PROFILE: Michael E. Ray

Though Michael E. Ray is not a career educator, learning has been a constant influence in his life. His current vocation is a recent career pivot while allows for him to use his talent, experience, and passion to make his home city of Chicago a better place for those who grow up within it's borders.

I sat down with Michael at Bar Louie’s, a comfortable bar-resteraunt near my apartment on the corner of 55th and South Shore Drive in Hyde Park. I had not prepared any questions, I don't know how to give a good interview so I wanted to use this as an opportunity to gain experience. Allow myself to fair so that I could learn. This would have been a foolish approach is the person I was interviewing wasn't as easy to talk too as Michael. Though virtually strangers to each other we ended up talking, eating, and drinking for about three hours. I came to know how he transcended the challenges of growing up on the South Side Chicago to the current chapter of his life; living in Hyde Park and working full time recruiting families to the Chicago International Charter School (CICS).

Michael was raised in a family of four. He shared a house in the Auburn Gresham community on the south side of Chicago with his parents and older brother of two years. From an early age his parents invested in his learning, fueling Michael's academic prowess and, at a young age, his fascination with animals, by subscribing the family to the relevant magazines and providing stacks and stacks of books. Michael credits his parents for providing the strong foundation which allowed him to know that he could pursue whatever goal he set for himself. Reading gave him exposure that wouldn’t have been available otherwise.

Michael currently works as an Enrollment Marketing Specialist, a position that allows him to leverage his experience gleaned in the professional world to spearhead new ambitious programs he hopes will help families penetrate the cloud of confusion typically associated with choosing a school in Chicago.

At this point in his life, Mike is in his early thirties, and is thankful that his previous employment afforded him the opportunity to travel throughout the country organizing promotion events. Much of the same enjoyment Michael got from reading in his early years he got from traveling. “Being able to see how different people live, that has been really great for me,” he explains, “I think that’s something I got that not many other African American families or members of underserved communities have the opportunity to do.” He remembers long drives to Alabama to visit his father’s side of the extended family. He says while him and his brother didn’t appreciate the trips at the time it contributed to the constant process of learning how to benefit and appreciate new experiences. Alternatives become realistic possibilities, and he learned to trust that he could lead the life he wanted to lead.

These unique experiences helped shape the perspective he needed to become the person he is today. Both Michael and his brother did not attend their neighborhood's high school; rather they attended Bogan High, a Chicago Public School. Getting out of Auburn Gresham was important for Michael, though high school wasn’t what he had envisioned. From his freshman year he was a part of the International Baccalaureate program which placed him in a high achieving subset of his class. He and 20 peers would take classes together throughout high school, only integrating with the other members of his graduating class during lunch and gym. Despite the social tension, this allowed him to see how hard work was rewarded. As a senior he participated in an internship program at the University of Illinois which would eventually become his alma mater.

Our previous conversations had been short, as we talked over lunch Michael exuded balance and enthusiasm. Despite gaining nothing from answering my questions, he was engaged throughout our conversation.

After graduating from U. of I. with a bachelor degree in International Resources and Consumer Economics with an option in Consumer Economics and Finance he spent a year with Philip Morris as a marketing associate. This position illuminated the type of work he enjoyed, as well as the environment that was stifling for his skills. Michael is very easy to get to know and very personable and felt that he could excel elsewhere. After a year he decided that he preferred an environment that fostered independence and allowed him to use his natural talents without the cookie cutter paradigm needed to fit in at a corporate environment and joined a mid-sized marketing contractor. He spent seven years with this firm and it was during these years that he was commissioned to travel all over the country. His favorite was a trip where he followed a bike race from Washington to Southern California as a promoter for a sponsor.

At this point it should be clear that new experiences have been a fundamental factor of Michael’s persona. During our conversation he explicitly credited his opportunities to travel with influencing his outlook. But it was reading that was his introduction to the value exposure to novel experiences allows. Michael explained, “Books opened me up to the world.” Reading made him realize that the unknown wasn’t something to fear, but rather practically beneficial and a lot of fun.

Eventually Michael looked to settle down and reduce his traveling. With the rest of his family in the Chicago area he told me he felt most comfortable in Hyde Park. I pressed him further and he noted the unique blend of residents as the primary attraction. He credits the University of Chicago with creating a dynamic community that aligned with his values. On recommendation by a friend of his sister in law, who is a teacher at a CPS school herself, he accepted his current position with CICS.

At this point is incumbent on me to explain what CICS is as well as provide context for the public contention over public charter schools.

A Charter School as an alternative provider of education is not a novel concept. It is credited to Albert Shanker, who was the President of the American Federation of Teachers, and in a 1988 address outlined an idea for a new kind of public school where teachers could experiment with new innovative approaches to develop better teaching practices.

In order for a public charter school to exist a state legislature has to create a charter law. This gives specific entities, such as public school districts or universities, the right to grant charters to foundations, community organizations, or other groups to create education institutions. The charter acts as a contract between the group that wants to operate a school and the authorizing organization. In this contract the organization details the school's mission, the student population the school will serve, and the ways the school will measure performance, among other things. Like typical public schools, charter schools are open to all students in the city and are funded by the public sector. Additionally, the city has the right to close a poorly performing charter school.

CICS was founded in 1997, which makes it the Chicago's longest running public charter school. Attendance is free. According to CICS most recent performance report, “It was founded by a group of business leaders who recognized the lack of high quality, college preparatory elementary and high schools in Chicago, and saw the new Illinois charter school law as an opportunity for positive change. They determined that they would work in collaboration with one or more school management organizations [SMOs] to manage day-to-day school operations.” This network has developed into 16 campuses serving 9,222 students ranging from kindergarten through high school. The demographic makeup of the different campuses vary as they are a reflection of the community they serve; however, as a whole, CICS students are 66% are African American, 25% are Hispanic, 4% are Caucasian, 2% are Asian/Pacific Islander and 1% are multi-racial, with 86% coming from low income households. The SMO’s employed by the trustees of CICS create the academic environment in their specific campus, maintaining everything from curriculum to culture while CICS monitors the SMO performance.

Charter schools are now positioned to rival the public schools in the regions they support. Accountability and flexibility have propelled public charter schools to perform well. Whether you believe education is a public good or prefer the market based approach which views education as a service, it is universally believed that students deserve the best education opportunities possible. Within the last few decades many underprivileged communities have been frustrated by the decline in their public school's performance.

Charter schools are currently championed by free market advocates. Michael believes a charter school provides optionality for families; and this is its impetus for continued existence. Admirably, according to Michael, CICS will not look to provide a school in a community that doesn’t need its expertise or resources or if it couldn’t adequately support the community to ensure efficient use of its resources. That is, CICS will not try to poach students from communities as a way of increasing attendance. As Michael exemplifies in his choice to attend a CPS school in a different neighborhood, school choice empowers people, especially those people whose primary public school isn’t providing an adequate education. However the model of choice depends on parents of young children to be engaged in the decision. Michael’s goal during his first year is to inform parents they have a choice about where to educate their kids. As a recruiter, merely informing them of their choice might seem modest but he believes cutting through the barrier created by the inadequate current awareness of the availability of alternatives puts parents in a better position to be the best parents and put their children in a position to be succesful.

Unlike public schools, public charter schools can subcontract certain parts of the education environment. This, as well as the decentralized leadership allows charter school's leaders to make community specific decisions to support student’s needs, allowing schools to not only educate but better the community. These services come in various forms; positive after school alternatives, college guidance, or emotional counselor’s. CICS can ensure that the acceptable academic performance thresholds are being met, or surpassed, as well as sufficient emotional development is occurring. The flexibility enables the school to get the most out of the student as opposed to the onus being on the student and family to get the most out of the school.

There are no normal workdays for Michael. He spends his energy organizing and attending community events, engaging with members of the community, and working with teachers in the CICS network to better position the school among the education landscape. Due to high school application deadlines falling around Christmas break, October and November are particularly busy with school fairs. In his first year at CICS serving the community he used his down time to initiate a program to develop a curriculum for CICS teachers; his goal is to augment his ability for community outreach by grooming teachers at the campuses to take ownership of the recruitment process. To date Michael is tasked with serving all sixteen campuses and believes that communities would be better served if the recruiters were daily fixtures. There are obvious budgetary considerations that any not-for-profit faces which can pose a challenge, but for Michael, reorienting disillusioned and confused parents can often be the biggest challenge. In Chicago the frustration is palpable and Michael empathizes, “Thinking outside the box, trial and error,” are standard, “but my biggest challenge was getting my head around the political landscape of education in Chicago.” Rahm Emanuel and city government supports charter school through speech and action. In 2013 forty-nine city run public schools were shut down. At this point the conversation has boiled from the community into the political arena and with that increased emotion the important consideration of children’s education has taken a backseat to vitriol and muckraking. While enthusiasm on both sides is to be expected the primary focus of ensuring children are afforded the best education has been eclipsed. Michael hopes that through his work he can get to the decision makers in families and give them the necessary information they need to make the right decision for their family.

I point out to Michael that every time I’ve met up with him he is wearing CICS gear. He laughs before answering me, “My goal is for CICS to be a household name in all the communities I serve. If the parents know they have a choice, and are informed about what the different choices are for their children, I’ve done my job.” His was a refreshing and welcomed attitude. It is clear to me that what drives Michael is presenting Chicago’s families guidance and information. He is well equipped to provide this insight. All of his traveling, books, family and work trips, have provided a case study that proves exposure serve to better the individual. I asked him if there is anything he wants readers to know, and I expected him to promote CICS, but after a pause he said with a smile, “If your kid comes home and tells you he wants to be a rapper or a basketball player, just remind them that every celebrity needs an accountant and a lawyer too.”

CICS has open enrollment throughout the year. You can get more information at their website http://www.chicagointl.org/ or reach out to Michael directly at 312-651-5018.