Concepts and Terms

Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC): A public charter school in South West Chicago. Their mission is to foster social change through innovation and environmental sustainability.

Central Advisory Council (CAC): Working local group that monitors the neighbourhood and alerts residents of development. Also involved with right to return residents.

Charter School: A publicly funded school that is independently run by a private board of council. Charter schools are 'schools of choice' and often have autonomy over curriculum, budget, and schedule.

Chicago Housing Authority: A municipal agency in charge of handling public housing matters in Chicago. CHA is the second largest public housing agency in America.

Chicago Housing Initiative (CHI): A coalition that works with and empowers low-income renters in Chicago.

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP): A municipal agency that overlooks the urban and regional planning in and around Chicago. The agency addresses transportation, housing, economic development, and environmental matters.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS): The third largest school district in the United States. The district serves about 361 000 students in 600 schools.

Chicago School Reform Act (CSRA): The 1988 law allowed for elected local school councils at each Chicago public school which created more transparency, accountability, and collaboration.

Chicago School Reform Amendatory Act (CSRAA): The 1995 law allowed for a full takeover of CPS by the mayor. Board members are appointed by the mayor instead of democratically voted in. The policy aims to reform Chicago's educational system with a particular focus on failing schools.

LeClaire Courts Resident Council: The first successful public housing council in American that overlooked housing matters in LeClaire Courts.

Park Advisory Council: A group that advocates, supports, and improves local parks through programming and community events.

Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary School: A public magnet elementary school in LeClaire Courts.

Public School: A publicly funded entity by the state board of education that must follow the rules and curriculum dictated by the district and state.

Right to Return: A law that guarantees a person's right to return to a community that they were displaced from.

School Quality Rating Policy (SQRP): A CPS District policy conducted annually to measure the performance of schools.

The Great Migration: The arrival of African-Americans from the South starting in 1916 was motivated by hopes of better opportunities.

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): A federal agency that overlooks housing affairs in America as well as state and municipal agencies.