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CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
For more information contact:
CPS Office of Communications
773-553-1620--office
Fax: 773-553-1622
Website: http://www.cps.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 23, 2009
CPS WITHDRAWS PROPOSALS FOR PEABODY, YALE, LAS CASAS, HOLMES, GLOBAL VISIONS AND HAMILTON
Officials Cite Compelling Community Testimony & Improved Scores
Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman announced today that six schools have been taken off the list of school closures, turnarounds and consolidations, after community groups and parents provided compelling arguments in support of the neighborhood schools and their performance levels.
Consistent with the purpose of holding public hearings, a series of community meetings were held where school officials provided public comment opportunities for parents, local school council members, teachers, and community leaders.
“The purpose of conducting public hearing meetings where open dialogue can be exchanged provides school officials with the opportunity to hear first hand from those most affected by the proposed changes,” said Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman. “Closing a school is not an easy task, nor is it popular. But it is our responsibility to be inclusive and open minded so that we achieve an end result that benefits the students, parents, faculty and community,” he added.
Peabody Elementary School was originally slated to close due to under-enrollment. The community provided new insight into space utilization. When this information was taken into consideration, Peabody no longer met the under-enrollment criteria.
Las Casas, a vocational school for special needs children, was also recommended for closure. Parents expressed concern over alternatives for current special needs students, and it was determined that more time was required to work with parents on best options for all students.
Yale Elementary School was recommended as a “turnaround” school, based on its academic performance. However, given Yale’s improvement in the areas of reading and math over the last three years, it was determined that Yale would be given additional time to improve its performance.
Despite Hamilton School’s relatively low utilization, students at the school performed well in ISAT testing, 82.4 vs. a district average of 65.5 (with English Language Learners included). Given its high performance, it was determined that more needed to be done to address under-enrollment. Hamilton had been recommended for phase-out.
Holmes met the turnaround criteria and its long term trends are showing improvement. At the public hearing, school officials, parents and community members touted teacher dedication, collaboration and initiatives they are putting in place to further increase student achievement. There were also discussions with the Local School Council about working with central office to select a new principal. Given the positive trend in test scores, it was determined that Holmes would be given additional time to continue progress. Chief Education Officer Barbara Eason-Watkins stated, “We will complete a comprehensive review of the academic, social and performance data to determine the best way to support Holmes’ continued progress.”
While Global Visions High School had the lowest enrollment of the four existing small schools in the Bowen Campus, the school demonstrated the highest PSAE composite score compared to the other schools within the Bowen Campus. It was therefore determined more time was needed to review this recommendation.
CPS has been, and is committed to continuing to work with all stakeholders. CEO Ron Huberman stressed that school closings require a comprehensive review that includes the community, students, parents, teachers, principals and union leaders. “We are committed to on-going discussions about the most effective strategies to improve students’ performance.”
The decision to withdraw proposals to close or turnaround Peabody Elementary School (1444 W. Augusta Ave); Las Casas (8401 S. Saginaw Ave,); Yale Elementary School (7025 S. Princeton Ave.), Hamilton Elementary School (1650 W. Cornelia Ave.), Holmes Elementary School (955 W. Garfield Blvd.) and Global Visions High School (2710 E. 89th St.) will be presented at the February 25th Board Meeting. Board members are expected to vote on the proposed recommendations.
Peabody, Yale, Las Casas, Hamilton, Holmes and Global Visions are among 22 Chicago Public Schools proposed for changes earlier this year.
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Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 9:09 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
to all that had courage to state their positions on the record against the closings. take a breathe and enjoy the moment but continue to fight for the other schools.
Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 9:11 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
Thnaks Alexander for your help with this and CORE as well and all the organizing and Rep. Soto. This is a START and the pressure must be kept on. It is too bad that this is tool ate for Andersen and de la Cruz Academies, but this is a win. So let's keep on winning.
Huberman got his look good and I care moment here. Not for a minute do I believe that the hearings made a difference on keeping these schools afloat--I have been to the hearings and they are a done deal, BUT--the pressure made king daley feel it and this is a great start. wow Thanks to all.
Huberman got his look good and I care moment here. Not for a minute do I believe that the hearings made a difference on keeping these schools afloat--I have been to the hearings and they are a done deal, BUT--the pressure made king daley feel it and this is a great start. wow Thanks to all.
Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 9:32 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
"Las Casas, a vocational school for special needs children, was also recommended for closure. Parents expressed concern over alternatives for current special needs students, and it was determined that more time was required to work with parents on best options for all students."
How much time do these students have to find alternative placements? Where will they go? Rod, do you know?
How much time do these students have to find alternative placements? Where will they go? Rod, do you know?
Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 9:35 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
It means that folks have to get out tomorrow and Wednesday if possible. There is no holding back in terms of demanding justice!!!
Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 9:37 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
CPS is trying to buy time in order for the "weather of protest" passes. Remember that the Man does not stop planning. While folks protest, Da mayor and CPS Administration is planning responses to get their way!!! Si se puede folks!
Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 11:03 PM
Privitization of the public trust is a disaster.
This is a great beginning and a testament to CORE/GEM and the energy put forth at the Malcolm X forum, the subsequent rallies at the Board of Education and the public hearings. The results are incomplete, but each school that was saved is a victory for the public school system. We must continue to remind the citizens of Chicago that the privitization of the public trust is a recipe for disaster. Let's continue to insist that Wall Street has no business on Clark Street.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 1:33 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
6 battles won, but the war? No. These are OUR schools, OUR students, OUR teachers, OUR parents, OUR communities. CPS/CBOE does not own them and cannot just hand over what is not theirs to private, unaccountable, unproven “charter/contract operators” and “turnaround contractors”. If a specific community wants new school ownership/management, that is the community’s prerogative and action should be initiated by the community, not CBOE or CPS. Three ways to keep fighting for community public schools:
When? Tuesday and Wednesday, February 24-25, 2009
(1) Candlelight Vigil (7 p.m.- 9 p.m., Tuesday 2/24/09)
(2) “Displaced City” Camp (10 p.m.- 5 a.m. Tuesday, 2/24/09, 125 S. Clark Street)
(3) Rally and March for Moratorium/HB363 “Soto Bill” (2/25/09, 3:30 p.m. start, 125 S. Clark)
Where? Chicago Public Schools (in front), 125 S. Clark Street
Why? To demand a moratorium on CPS/CBOE’s planned school closings/phase-outs, consolidations, reconstitutions and new school openings until a thorough, independent study is conducted on community impact. To support HB 363 (“Soto bill”) to design a city-wide School Facilities Plan that includes a fair, democratic process with meaningful community input and oversight to improve, not just move, Chicago public schools, their students, families, and teachers.
Events sponsored by Grassroots Education Movement (GEM), a coalition of Chicago-based education and community organizations that includes Blocks Together, Caucus Of Rank-and-file Educators, Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago Youth Initiating Change, Designs for Change, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Parents United for Responsible Education, Pilsen Alliance, South Side United Local School Council Federation, Southwest Youth Collaborative, Substance News, and Teachers for Social Justice.
When? Tuesday and Wednesday, February 24-25, 2009
(1) Candlelight Vigil (7 p.m.- 9 p.m., Tuesday 2/24/09)
(2) “Displaced City” Camp (10 p.m.- 5 a.m. Tuesday, 2/24/09, 125 S. Clark Street)
(3) Rally and March for Moratorium/HB363 “Soto Bill” (2/25/09, 3:30 p.m. start, 125 S. Clark)
Where? Chicago Public Schools (in front), 125 S. Clark Street
Why? To demand a moratorium on CPS/CBOE’s planned school closings/phase-outs, consolidations, reconstitutions and new school openings until a thorough, independent study is conducted on community impact. To support HB 363 (“Soto bill”) to design a city-wide School Facilities Plan that includes a fair, democratic process with meaningful community input and oversight to improve, not just move, Chicago public schools, their students, families, and teachers.
Events sponsored by Grassroots Education Movement (GEM), a coalition of Chicago-based education and community organizations that includes Blocks Together, Caucus Of Rank-and-file Educators, Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago Youth Initiating Change, Designs for Change, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Parents United for Responsible Education, Pilsen Alliance, South Side United Local School Council Federation, Southwest Youth Collaborative, Substance News, and Teachers for Social Justice.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 5:22 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
It was indeed a joy to plan on covering one story (Peabody candlelight vigil protests planned closing of long-time community anchor school, "Don't close our school!") and be covering instead a joyous celebration (Peabody lives!") featuring more than 50 adults and children on a very cold Chicago night after 9:00 p.m.
Our story (at Substancenews) has a few of the dozens of photographs of happy adults and children from last night.
But like others have said, six schools were spared, but 16 are still on the Renaissance 2010 Hit List. That means, when the Board votes tomorrow to close, phase out, consolidate, or turnaround those sixteen schools "Renaissance 2010" will have claimed as many victims in February 2009 as it got in February 2008.
Additionally, the betrayal of Andersen and the other schools from last year is still a story not enough of us are telling.
But as Arne Duncan exports Chicago's hypocrisies and Orwellian perversions to the rest of the USA, let's take any piece of the "Renaissance 2010" narrative and give it a closer look. Because Peabody was slated to be another victim of the expansion of Noble Street Charter Schools, last night I was thinking most about the bizarre notion that Arne Duncan got away with last year -- that "underserved communities" were only those where most of the people of Chicago can no longer afford the rent and only the ten percent of the wealthiest people can afford to purchase one of those million dollar "homes" that Arne discovered were "underserved".
This year, CPS will add another round to the grotesque preening at "Disney II", for example, by establishing "Ogden High School" on the grave of Carpenter Elementary School (even though CPS has a perfectly good high school building -- Near North -- closer to the Gold Coast Ogden than Carpenter is).
Take a look at last year. The CPS "Office of New Schools" and "Renaissance 2010" established "Disney II" on the grave of Irving Park Middle School so that the children of "Old Irving Park" didn't have to go to public school with the children of their nannies.
Ditto "LaSalle II" for Bucktown/Wicker Park, where Andersen is being displaced (much more rapidly than the "phase out" promised). And, of course, there is the "new" Noble Street UIC "campus" -- which was set up in the corpse of the old Gladstone Elementary School so that some of the people from that area don't have to go to high school with too many black children.
And, of course, as Orr High School disintegrates further into chaos because AUSL hired too many callow young hotshots with the Perfect Lesson Plans to "turnaround" Orr, all eyes (at least of Chicago's corporate media) will be diverted from the mess at Orr (unless, of course, a couple of kids -- or three -- gets murdered near Orr). Harper (ditto). Copernicus, Fulton, Howe, and Morton -- ditto.
With Arne Duncan in Washington, we owe it to the future of public education across the USA to continue to reveal every hypocrisy and Orwellian locution that have given rise to this orgy of teacher bashing, community busting, and privatization here in Chicago. Duncan will be repeating the same scripts there if he's not stopped, with far greater damage than he and his masters did to communities and public education in Chicago.
Our story (at Substancenews) has a few of the dozens of photographs of happy adults and children from last night.
But like others have said, six schools were spared, but 16 are still on the Renaissance 2010 Hit List. That means, when the Board votes tomorrow to close, phase out, consolidate, or turnaround those sixteen schools "Renaissance 2010" will have claimed as many victims in February 2009 as it got in February 2008.
Additionally, the betrayal of Andersen and the other schools from last year is still a story not enough of us are telling.
But as Arne Duncan exports Chicago's hypocrisies and Orwellian perversions to the rest of the USA, let's take any piece of the "Renaissance 2010" narrative and give it a closer look. Because Peabody was slated to be another victim of the expansion of Noble Street Charter Schools, last night I was thinking most about the bizarre notion that Arne Duncan got away with last year -- that "underserved communities" were only those where most of the people of Chicago can no longer afford the rent and only the ten percent of the wealthiest people can afford to purchase one of those million dollar "homes" that Arne discovered were "underserved".
This year, CPS will add another round to the grotesque preening at "Disney II", for example, by establishing "Ogden High School" on the grave of Carpenter Elementary School (even though CPS has a perfectly good high school building -- Near North -- closer to the Gold Coast Ogden than Carpenter is).
Take a look at last year. The CPS "Office of New Schools" and "Renaissance 2010" established "Disney II" on the grave of Irving Park Middle School so that the children of "Old Irving Park" didn't have to go to public school with the children of their nannies.
Ditto "LaSalle II" for Bucktown/Wicker Park, where Andersen is being displaced (much more rapidly than the "phase out" promised). And, of course, there is the "new" Noble Street UIC "campus" -- which was set up in the corpse of the old Gladstone Elementary School so that some of the people from that area don't have to go to high school with too many black children.
And, of course, as Orr High School disintegrates further into chaos because AUSL hired too many callow young hotshots with the Perfect Lesson Plans to "turnaround" Orr, all eyes (at least of Chicago's corporate media) will be diverted from the mess at Orr (unless, of course, a couple of kids -- or three -- gets murdered near Orr). Harper (ditto). Copernicus, Fulton, Howe, and Morton -- ditto.
With Arne Duncan in Washington, we owe it to the future of public education across the USA to continue to reveal every hypocrisy and Orwellian locution that have given rise to this orgy of teacher bashing, community busting, and privatization here in Chicago. Duncan will be repeating the same scripts there if he's not stopped, with far greater damage than he and his masters did to communities and public education in Chicago.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 5:55 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
It is imperative that CSDU will be a part of the movement regardless of the internal disputes.
See you there.
See you there.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 6:47 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
Thank you CPS for making it easier on the adults that work in schools! We get to keep our jobs! There is no need to close schools with the lowest scores in the district. No need to make hard decisions. Everything is fine!
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 7:46 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
Jessica Pupovac writes, "Prior to today's announcement, only one of the 62 schools recommended by Chicago Public Schools leadership for closure in the past eight years had managed to evade the chopping block-and that school reappeared on the list of recommended closures the following year." Here are the last eight years of schools closed, phased-out, consolidated, turnarounded or relocated. 2009-2010 school year: Fenger HS, Dulles, Johnson, Bethune, Nia, Foundations, Princeton, South Chicago, Carpenter, Lathrop, Reed, Best Practice HS, Abbott, Davis, Medill and Schiller. 2008-2009 school year: Harper HS, Mose Vines HS, Excel HS, AASTA HS, Fulton, Copernicus, Morton, Howe, Gladstone, Johns Middle, Davis, Midway, Carver Middle, Irving Park Middle, Anderson, De La Cruz, Edison and DeDuprey. 2007-2008 school year: Austin HS, Englewood HS, Westinghouse HS, Calumet HS, Collins HS, South Shore HS, Lemoyne and Harvard. 2006-2007 school year: Sherman, Arai Middle, Bowen HS, Carver HS, Dusable HS, Farren, Frazier, KIPP Chicago Youth Village, Lindblom College Prep HS and Morse. 2005-2006 school year: Howland, Bunche and Grant. 2004-2005 school year: Orr HS, Byrd, Doolittle West, Douglas, Jefferson, Raymond, Spalding, Spalding HS, Suder, Truth and Wright. 2003-2004 school year: Woodson North Middle, Munoz-Marin, Arts of Living Alternative, Donoghue, Colman, Flower HS and Tesla Alternative. 2002-2003 school year: Nuestra America Charter, Dodge, Williams and Terrell. 2001-2002 school year: Riis and Metro HS. THE WAR GOES ON!
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 8:43 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools
It's nice to see some people are willing to eviscerate the truth to push their anti-kid agenda.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 9:02 AM
A Great Day for Students
A Great Day for Adults,
Education research is clear that mobility and stability are extremely important factors in student achievement, especially for students in socio-economic poverty. Through Ren2010, CPS has been displacing and shuffling around its students who actually need more stability and consistency, not less. The students at the 'saved' schools are the real beneficiaries of this reversal.
The teachers and staff may have a temporary reprieve, but are still on the hot seat for next year. If the district goal is to eliminate 'bad teachers', rather than provide training to improve teachers, they can still do so through the contractually appropriate E-3 process. If the district goal is to cultivate a 'culture of success', then that process begins with a highly qualified administrative team that elicits heavy involvement from teachers, parents, students, and community and continues with increased support of academic, extracurricular, financial, and infrastructural needs for all schools, especially neighborhood schools.
Determining school success, teacher effectiveness, and student achievement based solely on high stakes, norm-referenced exams provides not only an incomplete and distorted picture but utterly fails to measure the most important indicator - cohort growth. Comparing all students to the same grade level expectations regardless of socio-economic conditions is also a painfully poor arbiter of teaching and learning. As simplistic as some people think education is, student achievement and education attainment are extremely complex and inter-weaved with issues of poverty, family, community, and teaching. Closing schools is not only a naively simple attempt to solve systemic problem, it also damages the very students it purports to help, all in the name of change.
The mantra "well, at least we're doing something" just isn't good enough when CPS ignores proven methods for improvement like smaller class sizes, increased social supports and counseling, community building, teacher training, relevant curricula, etc.
Despite the best efforts of CORE and GEM, 15+ schools full of children will still be displaced and damaged while alternative effective solutions are ignored and increases in educational supports are denied to neighborhood schools. CORE, GEM, and everyone else must continue to put pressure on the Board of Education to adopt a positive agenda for improving schools.
Education research is clear that mobility and stability are extremely important factors in student achievement, especially for students in socio-economic poverty. Through Ren2010, CPS has been displacing and shuffling around its students who actually need more stability and consistency, not less. The students at the 'saved' schools are the real beneficiaries of this reversal.
The teachers and staff may have a temporary reprieve, but are still on the hot seat for next year. If the district goal is to eliminate 'bad teachers', rather than provide training to improve teachers, they can still do so through the contractually appropriate E-3 process. If the district goal is to cultivate a 'culture of success', then that process begins with a highly qualified administrative team that elicits heavy involvement from teachers, parents, students, and community and continues with increased support of academic, extracurricular, financial, and infrastructural needs for all schools, especially neighborhood schools.
Determining school success, teacher effectiveness, and student achievement based solely on high stakes, norm-referenced exams provides not only an incomplete and distorted picture but utterly fails to measure the most important indicator - cohort growth. Comparing all students to the same grade level expectations regardless of socio-economic conditions is also a painfully poor arbiter of teaching and learning. As simplistic as some people think education is, student achievement and education attainment are extremely complex and inter-weaved with issues of poverty, family, community, and teaching. Closing schools is not only a naively simple attempt to solve systemic problem, it also damages the very students it purports to help, all in the name of change.
The mantra "well, at least we're doing something" just isn't good enough when CPS ignores proven methods for improvement like smaller class sizes, increased social supports and counseling, community building, teacher training, relevant curricula, etc.
Despite the best efforts of CORE and GEM, 15+ schools full of children will still be displaced and damaged while alternative effective solutions are ignored and increases in educational supports are denied to neighborhood schools. CORE, GEM, and everyone else must continue to put pressure on the Board of Education to adopt a positive agenda for improving schools.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 10:00 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
I do not know the answer to the question of how long Las Casas will remain open. However, Access Living has formally opposed the closing of Las Casas and the placing of these students in private sector schools for emotionally disturbed students. Our letter to CPS is reproduced below.
Re: closing of Las Casas High School
February 17, 2009
Ron Huberman
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago Public Schools
125 South Clark Street, 5th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Dear Mr. Huberman,
We are writing this letter to you in relation to the proposed closing of Las Casas Occupational High School, 8401 S. Saginaw Ave., which is a special education high school. We are asking that CPS consider reforming or restructuring Las Casas instead of simply closing the school down.
We are aware that CPS has held a hearing in relation to the closing of Las Casas, but we do not feel that the existing hearing process is the appropriate forum to discuss the very complex issues related to the closing of a school designed to provide services to emotionally disturbed youth. Las Casas is the only high school level therapeutic day school in CPS. At the onset we will say we can see little evidence that Las Casas has been an effective school for the population it was designed to serve.[1]
In November 2008, Access Living released a report on post secondary outcomes for CPS students with disabilities that utilized results from the Illinois Post School Survey for selected CPS high schools, including Las Casas. [2] The worst possible results in every area were for CPS students identified as emotionally disturbed.
The problem CPS has for its students with emotional disturbance is systemic and simply closing Las Casas we believe does little to address the far larger problem CPS has. The most likely next school for most of these Las Casas students will be a private sector schools that are part of Cluster Private School Services program that CPS has created (RFP Specification No. 07-250042).
Access Living’s primary concern in relation to the placement of these students in private sector therapeutic day schools are the academic achievement of students placed in private sector schools. [3] We are also concerned about their ability to be reintegrated into less restrictive regular CPS high schools when appropriate, and their transitions from high school to life.
We are aware that CPS Office of Specialized Services has a subdivision that conducts some monitoring of these private special education facilities that CPS students are tuitioned out to. But none of this monitoring data for these private schools is available for public review. None of this information is available to the parents of Las Casas students who would be sent to these private schools from Las Casas.
Access Living believes that Las Casas should be relocated and dramatically reformed instead of closed. We believe that a therapeutic day school program for CPS high school students should be placed inside an existing CPS high school with real existing vocational programs as a separate school within a school. Because many students may require extraordinary behavioral interventions this school may need to be in a secured wing of an existing CPS vocational high school.
The students with emotional disabilities attending any reformed Las Casas should be given access to real existing vocational programs and when possible slowly reintegrated into mainstream programs with extensive supports provided to these students. CPS should provide extensive psychological services for these students on site. If enough attention is paid to detail a reformed Las Casas could become a resource for all CPS high schools and provide behavioral intervention specialists to other high schools.
The current proposal simply to close Las Casas does nothing to address the systemic problems CPS has, we would ask that CPS look at reorganization of Las Casas.
Yours truly,
Rodney D. Estvan
Education Outreach Coordinator
Cc: Board President Rufus Williams
Board vice President Clare Munana
Board member Norman Bobins
Board member Tariq Butt
Board member Alberto Carrero
Board member Peggy Davis
Board member Roxanne Ward
Deborah Duskey, Chief Specialized Services Officer
Marca Bristo, President and CEO Access Living
[1] Probably the most disturbing aspect of Las Casas is that it is supposed to have a work program that should provide job skills training, but the CPS 2008 High School directory states that only 3% of its graduates not attending college or other post secondary programs were employed in 2007. Only 12% of its graduates ever enter a college of any type. According to the last data we have seen from the CPS research and evaluation department in 2006 Las Casas had a 5 year cohort drop out rate of 60%. Many students rarely attend school, with the average student missing 55 days per school year according to CPS reports.
[2] Former students were contacted for a brief interview to assess the areas of independent living, participation in postsecondary education, and employment. To the best of our knowledge the data CPS collected from these former CPS special education students from August 2007 through September of 2007 has not been made available to the public at large. About 94 former CPS students who were identified as emotionally disturbed were attempted to be surveyed. Approximately 80% of the former CPS students who were emotionally disturbed and who were not in post secondary programs were unemployed one year after exiting CPS, either with diplomas or as drop outs.
[3] One of the larger participants in the Cluster Private School Services program is Beacon Therapeutic Day School. In terms of public information relating to the Beacon High School program all we know is that in the 2007-2008 school year this school enrolled 129 students and 6 of these students were reintegrated into their home high schools. Forty four of these students were in the school’s secondary transition experience program, but none of these students appeared to be working in jobs outside the institution. About 14 students graduated from Beacon, but we do not know how many of these students were given standard diplomas authorized by CPS. There is no public academic performance data for any of the 129 high school students enrolled at Beacon.
Re: closing of Las Casas High School
February 17, 2009
Ron Huberman
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago Public Schools
125 South Clark Street, 5th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Dear Mr. Huberman,
We are writing this letter to you in relation to the proposed closing of Las Casas Occupational High School, 8401 S. Saginaw Ave., which is a special education high school. We are asking that CPS consider reforming or restructuring Las Casas instead of simply closing the school down.
We are aware that CPS has held a hearing in relation to the closing of Las Casas, but we do not feel that the existing hearing process is the appropriate forum to discuss the very complex issues related to the closing of a school designed to provide services to emotionally disturbed youth. Las Casas is the only high school level therapeutic day school in CPS. At the onset we will say we can see little evidence that Las Casas has been an effective school for the population it was designed to serve.[1]
In November 2008, Access Living released a report on post secondary outcomes for CPS students with disabilities that utilized results from the Illinois Post School Survey for selected CPS high schools, including Las Casas. [2] The worst possible results in every area were for CPS students identified as emotionally disturbed.
The problem CPS has for its students with emotional disturbance is systemic and simply closing Las Casas we believe does little to address the far larger problem CPS has. The most likely next school for most of these Las Casas students will be a private sector schools that are part of Cluster Private School Services program that CPS has created (RFP Specification No. 07-250042).
Access Living’s primary concern in relation to the placement of these students in private sector therapeutic day schools are the academic achievement of students placed in private sector schools. [3] We are also concerned about their ability to be reintegrated into less restrictive regular CPS high schools when appropriate, and their transitions from high school to life.
We are aware that CPS Office of Specialized Services has a subdivision that conducts some monitoring of these private special education facilities that CPS students are tuitioned out to. But none of this monitoring data for these private schools is available for public review. None of this information is available to the parents of Las Casas students who would be sent to these private schools from Las Casas.
Access Living believes that Las Casas should be relocated and dramatically reformed instead of closed. We believe that a therapeutic day school program for CPS high school students should be placed inside an existing CPS high school with real existing vocational programs as a separate school within a school. Because many students may require extraordinary behavioral interventions this school may need to be in a secured wing of an existing CPS vocational high school.
The students with emotional disabilities attending any reformed Las Casas should be given access to real existing vocational programs and when possible slowly reintegrated into mainstream programs with extensive supports provided to these students. CPS should provide extensive psychological services for these students on site. If enough attention is paid to detail a reformed Las Casas could become a resource for all CPS high schools and provide behavioral intervention specialists to other high schools.
The current proposal simply to close Las Casas does nothing to address the systemic problems CPS has, we would ask that CPS look at reorganization of Las Casas.
Yours truly,
Rodney D. Estvan
Education Outreach Coordinator
Cc: Board President Rufus Williams
Board vice President Clare Munana
Board member Norman Bobins
Board member Tariq Butt
Board member Alberto Carrero
Board member Peggy Davis
Board member Roxanne Ward
Deborah Duskey, Chief Specialized Services Officer
Marca Bristo, President and CEO Access Living
[1] Probably the most disturbing aspect of Las Casas is that it is supposed to have a work program that should provide job skills training, but the CPS 2008 High School directory states that only 3% of its graduates not attending college or other post secondary programs were employed in 2007. Only 12% of its graduates ever enter a college of any type. According to the last data we have seen from the CPS research and evaluation department in 2006 Las Casas had a 5 year cohort drop out rate of 60%. Many students rarely attend school, with the average student missing 55 days per school year according to CPS reports.
[2] Former students were contacted for a brief interview to assess the areas of independent living, participation in postsecondary education, and employment. To the best of our knowledge the data CPS collected from these former CPS special education students from August 2007 through September of 2007 has not been made available to the public at large. About 94 former CPS students who were identified as emotionally disturbed were attempted to be surveyed. Approximately 80% of the former CPS students who were emotionally disturbed and who were not in post secondary programs were unemployed one year after exiting CPS, either with diplomas or as drop outs.
[3] One of the larger participants in the Cluster Private School Services program is Beacon Therapeutic Day School. In terms of public information relating to the Beacon High School program all we know is that in the 2007-2008 school year this school enrolled 129 students and 6 of these students were reintegrated into their home high schools. Forty four of these students were in the school’s secondary transition experience program, but none of these students appeared to be working in jobs outside the institution. About 14 students graduated from Beacon, but we do not know how many of these students were given standard diplomas authorized by CPS. There is no public academic performance data for any of the 129 high school students enrolled at Beacon.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 12:14 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
Huberman and CPS should open the black box on the process called " comprehensive review". The black box needs to be fully exposed for what it is. What is the rubric used by CPS to measure schools? What support will be given to those schools, if any?
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 12:31 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
a teacher needs to complete more work than the board does when closing a school. and still teachers are expected to get students to a passing level or are held accountable for high failure rates.
What about the board? if so many schools are closing should not the 125 clark employees be punished for their failure to support these schools?
What about the board? if so many schools are closing should not the 125 clark employees be punished for their failure to support these schools?
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 2:14 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
"The mantra "well, at least we're doing something" just isn't good enough when CPS ignores proven methods for improvement like smaller class sizes, increased social supports and counseling, community building, teacher training, relevant curricula, etc."
amen.
amen.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 4:32 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
curtis black has a story about the carpenter decision, which he writes raises more questions than it answers:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/curtis-black/the-carpenter-case-school_b_169501.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/curtis-black/the-carpenter-case-school_b_169501.html
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 4:58 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
As a CPS teacher, I am thrilled that schools were spared closing. Children First Finally! I can tell you that Andersen did just as good a job presenting facts, stats, figures and proof that it should not have closed and the board turned Andersen down. It still hurts! The political winds must have changed just a little. Go Figure!
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 5:48 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
It is not the political winds that have changed--it was the outpouring of support and mobilization by the PUBLIC. Don't be fooled. The politics are the same. They are just adjusting their game to adapt to the new reality that the parents, teachers, and students of Chicago are not going to tolerate it any more!
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 6:48 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
Watch the numbers from CPS, they LIE>
So how does the statistician(sans verifiable statistics) flunky in demographics feel about his statement that a majority(50.2%) of students live closer to APMC then the school they were in feel about the bus accident? And lest we forget the utilization percentages he http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/assets/blog/Elem_SUR_07-08_3.pdf pulled off......maybe we can have someone at the top finally see the moral hazard that manipulation of data can cause.
So how does the statistician(sans verifiable statistics) flunky in demographics feel about his statement that a majority(50.2%) of students live closer to APMC then the school they were in feel about the bus accident? And lest we forget the utilization percentages he http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/assets/blog/Elem_SUR_07-08_3.pdf pulled off......maybe we can have someone at the top finally see the moral hazard that manipulation of data can cause.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 8:21 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
I am a parent, a teacher and a administrator. I have worked at several low performing schools and high performing schools. The difference is the adults. Low expectations and poor work ethic amongst staff members yield underperforming schools. Yes in this economy, even lazy people need to eat, but let's not continue to do this using black and latino students. If you want to keep your schools open, educate our children! DO YOUR JOB and stop blaming the board because of the incompetent people that are in many of our schools. I appalaud the efforts of all of those educators who fight everyday to educate children, not just when schools are closing.
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 8:31 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
That's a fascinating perspective. So, at what schools have you worked? Do share. Give us a little insight into your perspective. Don't be shy...
Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 8:40 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
Why not Marshall?It is a lowest performing school in the District 299.They are unable to report attendance properly.
They are unable to supervise students-many of them are in school but not in class UNSUPERVISED.
Shame.
They are unable to supervise students-many of them are in school but not in class UNSUPERVISED.
Shame.
Wed Feb 25, 2009 at 12:20 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
I've worked as a teacher and attended schools at the extreme ends of the spectrum in Education.
I would agree that it "appears" that people are more competent at the high performing schools. But upon further analysis, I have found this to be caused by several factors:
1) Everyone looks smart in a stable system.
2) People who have had support for their entire lives look more competent as long as they still have support.
3) The evaluation systems are designed to evaluate folks labeled as "high performing" as "high performing". My kids at Julian have many skills that my kids I had worked with at New Trier do not. They certainly have many skills that I didn't have at the lab school.
Furthermore, it's simply much easier to be a good teacher at a high performing school than at a low performing school.
I remember talking to a veteran principal at relatively high performing elementary who told me that when he taught at Bowen, everyone from outside the school thought he was a bad teacher. Suddenly, when he taught at a selective enrollment school, everyone told him what a great teacher he must be. What changed? Certainly not his teaching ability.
I feel the same way. I'm sick of going to all of the special teacher developments and seeing the same schools represented. I'm sick of people telling me, "You're a good teacher, you could leave your school and really teach..."
This is the heart of the problem in CPS--there are great, under appreciated veteran teachers at schools all across the district. They only become appreciated if they leave and teach the children of those with clout or become administrators or distance themselves further and further from kids of need.
Instead of closing schools, turning them around and closing them again--all the while bashing the teachers who treasure their time with the most challenging students--why not do as they do in many systems and support the teachers most who choose to work with the most needy?
I would agree that it "appears" that people are more competent at the high performing schools. But upon further analysis, I have found this to be caused by several factors:
1) Everyone looks smart in a stable system.
2) People who have had support for their entire lives look more competent as long as they still have support.
3) The evaluation systems are designed to evaluate folks labeled as "high performing" as "high performing". My kids at Julian have many skills that my kids I had worked with at New Trier do not. They certainly have many skills that I didn't have at the lab school.
Furthermore, it's simply much easier to be a good teacher at a high performing school than at a low performing school.
I remember talking to a veteran principal at relatively high performing elementary who told me that when he taught at Bowen, everyone from outside the school thought he was a bad teacher. Suddenly, when he taught at a selective enrollment school, everyone told him what a great teacher he must be. What changed? Certainly not his teaching ability.
I feel the same way. I'm sick of going to all of the special teacher developments and seeing the same schools represented. I'm sick of people telling me, "You're a good teacher, you could leave your school and really teach..."
This is the heart of the problem in CPS--there are great, under appreciated veteran teachers at schools all across the district. They only become appreciated if they leave and teach the children of those with clout or become administrators or distance themselves further and further from kids of need.
Instead of closing schools, turning them around and closing them again--all the while bashing the teachers who treasure their time with the most challenging students--why not do as they do in many systems and support the teachers most who choose to work with the most needy?
Wed Feb 25, 2009 at 4:13 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
Hello Xian.Thank you for your excellent post.I appreciate it but at the same time I do have a feeling that you are naive(excuse me).
The name of the game ?"MONEY".
Who cares about children and faculty?
The name of the game ?"MONEY".
Who cares about children and faculty?
Wed Feb 25, 2009 at 7:00 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
All of the school closings, phase-outs, consolidations and turnarounds are based on political decisions. All political decisions are based on economics. P.S.- It's not what you know, but who you know (i.e.- Peabody school is in Soto's area}! Get your politicians, business people, community leaders and parents involved to stop school closings, phase-outs, consolidations and turnarounds in your community. Keep fighting!
Mon Mar 2, 2009 at 8:28 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
As long as everyone spends all of their time demonizing CPS nothing will be done. It is clear that very few of you keep up with national policy. NCLB was revised last year and now requires that schools in their fifth year of restructuring have a significant change. CPS has tried to keep schools open with staffs by simply changing principals and/or programs, but they are no longer able to do so because of the new national regulations.
Too many of us on here are demonizing the Board without looking at what we are not doing at the schools. There are BAD teachers AND administrators at quite a few schools. There are also STRUGGLING teachers AND administrators at several schools. These are two different groups, but they are frequently treated the same.
ISAT and PSAE measure our curriculums because we make curriculum decisions AT our schools. We help get supports for students AT our schools. We also decide the policies AT our schools.
The schools that were "turned around" are different from schools that are "closed". Let's not get so emotional that we forget that we send thousands of kids out of our schools every year unprepared for work or college. ALL of us are responsible...too many of us think that we have an infinite amount of time to help students, and, unfortunately, for our students and our community, that is not true.
P.S. Stop being so nasty to people who don't share your opinion. That is real evidence of having a small mind.
Too many of us on here are demonizing the Board without looking at what we are not doing at the schools. There are BAD teachers AND administrators at quite a few schools. There are also STRUGGLING teachers AND administrators at several schools. These are two different groups, but they are frequently treated the same.
ISAT and PSAE measure our curriculums because we make curriculum decisions AT our schools. We help get supports for students AT our schools. We also decide the policies AT our schools.
The schools that were "turned around" are different from schools that are "closed". Let's not get so emotional that we forget that we send thousands of kids out of our schools every year unprepared for work or college. ALL of us are responsible...too many of us think that we have an infinite amount of time to help students, and, unfortunately, for our students and our community, that is not true.
P.S. Stop being so nasty to people who don't share your opinion. That is real evidence of having a small mind.
Mon Mar 2, 2009 at 10:32 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
The more you pack Clark Street with people who have no professional education or field experience in the profession, the more you guarantee that whatever number of inadequate teachers or administrators you (and what are YOUR evaluative credentials?) believe are in the organization will stay or be joined by even more incompetent people.
The Bush administration was shown up years ago as having supported practice and methods that were pushed by their vendors. Your pontificating by holding up NCLB as some infallible authority is beyond a joke in the education community.
CPS has in its turn demonized teachers, parents and principals, using each blame session as an excuse to conduct a purge, mostly with the approval of whichever group wasn't under scrutiny.
The vaunted new leadership franchises have produced teachers rejected as inadequate, and principals rejected by the community. When that happens, then suddenly it's time for a neighborhood purge, and suddenly another school is deemed ready to be cleaned out, the neighborhood ethnically cleansed, and a new school for the middle class pops up when it's 'safe'.
Cetnral Office puts absolutely all its energy in poisoning parents against teachers, and teachers against administrators. It is only when they all unite, as they did at Peabody and others that somehow were 'reexamined', that the school community survives.
Parents, most of your children's teachers are parents too. No other people outside of your blood relations care about and love your children more than we do. In schools where this is understood, Central Office is powerless and cannot put wedges of blame between us. Parents, we teachers cannot pick our own leadership. Only you can do that. We are as much at your mercy as your children are at ours.
I can only say to you that I am a career educator, and have observed that the children who consistently return to see us, and tell us what a difference we made in their lives, are the ones who complained the loudest during the year that we taught them. They understand, albeit after the fact, that we were doing something that was an act of advocacy and that we were always on their side.
Parents do not go back and demand that dentists be fired or doctors sued when they perform procedures that are necessary, yet cause discomfort. What is important is that such a professional do his job with as little pain as possible to the patient. That's what we are trying to do.
I just pray we can wake up and unite before the last real school is auctioned off and public education in Chicago becomes only a memory.
The Bush administration was shown up years ago as having supported practice and methods that were pushed by their vendors. Your pontificating by holding up NCLB as some infallible authority is beyond a joke in the education community.
CPS has in its turn demonized teachers, parents and principals, using each blame session as an excuse to conduct a purge, mostly with the approval of whichever group wasn't under scrutiny.
The vaunted new leadership franchises have produced teachers rejected as inadequate, and principals rejected by the community. When that happens, then suddenly it's time for a neighborhood purge, and suddenly another school is deemed ready to be cleaned out, the neighborhood ethnically cleansed, and a new school for the middle class pops up when it's 'safe'.
Cetnral Office puts absolutely all its energy in poisoning parents against teachers, and teachers against administrators. It is only when they all unite, as they did at Peabody and others that somehow were 'reexamined', that the school community survives.
Parents, most of your children's teachers are parents too. No other people outside of your blood relations care about and love your children more than we do. In schools where this is understood, Central Office is powerless and cannot put wedges of blame between us. Parents, we teachers cannot pick our own leadership. Only you can do that. We are as much at your mercy as your children are at ours.
I can only say to you that I am a career educator, and have observed that the children who consistently return to see us, and tell us what a difference we made in their lives, are the ones who complained the loudest during the year that we taught them. They understand, albeit after the fact, that we were doing something that was an act of advocacy and that we were always on their side.
Parents do not go back and demand that dentists be fired or doctors sued when they perform procedures that are necessary, yet cause discomfort. What is important is that such a professional do his job with as little pain as possible to the patient. That's what we are trying to do.
I just pray we can wake up and unite before the last real school is auctioned off and public education in Chicago becomes only a memory.
Mon Mar 2, 2009 at 10:37 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
Where is the Union?Whom do you pay $90 a month?
Mon Mar 2, 2009 at 10:49 PM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
Do you know what?SMD so you need special diet.
Tue Mar 3, 2009 at 1:18 AM
CPS Changes Course On Six Schools [updated]
I have a 100% guaranteed successful way to improve test scores at 'failing' schools. Test scores will soar! It's new, never been tried at CPS and not only will the students drastically improve, but teachers, administrators, support staff will love it.
Of course it should be piloted first at a few select schools, but this is CPS, it's a new idea so just do it, work out the data later, after all it's fool proof. It’s called Designed Environmental Learning. The majority of the funding would go directly to classroom instruction. It would require limited professional development, and minimal administrative costs.
If anyone at CPS is interested just contact me and I’d be glad to sell the program to you. My credentials are impressive; experience in education, but more importantly, an advanced degree in one of the most prestigious universities in the country.
Just drop me a line:hsteacher.jones1@gmail.com
Of course, if CPS is really interested in educating children, they could get the program free by talking to teachers. But that’s not how CPS operates.
Of course it should be piloted first at a few select schools, but this is CPS, it's a new idea so just do it, work out the data later, after all it's fool proof. It’s called Designed Environmental Learning. The majority of the funding would go directly to classroom instruction. It would require limited professional development, and minimal administrative costs.
If anyone at CPS is interested just contact me and I’d be glad to sell the program to you. My credentials are impressive; experience in education, but more importantly, an advanced degree in one of the most prestigious universities in the country.
Just drop me a line:hsteacher.jones1@gmail.com
Of course, if CPS is really interested in educating children, they could get the program free by talking to teachers. But that’s not how CPS operates.
