Toni Preckwinkle, Jean-Claude Brizard & Gery Chico Speak to a New State & Local Report on Social & Fiscal Costs for Dropouts

What:

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard & Illinois State Board of Education Chairman Gery Chico will speak at the Re-Enrolling Out of School Youth:  A State, County & City Action Blueprint policy forum at The Union League Club of Chicago.

A new report on dropouts based on U.S. Census data entitled High School Dropouts in Chicago and Illinois:  The Growing Labor Market, Income, Civic, Social and Fiscal Costs of Dropping Out of High School, commissioned by the Alternative Schools Network, and conducted by Dr. Andrew Sum and the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, Boston, Mass. will be released at the forum.

Convening co sponsors include the Chicago Urban League, the Illinois State Council on Re-Enrolling Students Who Dropped Out of School, the Chicago Department of Family Support Services, New Schools For Chicago, Illinois Network of Charter Schools and Youth Connection Charter Schools at The Union League Club of Chicago.

More than 300 education, civic, business and community leaders will attend presentations by the key speakers and a moderated panel discussion with elected officials.

Who:

Speakers and participants will include:

• Gery Chico, Chairman, Illinois State Board of Education

• Toni Preckwinkle, President, Cook County Board

• Jean-Claude Brizard, CEO, Chicago Public Schools

• Dr. Andrew Sum, Professor of Economics, Northeastern University

• Jesse Ruiz, Chair, Illinois Council on Re-Enrolling Students

• Andrea Zopp, President & CEO, Chicago Urban League

• Jack Wuest, Executive Director, Alternative Schools Network

• Linda Lenz, Publisher, Catalyst Chicago – Panel Moderator

• Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightford

• Illinois State Senator Heather Steans

• Illinois State Representative Cynthia Soto

• Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia

• Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele

• City of Chicago Alderman Latasha Thomas

When:

9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Where:

The Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL

Why:

High School Dropouts in Chicago and Illinois is part of a series of reports commissioned by the Alternative Schools Network on the costs of dropouts and the benefits gained by encouraging them to re-enroll and complete their diplomas.