By: Rod Estvan

More to the Laquan McDonald story

There is much more to the tragic story of Laquan McDonald in relationship to the Chicago Public Schools than just Janice Jackson�s email to families discussed in the Substance article.

Laquan was at the time of his death a student in the Sullivan House campus of the Youth Connection Charter Schools (YCCS) which is funded by CPS. According to a statement by the principal of Sullivan House made to the Chicago Sun Times �Laquan came in with one of our programs that deals with wards of the state.� The Alternative Schools Networks has around 250 seats set aside for DCFS youth. A DCFS caseworker completes the referral for the DCFS programs; but foster parents, counselors and others can also place students in YCCS. DCFS pays students to go to YCCS. As students work their way toward diplomas, they are paid money to continue their education. For each computer-assisted course a young person completes in an after-school program, they receive $250, of which $200 goes into a scholarship account. Students earn $2 per hour for the time they spend in the after-school programs, which also is deposited into their account. After the student graduates and enrolls in college or some type of vocational training, they can withdraw the funds accumulated in their scholarship account, plus an additional $600 award.

But the question looms was Laquan in fact a mentally ill student who should have never been placed in an alternative school setting, but rather in a therapeutic day school with direct psychiatric services or possibly even a residential setting. Both CPS and DCFS apparently approved this placement into Sullivan House which currently has over 20% of its students with identified disabilities but is not a State approved school for the education of students with severe emotional disabilities require unique intensive services.

Mary Mitchell in a Sun Times article published in the November 21 edition of the Chicago Sun Times raises the very clear possibility that Laquan had significant mental health problems in part no doubt due to the fact he had been molested repeatedly while before and as a ward of the state as a young child.

Moreover, at the time Laquan was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer in October 2014 he had been removed for at least the third time from his mother�s custody and placed in DCFS custody with another relative that was also a problematic placement according the Mary Mitchell�s article.

But here is the amazing thing really in all of this. When the City of Chicago paid Laquan�s mother $5 million for his death as a settlement, it was paying the money to a parent who had repeatedly placed her child in danger and in a situation where he may have been molested in her home by boyfriends.

Instead of sending out emails to families trying to prevent a blow up in the community over this shooting CPS should be conducting a complete investigation of its own possible failures in relation to Laquan McDonald. For example what CPS high school did Laquan attend prior to his dropping out and did that school ever come near providing adequate special education services for such an emotionally disturbed young man? What level of psychological services did Sullivan House provide to Laquan and were they anywhere near what he may have needed?

But Chicago�s media will likely not seek answers to these questions, because Laquan was effectively one of hundreds of throw away students in CPS. He came to public notice only because he was so brutally shot down by a Chicago Police officer and it was captured on video.

Rod Estvan

Education Policy Analyst for

Access Living of Chicago

By: Kim Scipes

Thanks to Rod Estvan

Rod--

Thanks for your detailed information about this situation.

I've watched the video--Laquan was in NO WAY threatening any of the police; in fact, he was moving away from them. First, we need that cop tried for first degree murder. Second, we need to charge Anita Alvarez with covering up a crime: to take over one YEAR to indicate after a video such of this is incompetence of the highest degree or CONSCIOUS coverup. We need to get rid of Police Chief Garry McCarthy--either he cannot control his cops, or he is actively acquiescing to their killings and brutality. And, of course, we need to remember that Mayor 1%, Rahm Emanuel is personally responsible for the on-going brutalization of African Americans and Latinos in Chicago.

By: Susan Hickey

Agree with Rod Estvan

I am in total agreement with Rod about this as a former school social worker for CPS and saw how the students were not placed right. Placements are dictated by financial reasons but coached in language such as Markay Winston would say- least restrictive environment. We all know that meant to shut down the best suited instructional programs for some of our most challenged students. I know that social workers are forced to do more paperwork and less therapeutic services. Last year we had a Social Work Coordinator that would chastise social workers that said they were giving therapy to students. Clinicians know we are only 'cash cows' for the Board as they get millions from our Medicaid billing of services. We are constantly being told to group students (for more money) when many of them need one on one services given the sensitivity of their issues and needs. With mental health clinics closed down on the west and south sides of Chicago due to Rauner's and Rahm's budget cuts, schools have been increasingly used to be the mental health worker for students. I know I was for a number of students and managed to keep some from stricter placements but I also realized there were a number that needed more than I can offer. I had a number of sex abuse disclosures and I was lucky to have excellent training in how to handle them. I got my training in Britain which included training with the local police department.

We need to stop these cuts to mental health services both in the community and in schools.