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Catalyst-Chicago - District 299

  • Moving Day

    OK, then. This is the last blog post I'll be making here at Catalyst, after nearly two years. Thanks to everyone involved, especially Linda Lenz, the Catalyst founder and publisher who brought the blog to Catalyst a year and a half after it began, and Mark Royko, the web designer' [...]
    Posted: September 26, 2009, 12:27am EDT

  • Busing, magnet programs, bilingual ed in limbo as Chicago schools desegregation decree is lifted

    Now that the CPS desegregation decree has been scrapped, a number of questions are up in the air: What criteria will the district use to admit students to highly sought-after selective and magnet schools? Will CPS provide any busing to magnet schools--and if it not, how will lower-income families get their children to them? [...]
    Posted: September 25, 2009, 6:15pm EDT

  • In the News: Friday, Sept. 25

    The Illinois Network of Charter Schools blog spotlights Schools Chief Ron Huberman's comments at the year's first District 299 charter school get together. Mr. Huberman spent much of his time reviewing the "report card" that CPS will release in the next 4 -6 months which will provide parents reliable information about [...]
    Posted: September 25, 2009, 9:47am EDT

  • WBEZ Does This Week's Board Meeting

    Coverage of the Board meeting by WBEZ's Linda Lutton. "Today we're starting a new segment called "Cheat Sheet," and it's meant be a quick and dirty peek into Chicago's often contentious school board meetings and the issues that are brought up there." It's a welcome addition. I can't believe no one's done it before. I' [...]
    Posted: September 25, 2009, 8:58am EDT

  • Free At Last.

    At last, popular Chicago schools can let more white kids in. No more pesky 35 percent rule (WBEZ). Update: Comments are now closed. The site is moving. Previous comments have been moved here. Click there to read previous posts and continue the conversation. Thanks! ... [...]
    Posted: September 25, 2009, 8:03am EDT

  • Friday Morning News

    CPS Head Defends Out-of-State Contract WBEZ Chicago schools chief Ron Huberman is defending his decision to bring in an out-of-town group to help curb youth violence. Huberman says the Pennsylvania-based Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., or YAP, has been successful with ... Youth Violence From a School Bus Driver's Point of View WBEZ School Bus Driver and organizer [...]
    Posted: September 25, 2009, 7:43am EDT

  • Federal judge ends Chicago schools desegregation decree

    Late Thursday afternoon, a federal judge scrapped the CPS desegregation consent decree--a move that likely will result in the district abandoning the use of race as a factor in the admissions policies of magnet and selective schools. The move by U S District Judge Charles Kocoras also halted the court's' [...]
    Posted: September 25, 2009, 11:09pm EDT

  • Stimulus Trouble Brewing For IL

    Oh, lovely. First came news that districts were being told to redo their stimulus reports to make it look like as many jobs were saved as possible (State School News Service PDF here). Now Illinois has been IDd as one of four states who are "at risk" of having misused federal stimulus funding: 4 [...]
    Posted: September 24, 2009, 4:38pm EDT

  • For Once, The Tall Black Guy Isn't The One From AUSL

    The folks at AUSL were kind enough to send along this picture of one of their folks in DC last week. Apparently, AUSL is going to help Chicago get the Olympics. Another reason to like or hate them. They even provided a helpful caption: "Rob Harman, wrestling coach at the Academy for" [...]
    Posted: September 24, 2009, 12:22pm EDT

  • In the News: Thursday, Sept. 24

    The big news from yesterday's Board of Education meeting: A collective of Englewood pastors protested a decision to award $5 million for mentoring services to the Pennsylvania company Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. The Tribune broke the story yesterday, noting that the pastors felt "purposely disrespected" and cut out of the [...]
    Posted: September 24, 2009, 9:30am EDT

  • Thursday Morning News

    Daley defends principals' role in school admissions Sun Times After dedicating the new, $41.6 million Mark T. Skinner West Elementary School — long-viewed as the elementary school equivalent of Whitney Young — Daley once again found the silver lining in the clout admissions investigation at CPS. Judge Announces Timeline PURE After hearing oral arguments from both sides in' [...]
    Posted: September 24, 2009, 9:12am EDT

  • What To Do With $38M In Violence Prevention Funding

    Ignoring the obvious self-interest involved, who do you think should be getting money to implement Huberman's violence prevention program -- familiar folks like the ministers and CeaseFire or unfamiliar out of town folks like YAP with their magic out of town powers? South Side ministers irate over CPS anti-violence plan Tribune Saying that [...]
    Posted: September 24, 2009, 9:11am EDT

  • Jobs Jobs Jobs

    Want a job? Here's a job. Just not in a classroom. The Ounce of Prevention Fund is dedicated to ensuring that, beginning at birth, children in low-income families can overcome the challenges of poverty and enter kindergarten fully prepared to achieve. The VP of Public Affairs is responsible for marketing [...]
    Posted: September 23, 2009, 9:34am EDT

  • In the News: Wednesday, Sept. 23

    WBEZ's Linda Lutton takes note of a decision before the Board of Education today: should the district invest $5 million in an out-of-state social service provider to help stem the tide on Chicago youth violence? Tio Hardiman, director of the anti-violence group Cease Fire Illinois, says the pick is a slap [...]
    Posted: September 23, 2009, 9:20am EDT

  • Wednesday Morning News

    One more problem with Chicago schools' first day attendance claim Catalyst The calculation included all students in attendance on Sept. 8, even if they were in one of the 132 Track E schools whose first day was Aug. 10. Chicago Looks to Out-of-Town Group for Help With Youth Violence WBEZ Tio Hardiman, director of the anti-violence' [...]
    Posted: September 23, 2009, 8:26am EDT

  • The New Prieto Academy -- What Do You Think?

    What do you think about the new Prieto school that just opened? It's certainly pretty. But what about the staff? Who'd they end up picking for principal? What about the programs? It's in the 37th Ward -- Belmont Cragin. Is it affecting nearby schools positively or negatively? For example, the Tribune' [...]
    Posted: September 23, 2009, 8:17am EDT

  • One more problem with Chicago schools' first-day attendance claim

    CPS issued a press release last week touting once again an all-time high for first- day attendance of 94.1 percent. But the release didn't explain that the calculation included all students in attendance on Sept. 8, even if they were in one of the 132 Track E schools whose first' [...]
    Posted: September 22, 2009, 7:06pm EDT

  • Win (Breakfast With) Ron Huberman

    You can win breakfast or lunch with Chicago schools chief Ron Huberman at tonight's 17th annual Hall of Fame Celebrity Auction benefiting the 2009 Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. It's tonight, at Sidetrack, and an auction paddle is included in the event registration. ... [...]
    Posted: September 22, 2009, 6:23pm EDT

  • PURE's Day In Court

    From PURE: Judge Sophia Hall will hear oral arguments in PURE's small/ alternative schools LSC case. Judge Hall may rule on second motion by Chicago Public Schools to dismiss case brought by LSC members, parents and community members challenging the dismantling of elected LScs in Renaissance 2010schools. Tomorrow, Wednesday Sept. [...]
    Posted: September 22, 2009, 4:37pm EDT

  • What Should Catalyst (Not) Do Next?

    As you may have noticed with the popup online survey, Catalyst is asking you what you like and don't like about this blog and any possible replacement they come up with. Fill it out and you might win a $50 gift card. But more importantly you'll help them figure out [...]
    Posted: September 22, 2009, 12:06pm EDT

  • CTU Likely To Face Sun Times Guild Dilemma

    Kudos the folks who lead the union of Sun Times workers for rejecting a proposed 15 percent pay cutlast week -- or criticism to them for having rejected a plan that might avoid further layoffs and the eventual closing of the paper? It's not just an academic question. It's a preview of [...]
    Posted: September 22, 2009, 11:58am EDT

  • In the News: Tuesday, Sept. 22

    Three weeks into the school year and some schools still need teachers. But the district is taking a more aggressive approach to mitigate the problem this year, says North Side principal. Catalyst investigated the budget process in 2008, including a look at the district's often faulty enrollment projections, where budgeting begins. [...]
    Posted: September 22, 2009, 9:28am EDT

  • Tuesday Morning News, Part 1

    District rushes to put anti-violence plan in place Tribune The district is still hammering out the details with a group providing the community-based advocates who will act as part counselor, part role model and part truant officer. Another sticking point is negotiating with police over the sharing of such information as arrest records and criminal [...]
    Posted: September 22, 2009, 8:33am EDT

  • Kotlowitz On Violence In Chicago

    Thanks to a couple of people for sending in notice about this Friday event that includes Alex Kotlowitz and focuses on violence in Chicago. It's not specifically school-focused, but then again violence isn't either. Check it out. Let us know if you go. ...' [...]
    Posted: September 21, 2009, 7:54pm EDT

  • Award Winning Teacher Inspires Kids And Other Teachers

    Mondays are always hard. Treat yourself to this interview from last week with Rafe Esquith on WNYC. He's just put out a followup to his bestseller, Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire. It's worth a listen, whatever side of the education debate you're on: WNYC Lighting Their Fires I'm sure Chicago has a Rafe Esquith [...]
    Posted: September 21, 2009, 4:16pm EDT

  • Changes In The Air

    Site update: Starting at the end of this week, new posts and comments to this blog will be located at District 299 -- the Chicagonow version of the site. It wasn't working having two identical versions of the blog, which we've been trying since about Memorial Day, so Catalyst and [...]
    Posted: September 21, 2009, 10:09am EDT

  • In the News: Monday, Sept. 21

    CEO Ron Huberman fires Josh Edelman in Office of New Schools shakeup. Edelman, an outsider to Chicago, was hired by former district chief Arne Duncan, now the U.S. Secretary of Education. He arrived from Washington, DC, where he served for four years as the principal of The SEED School, the nation's' [...]
    Posted: September 21, 2009, 9:41am EDT

  • Tuesday Morning News, Part 2

    CPS's Investigated Teachers Sentenced To 'Rubber Room' CBS2 Of the 39 teachers with pending cases, 18 are suspended with pay. CPS says when you consider that Chicago has 18 re-assigned teachers from a pool of more than 20,000 instructors, it's not bad. A disconnect in reading Catalyst No more than 5 percent of the 5,000 children's books [...]
    Posted: September 21, 2009, 8:36am EDT

  • Monday Morning News, Part 2

    Teen cop impersonator back in custody Tribune The boy grabbed national headlines in January when he was charged as a juvenile for impersonating an officer. Police say the boy, then 14, walked into the Grand Crossing District station dressed in a police uniform and partnered with another officer for about five hours before being detected. Students [...]
    Posted: September 21, 2009, 8:23am EDT

  • Monday Morning News, Part 1

    CPS student fatally shot on South Side Sun Times Police are asking anyone with information about the Saturday night slaying of a 17-year-old Simeon Career Academy senior to contact detectives Sunday. UofI Admissions officers getting back to normal Tribune In weekly staff meetings, counselors share questions they have received about preferential treatment in admissions and how their [...]
    Posted: September 21, 2009, 8:22am EDT

  • Universal Breakfast Spreading In CPS

    Curious about universal breakfast, which has been the subject of several reader comments (and complaints)? Here's the CPS version of things, featuring McCauliffe Elementary, one of the first schools to participate. According to the CPS website, just 24 schools participated last year. No word yet on what the number is [...]
    Posted: September 21, 2009, 12:56am EDT

  • Photo Contest: Name That Location

    Show off how well you know the city and tell us where you think this amazing picture is taken from, and what it shows. It's by local photog David Schalliol, and I found it on the WBEZ blog (Chicago Public Radio Blog). No peeking!...' [...]
    Posted: September 18, 2009, 11:48am EDT

  • Chi-Town Daily's Loss Could Be Catalyst's Gain

    Chi-Town Daily News has closed up shop, as you may already know, victim of a flawed idea and flawed execution. That's a loss for those of us who follow Chicago schools, given that CTDN put out some good coverage (especially during the Paul Bowker era). But the upside of CTDN's demise that it [...]
    Posted: September 18, 2009, 8:44am EDT

  • Friday Morning News

    Resolved? Three aldermen back resolution on charter union drives Catalyst Organizers with the teachers' newly formed union, Chicago ACTS, are asking aldermen to unequivocally back the right of other charter teachers to form unions. Chicago area gets federal funds for child literacy Sen. Roland Burris' office says the focus will be on programs that help [...]
    Posted: September 18, 2009, 8:26am EDT

  • Resolved? Three aldermen back resolution on charter union drives

    As teachers and administrators at three Chicago International charter schools try to put the finishing touches on the city's first charter union contract, organizers with the teachers' newly formed union, Chicago ACTS, are asking aldermen to unequivocally back the right of other charter teachers to form unions. Chicago ACTS (Alliance for' [...]
    Posted: September 17, 2009, 6:06pm EDT

  • First-Day Attendance Figures -- Record-Breaking Or Misleading?

    Most folks reported what CPS said without question, but WBEZ had some other thoughts about CPS's first day attendance: CPS sees record turnout on 1st day ABC7Chicago.com - ‎Sep 15, 2009‎ September 15, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Chicago Public Schools students turned out in record numbers for the first day of school. This year, an all [...]
    Posted: September 17, 2009, 9:24am EDT

  • Arne Talks Education At U. Of Chicago Event

    Not sure why the UofC education initiative decided to do a DC event, but they must have their reasons. Getting Arne was probably one of them. Other folks there included John Easton, Tim Knowles, Charles Payne, and Linda Darling Hammond. Actually that's a pretty interesting set of folks, not all [...]
    Posted: September 17, 2009, 8:41am EDT

  • Thursday Morning News

    Whitney Young principal testifies before grand jury Tribune "I have been assured that I am not the target of this investigation," Kenner told parents during a regularly scheduled meeting of Whitney Young's Local School Council. "And I have been assured that Whitney Young is not the center of this investigation." Cops: Fox Lake teacher gave [...]
    Posted: September 17, 2009, 8:24am EDT

  • Relocating McKinley Park ES to Davis?

    They're meeting at Davis ES tonight to talk about the proposal to relocate McKinley Park ES. Sorry for the late notice. First I'd heard of this. What is going on with all these school relocations? Meeting flyer is attached. ... [...]
    Posted: September 16, 2009, 8:28pm EDT

  • Recession Jobs For Educators

    Former WBEZ education reporter Jay Field is driving a cab, and writing about it at Recession Taxi. But he's not the only one with a recession job. Lots of folks already have one,or may soon be looking for one. So what are you or the educators you know doing if [...]
    Posted: September 16, 2009, 8:22pm EDT

  • What Others Have To Say About CPS

    Sorry about the horrible job I've been doing lately keeping track of what other blogs are saying about CPS. Here's a roundup of some of the best I can find -- if you know of other blogs run by teachers, parents, or insiders let the rest of us know. Thanks! New' [...]
    Posted: September 16, 2009, 8:59am EDT

  • Check Out The New Westinghouse

    What do you think? Is it going to be the next Walter Payton, as hoped, or the next Gwendolyn Brooks?... [...]
    Posted: September 16, 2009, 8:31am EDT

  • Wednesday Morning News

    Chicago High School test scores stallCatalyst Sometime over the past week, CPS officials quietly posted the 2009 Prairie State and ACT test scores. They didn't hold a press conference or even issue a release, as is the custom. Police: Teen attacked as others on bus cheer downstate AP Police in the southwestern Illinois city of' [...]
    Posted: September 16, 2009, 8:17am EDT

  • Chicago high school test scores stall, including those at transformation schools

    Sometime over the past week, CPS officials quietly posted the 2009 Prairie State and ACT test scores. They didn't hold a press conference or even issue a release, as is the custom. And it is no wonder. Scores on both exams stagnated this year. ...' [...]
    Posted: September 15, 2009, 7:21pm EDT

  • Can "Positive Loitering" Help Make Us Safer?

    No one gets hurt that I can tell on this video from Uptown a few weeks ago, and nothing really happens. But it's pretty chaotic and upsetting to watch, especially if you live nearby or have been in the thick of situations like this before. Many Chicago teachers and parents [...]
    Posted: September 15, 2009, 2:59pm EDT

  • Ten Thousand More Computers For CPS

    More about the new computerized assessment system that's being rolled out by the Board, thanks to a friend of the blog. For example, "the District needs an additional 10,000 computers to meet the minimum standard for computer adaptive assessment.?" Ten thousand more computers? No problem, says Ron. It'll happen this year.' [...]
    Posted: September 15, 2009, 8:50am EDT

  • Tuesday Morning News

    Bullying laws give scant protection Associated Press A 10-year-old boy hanged himself in a restroom stall in a suburban Chicago school, an 11-year-old boy was found dead in Chatham, south of Springfield, and a father found his 11-year-old daughter hanged in a closet of their Chicago home. Social factors influence neighbourhood asthma rates The researchers analyzed [...]
    Posted: September 15, 2009, 8:07am EDT

  • A Classroom Lesson -- From The U.S. Open

    This video clip from over the weekend isn't just about the bizarre and unfortunate way Serena Williams lost out on becoming a repeat US Open champion. It's also a vivid example of the "slippery slope" you hear some educators talk about. The costly breach of a minor rule exercised too rigidly,' [...]
    Posted: September 14, 2009, 9:02am EDT

  • CPS Goes Online (Assessment)

    After months of whispers about an expensive new assessment program being considered by the Huberman administration, here is -- thanks to several friends of the blog -- a bit of hard information. They're going with Scantron, it's going to be computer-adaptive (more on that later), there was a "thorough" RFP' [...]
    Posted: September 14, 2009, 8:56am EDT

  • Monday Morning Education News

    Crowded Chicago school faces a year of frustration Tribune Built for 850 students but bursting with nearly twice that amount, Reinberg is among 64 overcrowded elementary schools in Chicago... Last year, the principal, Edwin Loch, was attacked twice by students, with one 7th-grader half his size trying to strangle him. ... [...]
    Posted: September 14, 2009, 8:35am EDT

  • Chicago Mag Profiles Top Teens

    8 Teen Dreams Chicago Magazine A science whiz, a professional ballet dancer, a born storyteller, a basketball star, and four others talk about their lives and their hopes for the future Amber Neumann Eric Shyu Jackson Challinor Jereme Richmond Joel Sircus Kassandra Davis Shelby Brody Terrence Thompson This article appears in the September 2009 issue of Chicago Magazine. ... [...]
    Posted: September 11, 2009, 9:23am EDT

  • Friday Morning News

    Autistic student had no bus service for 2 days Tribune The school district had known since June that Lily would require bus service -- that requirement was outlined in an Individualized Education Plan. IHSA sacks North Chicago football program over fight Tribune A nasty brawl involving varsity football players from North Chicago High School and Simeon [...]
    Posted: September 11, 2009, 8:18am EDT

  • Local Football Teams Punished For Brawl

    "Earlier today the IHSA announced that penalties have been handed down to both North Chicago and Simeon following a bench clearing brawl which happened last Friday night in North Chicago. Hurray for the IHSA. This was a prime example of the IHSA literally taking control of an important situation and not backing off or" [...]
    Posted: September 10, 2009, 4:41pm EDT

  • Shared Buildings: Andersen Vs. LaSalle II

    Wondering how things might work out sharing a building at Pulaski? Check out this (totally unverified) email about how things have been going down at Andersen / LaSalle II. Again, this hasn't been checked out. Do you know what is really going on there? Is this how it always goes with' [...]
    Posted: September 10, 2009, 4:22pm EDT

  • Thursday Morning News

    Tech issues block message Sun Times In Chicago's heavily African-American Woodlawn community, Sexton Principal Ginger Bryant liked President Obama's message to the nation's schoolchildren Tuesday, but her school didn't have the technology to let her students watch it live. Back to School WTTW Woestehoff, Forte, and Ewing discusses issues CPS will face in the new school year. Fame [...]
    Posted: September 10, 2009, 8:28am EDT

  • Going Public (School)?

    This Crain's trend story (Sorry, kids: It's public school now) suggests that scads of Chicago parents are sending their kids to public schools because of the recession, but has no hard figures to back that up. It makes sense that this might be happening, but I'd be less skeptical if there were some numbers' [...]
    Posted: September 09, 2009, 10:51am EDT

  • Janitors & Sick Days

    I'm not sure what to make of this janitors issue -- what do you think? Huberman: No Janitor Sick Days Until Next Year Chicago Public Radio In the future we will build into our RFP process a requirement for those companies that service the Chicago Public Schools system to provide a Janitors push for' [...]
    Posted: September 09, 2009, 9:43am EDT

  • Wednesday Morning News

    Daley Won't Say Whether Principal Picks Should Be Cut WBEZ Chicago Mayor Richard Daley won't say whether principals at selective high schools should get to pick some enrollees. First day at a 'turnaround school' ABC7 It's not just a new school year, it's a whole new school culture at what's now called The Bethune School of [...]
    Posted: September 09, 2009, 9:03am EDT

  • Obama Or Oprah?

    Hometown homegirl Oprah Winfrey seems to be beating President Obama when it comes to getting media attention today, at least based on the Twitter feeds I follow. Oprah has some sort of thing going on downtown, right? Obama just delivered a back-to-school speech (NPR) that some conservative pundits and families [...]
    Posted: September 08, 2009, 3:53pm EDT

  • Latest Updates

    Don't see anything new since you last checked? Want to know the latest latest news? Don't fall behind. Catch the latest about Chicago schools at http://www.twitter.com/district299. ... [...]
    Posted: September 08, 2009, 3:13pm EDT

  • Tuesday Morning News

    For Chicago Public Schools, gym class finishes last A lack of physical education may not seem urgent compared with other challenges Chicago schools face, from gang violence to a 50 percent dropout rate. But obesity experts say structured daily exercise is crucial for the city's schoolchildren, many of whom are at unusually high risk for weight-related [...]
    Posted: September 08, 2009, 9:22am EDT

  • First Day Of School

    Here are some news stories about the return to school for most Chicago parents and teachers -- how is yours shaping up so far? What are you seeing or hearing about the big day? New Chicago schools Sun Times Five newly built schools open Tuesday. CPS's new performing arts school strikes a [...]
    Posted: September 08, 2009, 8:43am EDT

  • PSAE Retake Changes

    Thanks to a friend of the blog for sending in this memo about changes to the PSAE for the upcoming year (here). What these changes mean, I have no idea. But I'm confident one or more of you folks can help us understand. It sounds like kids who don't pass [...]
    Posted: September 04, 2009, 10:57am EDT

  • Friday Morning News

    Obama webcast optional at some area schools ABC7 "It's going to be a voluntary thing. Certainly from our perspective we're going to encourage students to be involved and understand what's going on in the greater world all the time," said Ron Huberman, Chicago Public Schools CEO. Chicago Public Schools announce plan to combat violence Tribune About 80 [...]
    Posted: September 04, 2009, 11:30pm EDT

  • Grade Inflation Vs. Clout Admissions

    While the clout story seems to have gone underground during the past few days, the grade inflation story seems to be on the rise. Why's that, I wonder? Grade inflation seems like it's probably more widespread, but it also seems more innocuous to me for some reason. Clout admissions seems [...]
    Posted: September 03, 2009, 1:13pm EDT

  • Thursday Morning News

    Restroom fire empties Oak Lawn high school Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Tribune small fire in a boys' bathroom at Oak Lawn Community High School this morning prompted an hourlong evacuation of the building at 95th Street and Southwest Highway. Teen lookout gets 20 years in Aurora gang beating' [...]
    Posted: September 03, 2009, 9:18am EDT

  • New Blogs To Check Out

    The Tribune's ChicagoNow isn't just all sports and lifestyle blogs like you may think. There are a bunch of them gathered under the moniker "New and Opinion" that might be of interest (including the ChicagoNow version of District 299). Former Chicago Reporter guy Fernando Diaz runs these blogs, and he' [...]
    Posted: September 02, 2009, 6:32pm EDT

  • Wednesday Morning News

    Daley vows to investigate grade changing allegations at schools Sun Times Daley, responding to the findings of an unprecedented survey of more than 1,200 Chicago Teachers Union members, vowed to investigate what appears to be a stunning amount of grade-changing. One principal ousted, another takes over Catalyst There's no official word as to why, but Gardner had [...]
    Posted: September 02, 2009, 9:40am EDT

  • Maggiano's For Huberman & Stewart

    Ron Huberman is scheduled to talk to the assembled crowd at the City Club on Thursday, with Marilyn Stewart to follow October 1, according to this piece. They're usually pretty low-key affairs, with few fastballs thrown. Huberman could get asked about the Civic Committee report, though, and that would be' [...]
    Posted: September 01, 2009, 2:51pm EDT

  • Biggest Issues Of The Fall?

    School's about to start for everyone who hasn't already started. There are a bunch of issues already swirling around -- budget cuts and layoffs, reorganizations and new CAOs, school-level conflicts (Pulaski, De La Cruz) and broken software (FirstClass). Let's not forget the clout issue, either. All of these things could' [...]
    Posted: September 01, 2009, 2:38pm EDT

  • Tuesday Morning News

    A Blow To Transparent School Reform In Chicago Progress Illinois After being blindsided by the changes, Soto is vowing to override Quinn's amendments. Talking to Black, the Chicago lawmaker expressed her ongoing ... State task force will study proposal for new group to authorize charter schools Catalyst 'The Illinois State Board of Education' [...]
    Posted: September 01, 2009, 8:15am EDT

  • Monday Morning News

    New school blends past, future Sun Times Can a school in North Lawndale achieve 96 percent attendance and 100 percent college placement? The Ford Motor Co. Fund's first school in Dearborn, Mich., achieved those results, and now officials hope the same can be done at a new charter high school opened by the fund in Homan [...]
    Posted: August 31, 2009, 10:00am EDT

  • Rolling Updates August 24-28

    I'll be updating the news here this week. Feel free to submit links and new information if you find it before I do. Hit refresh if you don't see anything new. follow me on Twitter ... [...]
    Posted: August 24, 2009, 10:21am EDT

  • Today's News & Commentary (August 17-21)

    Here's the place for this week's news and commentary -- most of it provided by you. I'm (trying to stay) away again this week, though I may post some links and ideas that will appear here (hit reload if you don't see anything new). Meantime, feel free to share breaking [...]
    Posted: August 17, 2009, 9:40am EDT

  • What's Going On At Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary?

    There's another gentrification struggle brewing in Chicago Public Schools, this time over Bucktown's Pulaski Elementary. I don't know all the details, but it sounds like the long-discussed plans to bring in an IB program to replace the fine arts program -- a change supported by the neighborhood association, the principal' [...]
    Posted: August 10, 2009, 6:14pm EDT

  • Gunsaulus Three

    The folks who want to talk about Gunsaulus have once again set all sorts of reader comment records, and I'm told that since Gunsaulus 2.0 is now apparently approaching 800 comments we have to start a new blog post to house new comments. That would be this post. The original' [...]
    Posted: August 10, 2009, 2:27pm EDT

  • This Week's Updates Are Here

    follow me on Twitter Feel free to send a link or bring something up in the comments if I miss anything good. Thanks!... [...]
    Posted: August 10, 2009, 11:39am EDT

  • No Social Media For CPS Teachers

    Just a few days after patting itself on the back for enlisting a R&B singer with a MySpace page and lots of Twitter followers, CPS's new email policy (PDF) requiring teachers to use official email for all communications with students has come to light. Blog readers brought this issue to light [...]
    Posted: August 10, 2009, 10:12am EDT

  • Monday Morning News

    Some question phasing-in at new Skinner School Gazette Chicago Some families living near Skinner West wanting to send their children to a neighborhood school must travel more than a mile away and object to this phase-in, however. Although this plan will benefit families with young children, it offers no help for neighborhood children already beyond kindergarten, [...]
    Posted: August 10, 2009, 10:00am EDT

  • Latest Updates

    follow me on Twitter ... [...]
    Posted: August 08, 2009, 12:04am EDT

  • Six Things To Note About The CPS Clout Investigation

    There's lots of news about the clout investigations surrounding CPS and it's easy to get lost, but here are some key things to note about where things stand right now: 1. Arne Duncan is probably off the hook in terms of the Federal investigation, because the subpoena only asks for information going back to January [...]
    Posted: August 07, 2009, 3:24pm EDT

  • More News Coverage Of CPS Clout Investigation

    Here's the video of the segment last night on Chicago Tonight: Latest stories Bigwigs under scrutiny in CPS admissions probe Sun Times CPS attorneys "red-flagged'' the case during a routine review of all principal picks this spring because it was missing certain information and bore Minniefield's last name, one source said. Federal grand jury asks whether" [...]
    Posted: August 07, 2009, 3:06pm EDT

  • Who Gets Credit For Teen Shooting Stats?

    The Beachwood Reporter's Steve Rhodes points out that it was Vallas who first started gathering youth shooting stats, and Duncan who stopped the practice for several years until it was revived. This is a different version of events from the story Duncan told Carol Marin recently. Or maybe the version Vallas [...]
    Posted: August 07, 2009, 11:53am EDT

  • Friday Morning News

    Chicago students survive homelessness, move on to college Tribune About 3,000 city students lived on their own during the 2008-09 school year -- nearly one-fourth of the district's 12,525 homeless students, officials said. The number of unaccompanied youths has increased significantly across the state in the last year. In 2008 there were almost 3,900 in public schools [...]
    Posted: August 07, 2009, 11:40am EDT

  • Greg Minniefield In The Hotseat

    Today's Chicago Tribune reported that top Board of Education official Greg Minniefield had apparently tried to get a relative into the prestigious Whitney Young High School. So far, at least, Mayor Daley is sticking with Board President Michael Scott, who has been subpoenaed and may already have testified before a [...]
    Posted: August 06, 2009, 3:10pm EDT

  • Is "Principal Discretion" Legal?

    What if the principal discretion provision isn't legal, no matter how closely it's followed? Why even allow discretion when all the other considerations are already lotteried -- siblings, race, etc. -- and the waiting lists are already there, too? It's not just a theoretical question. These are public schools, and there's a' [...]
    Posted: August 06, 2009, 10:55am EDT

  • Thursday Morning News

    Greg Hinz Blog | Crain's Chicago Business. It's pretty clear to me that this one has legs. It goes way, way up into Chicago's power structure. And it will be stinky, maybe very stinky. Nothing says back to school like sex song John Kass The last thing I'd ever want to talk about with Mayor' [...]
    Posted: August 06, 2009, 10:11am EDT

  • Scott Says He Never Made Calls; Won't Say If Others Did

    From the Sun Times: Asked whether he has ever made a call on behalf of someone else, Scott said, "Nope. Never." Scott said the Board of Education launched its internal investigation of the admissions process before the federal grand jury issued separate subpoenas for school records and Scott's testimony. Asked whether he had ever heard of [...]
    Posted: August 05, 2009, 12:08pm EDT

  • Wednesday Morning Education News

    CPS president subpoenaed Sun Times Scott said he was surprised by the subpoena and flatly denied that he has ever flexed his political muscle -- during two stints as board president -- to clout any student into a "selective enrollment" school. Is NRA part of the problem in counting the shootings? Sun Times (Carol Marin) "I could" [...]
    Posted: August 05, 2009, 10:58am EDT

  • Events Of Note

    Some events to keep track of: CORE: Meeting at Mannie's this afternoon. 330. Parking in the rear. STAND UP FOR CHILDREN OF THE INCARCERATED: Rally on Monday, August 10, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM. 9:00 AM: Rally and Vigil Thompson Center Plaza NW Corner of Clark and Randolph in Chicago. 10:00 AM [...]
    Posted: August 05, 2009, 10:58am EDT

  • Trust Among Adults Affects Kids' Trust Of Teachers

    "If open communication were a reality in CPS, working relationships could be energizing rather than draining. Students would sense that and maybe trust adults a bit more when they see them working together and communicating rather than gossiping and complaining. It has to start on the institutional level, but it can also start with" [...]
    Posted: August 04, 2009, 11:25am EDT

  • Clout Scandal Slowly Heading Duncan's Way

    The Tribune story about the federal investigation a few days ago didn't delve into the juicy possibility that the clout goes back to the Duncan era (a year ago), but this WGN video segment did: You also get to see the Mayor in his pretty purple shirt, blustering and stumbling over' [...]
    Posted: August 04, 2009, 10:59am EDT

  • Does Duncan Have The Remedy For Youth Violence?

    Here in this Sun Times video and elsewhere there seems to be no doubt that Arne Duncan is sincere in lamenting the youth violence that has affected too many families and schools over the past few years, and suitably chagrined at the lack of impact that he and other city [...]
    Posted: August 03, 2009, 11:53am EDT

  • Monday Morning News

    Chicago schools to look closer at grades and attendance data Tribune In the wake of the grade-tampering scandal involving Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose's high school records and reports of flawed attendance records, Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman on Friday unveiled a plan to improve the quality of data... Mundelein High School error forces teen [...]
    Posted: August 03, 2009, 10:42am EDT

  • Recent Posts On Twitter

    Here are some of my recent Twitter posts -- small stuff that doesn't make it into a regular post or that comes up over the weekend: follow me on Twitter Hit the "reload" button to get the most recent updates....' [...]
    Posted: July 31, 2009, 1:08pm EDT

  • Chicago Not The Only District Favoring The Young

    Chicago's veteran teachers aren't the only ones feeling like districts might be choosing rookie recruits over displaced veterans. According to this USA Today story ( Elite corps or costing older teachers jobs?): "In Boston, TFA corps members replaced 20 pink-slipped teachers, says Boston Teachers Union President Richard Stutman...In March, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., schools Superintendent Peter Gorman" [...]
    Posted: July 31, 2009, 11:17am EDT

  • Friday Morning News

    Chicago Public Schools fear state cuts will cost it $84 million Chicago Public Schools officials said Thursday that because of budget shortfalls, they could be forced to back away from promises not to cut classrooms and educational programs in the coming school year. Turnaround schools keep most students Catalyst Because of that year-long closure, it is [...]
    Posted: July 31, 2009, 11:08am EDT

  • A Letter From Huberman

    I never got a response from CPS but thanks to a reader for passing along this note that explains the budget situation and the furlough schedule. PDF In essence, Huberman is telling people to take six holidays as unpaid days rather than paid. But they weren't going to be there' [...]
    Posted: July 30, 2009, 11:56am EDT

  • Thursday Morning Education News

    Coming soon: Way more charter schools CTDN "We do agree with some of the things in there, we don't agree with everything, and so we agreed to be neutral, we agreed not to oppose the bill," says Traci Cobb-Evans, who handles legislative issues for CTU. Illinois school cafeterias to get $3.6M in grantsExaminer State officials say' [...]
    Posted: July 30, 2009, 11:30am EDT

  • Furlough Follies

    I've got a call into the communications office for more answers but here's what little's been reported so far: Mayor Richard Daley seeks to expand unpaid days off The boards of Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Transit Authority, City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Housing Authority and the Public Building' [...]
    Posted: July 29, 2009, 6:06pm EDT
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