<div class="two_col clearfix"> <div class="col_one"> <div class="boom"> <h2 id="history" class="basic_header sprite">History</h2> <p>EECS was founded in 2005 in response to Renaissance 2010, Mayor Daley&rsquo;s challenge to create 100 new schools in the City of Chicago to provide high-quality public education and choices for Chicago parents who want the best learning experience for their children. EECS was built on the strong foundation of the nationally accredited preschool program at <a href="http://www.eriehouse.org" target="_blank">Erie Neighborhood House</a>, a social service agency that has been serving and educating Chicago&rsquo;s low-income immigrant population since 1870. Grounded in this rich tradition, EECS responds to the urgent need to provide Chicago&rsquo;s low-income children with a high-quality education.</p> <p>EECS is a tax-exempt 501c3 organization that still works closely with Erie Neighborhood House. The two organizations share many values and some common board members, but are financially and organizationally distinct.</p> <p><a href="http://www.eriehouse.org"><img src="../../../stylesheets/erie_house_logo.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.eriehouse.org">Visit eriehouse.org.</a></p> </div> <div class="boom"> <h2 id="philosophy" class="basic_header sprite">Philosophy</h2> <p>EECS provides Chicago children with a high-quality bilingual education that values their unique life experience, language and culture. The EECS strategy is centered on an innovative curriculum, high expectations, outstanding educators, strong governance and enriching partnerships. With the value-driven culture at EECS, we can foster leadership, create stronger communities, and most importantly, provide our students with self-confidence and prepare them for a bright academic and personal future.</p> </div> </div> <div class="col_two"> <div class="boom"> <h2 id="mission" class="basic_header sprite">Mission</h2> <p>The mission of EECS is to nurture and empower students to successfully and productively engage in the local community and broader society. EECS is a community where students, parents and educators work together to develop children who are confident in their culture and ethnic origin, biliterate in Spanish and English, achieve academic excellence and are firmly placed on a path to higher education.</p> </div> <div class="boom"> <h2 id="about_charter" class="basic_header sprite">About</h2> <p>Charter schools are public schools, tuition-free and open to any student living in the city of Chicago. Charter schools, like EECS, exercise increased autonomy in curriculum, budget, staffing, calendar and governance. In return, they are held accountable for academic results and fiscal practices to the Illinois State Board of Education, Chicago Board of Education, sponsors, parents and funders.</p> <p>Charter schools are important to Chicago&rsquo;s families because they empower parents with the ability to choose the best education for their child. At EECS, students are presented with opportunities that are not always available in other schools&mdash;bilingual education, field trips, socio-emotional support, music and various after school activities.</p> </div> </div> </div> 2009-06-08T09:47:05-05:00 --- :mission: | //BASE64//PHA+VGhlIG1pc3Npb24gb2YgRUVDUyBpcyB0byBudXJ0dXJlIGFuZCBlbXBv d2VyIHN0dWRlbnRzIHRvIHN1Y2Nlc3NmdWxseSBhbmQgcHJvZHVjdGl2ZWx5 IGVuZ2FnZSBpbiB0aGUgbG9jYWwgY29tbXVuaXR5IGFuZCBicm9hZGVyIHNv Y2lldHkuIEVFQ1MgaXMgYSBjb21tdW5pdHkgd2hlcmUgc3R1ZGVudHMsIHBh cmVudHMgYW5kIGVkdWNhdG9ycyB3b3JrIHRvZ2V0aGVyIHRvIGRldmVsb3Ag Y2hpbGRyZW4gd2hvIGFyZSBjb25maWRlbnQgaW4gdGhlaXIgY3VsdHVyZSBh bmQgZXRobmljIG9yaWdpbiwgYmlsaXRlcmF0ZSBpbiBTcGFuaXNoIGFuZCBF bmdsaXNoLCBhY2hpZXZlIGFjYWRlbWljIGV4Y2VsbGVuY2UgYW5kIGFyZSBm aXJtbHkgcGxhY2VkIG9uIGEgcGF0aCB0byBoaWdoZXIgZWR1Y2F0aW9uLjwv cD4= :about: | //BASE64//PHA+Q2hhcnRlciBzY2hvb2xzIGFyZSBwdWJsaWMgc2Nob29scywgdHVpdGlv bi1mcmVlIGFuZCBvcGVuIHRvIGFueSBzdHVkZW50IGxpdmluZyBpbiB0aGUg Y2l0eSBvZiBDaGljYWdvLiBDaGFydGVyIHNjaG9vbHMsIGxpa2UgRUVDUywg ZXhlcmNpc2UgaW5jcmVhc2VkIGF1dG9ub215IGluIGN1cnJpY3VsdW0sIGJ1 ZGdldCwgc3RhZmZpbmcsIGNhbGVuZGFyIGFuZCBnb3Zlcm5hbmNlLiBJbiBy ZXR1cm4sIHRoZXkgYXJlIGhlbGQgYWNjb3VudGFibGUgZm9yIGFjYWRlbWlj IHJlc3VsdHMgYW5kIGZpc2NhbCBwcmFjdGljZXMgdG8gdGhlIElsbGlub2lz IFN0YXRlIEJvYXJkIG9mIEVkdWNhdGlvbiwgQ2hpY2FnbyBCb2FyZCBvZiBF ZHVjYXRpb24sIHNwb25zb3JzLCBwYXJlbnRzIGFuZCBmdW5kZXJzLjwvcD4N CjxwPkNoYXJ0ZXIgc2Nob29scyBhcmUgaW1wb3J0YW50IHRvIENoaWNhZ28m cnNxdW87cyBmYW1pbGllcyBiZWNhdXNlIHRoZXkgZW1wb3dlciBwYXJlbnRz IHdpdGggdGhlIGFiaWxpdHkgdG8gY2hvb3NlIHRoZSBiZXN0IGVkdWNhdGlv biBmb3IgdGhlaXIgY2hpbGQuIEF0IEVFQ1MsIHN0dWRlbnRzIGFyZSBwcmVz ZW50ZWQgd2l0aCBvcHBvcnR1bml0aWVzIHRoYXQgYXJlIG5vdCBhbHdheXMg YXZhaWxhYmxlIGluIG90aGVyIHNjaG9vbHMmbWRhc2g7YmlsaW5ndWFsIGVk dWNhdGlvbiwgZmllbGQgdHJpcHMsIHNvY2lvLWVtb3Rpb25hbCBzdXBwb3J0 LCBtdXNpYyBhbmQgdmFyaW91cyBhZnRlciBzY2hvb2wgYWN0aXZpdGllcy48 L3A+ :philosophy: | //BASE64//PHA+RUVDUyBwcm92aWRlcyBDaGljYWdvIGNoaWxkcmVuIHdpdGggYSBoaWdo LXF1YWxpdHkgYmlsaW5ndWFsIGVkdWNhdGlvbiB0aGF0IHZhbHVlcyB0aGVp ciB1bmlxdWUgbGlmZSBleHBlcmllbmNlLCBsYW5ndWFnZSBhbmQgY3VsdHVy ZS4gVGhlIEVFQ1Mgc3RyYXRlZ3kgaXMgY2VudGVyZWQgb24gYW4gaW5ub3Zh dGl2ZSBjdXJyaWN1bHVtLCBoaWdoIGV4cGVjdGF0aW9ucywgb3V0c3RhbmRp bmcgZWR1Y2F0b3JzLCBzdHJvbmcgZ292ZXJuYW5jZSBhbmQgZW5yaWNoaW5n IHBhcnRuZXJzaGlwcy4gV2l0aCB0aGUgdmFsdWUtZHJpdmVuIGN1bHR1cmUg YXQgRUVDUywgd2UgY2FuIGZvc3RlciBsZWFkZXJzaGlwLCBjcmVhdGUgc3Ry b25nZXIgY29tbXVuaXRpZXMsIGFuZCBtb3N0IGltcG9ydGFudGx5LCBwcm92 aWRlIG91ciBzdHVkZW50cyB3aXRoIHNlbGYtY29uZmlkZW5jZSBhbmQgcHJl cGFyZSB0aGVtIGZvciBhIGJyaWdodCBhY2FkZW1pYyBhbmQgcGVyc29uYWwg ZnV0dXJlLjwvcD4= :history: | //BASE64//PHA+RUVDUyB3YXMgZm91bmRlZCBpbiAyMDA1IGluIHJlc3BvbnNlIHRvIFJl bmFpc3NhbmNlIDIwMTAsIE1heW9yIERhbGV5JnJzcXVvO3MgY2hhbGxlbmdl IHRvIGNyZWF0ZSAxMDAgbmV3IHNjaG9vbHMgaW4gdGhlIENpdHkgb2YgQ2hp Y2FnbyB0byBwcm92aWRlIGhpZ2gtcXVhbGl0eSBwdWJsaWMgZWR1Y2F0aW9u IGFuZCBjaG9pY2VzIGZvciBDaGljYWdvIHBhcmVudHMgd2hvIHdhbnQgdGhl IGJlc3QgbGVhcm5pbmcgZXhwZXJpZW5jZSBmb3IgdGhlaXIgY2hpbGRyZW4u IEVFQ1Mgd2FzIGJ1aWx0IG9uIHRoZSBzdHJvbmcgZm91bmRhdGlvbiBvZiB0 aGUgbmF0aW9uYWxseSBhY2NyZWRpdGVkIHByZXNjaG9vbCBwcm9ncmFtIGF0 IDxhIGhyZWY9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cuZXJpZWhvdXNlLm9yZyIgdGFyZ2V0PSJf YmxhbmsiPkVyaWUgTmVpZ2hib3Job29kIEhvdXNlPC9hPiwgYSBzb2NpYWwg c2VydmljZSBhZ2VuY3kgdGhhdCBoYXMgYmVlbiBzZXJ2aW5nIGFuZCBlZHVj YXRpbmcgQ2hpY2FnbyZyc3F1bztzIGxvdy1pbmNvbWUgaW1taWdyYW50IHBv cHVsYXRpb24gc2luY2UgMTg3MC4gR3JvdW5kZWQgaW4gdGhpcyByaWNoIHRy YWRpdGlvbiwgRUVDUyByZXNwb25kcyB0byB0aGUgdXJnZW50IG5lZWQgdG8g cHJvdmlkZSBDaGljYWdvJnJzcXVvO3MgbG93LWluY29tZSBjaGlsZHJlbiB3 aXRoIGEgaGlnaC1xdWFsaXR5IGVkdWNhdGlvbi48L3A+DQo8cD5FRUNTIGlz IGEgdGF4LWV4ZW1wdCA1MDFjMyBvcmdhbml6YXRpb24gdGhhdCBzdGlsbCB3 b3JrcyBjbG9zZWx5IHdpdGggRXJpZSBOZWlnaGJvcmhvb2QgSG91c2UuIFRo ZSB0d28gb3JnYW5pemF0aW9ucyBzaGFyZSBtYW55IHZhbHVlcyBhbmQgc29t ZSBjb21tb24gYm9hcmQgbWVtYmVycywgYnV0IGFyZSBmaW5hbmNpYWxseSBh bmQgb3JnYW5pemF0aW9uYWxseSBkaXN0aW5jdC48L3A+DQo8cD48YSBocmVm PSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmVyaWVob3VzZS5vcmciPjxpbWcgc3JjPSIuLi8uLi8u Li9zdHlsZXNoZWV0cy9lcmllX2hvdXNlX2xvZ28uZ2lmIiAvPjwvYT48YSBo cmVmPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmVyaWVob3VzZS5vcmciPlZpc2l0IGVyaWVob3Vz ZS5vcmcuPC9hPjwvcD4= 0 7 3 11 2 Home 2009-08-12T16:47:50-05:00