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March 29, 2008
Got Gangs?I'm still thinking about the session I attended yesterday about gang prevention and intervention. Khaldun Everage, Gang Specialist for Chicago Public Schools made a huge impression on anyone who was in attendance. As part of CUBE's pre-conference programming, his energy and enthusiasm for a topic that is tough to handle was amazing. Mr. Everage's presence and style is engaging and he never let the school board members and others in the room grow bored. The message is clear--the gangs are almost everywhere and if you think they're not in your school system, whether your urban, suburban, or rural, you're wrong.
Gangs are powerful and they're getting more sophisticated. Mr. Everage stressed the importance of listening, not just as school board members, but every level of staff in the schools needs to listen to what students are talking about, from teachers to cafeteria workers. Popular culture often celebrates gangs and even those who many view as positive artists are still flashing symbols or perpetuating gang life. This was an afternoon that will be hard to forget.
Posted by Kevin Scott, NSBA Staff, at 11:19 AM
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