She and her administration will closely monitor evolving situations. Culture and climate impact student performance, she said. 'We know when students have a sense of belonging in school and in (its) curriculum, they do better academically,' Plascencia said. 'A lot of this is already present. We have to ensure people are respected and supported in our environment. It's a top priority.' Going beyond respect and support, the resolution said belonging is a 'fundamental human need' which brings 'reduced anxiety, lower risk of chronic illnesses, mental health, better academic performance, intrinsic motivation (and) enhanced safety.' Preserving school traditions is important, according to the resolution, by 'reinforcing a sense of belonging, shared identity and value and creating a sense of continuity through shared experiences and rituals.' Specifically, the resolution requires honoring longstanding traditions while supporting, 'thoughtful creation of new traditions' aligning with District 60's mission. Professional development will be provided to enhance culture and climate. Student voices must be heard. Self-expression of students is also encouraged in part by, 'finding creative ways to share their authentic selves in the arts, to include but not limited to music, dance, drama and art in order to promote a sense of belonging and a welcoming school environment,' according to the resolution. Plascencia said making students, teachers and staff safe, and other stakeholders comfortable, remains a high priority. 'We want to ensure our stakeholders know and feel that they belong to our school community,' she said. 'Hopefully they will remain in our community and mentor our future students. 'We want there to be pride with how each student identifies with their school either as a Jaguar (John R. Lewis Middle School), a Bulldog (the high school) or a 39er (Jack Benny Middle School),' Plascencia said.
