EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0" Following up on the previous post (Counting Down To Consolidation), here are some more details about the closings-consolidations plan that will be detailed next week that are sure to interest and/or enrage you:
1: About the 147 schools named as "underutilized, there's still no list but there is a breakdown: 25 schools at under 25 percent utilization (80 percent is considered full), 43 below 40 percent, and 79 below 50 percent.
It's those 25 below 25 percent that are likely to be the Board's first targets, right? Anyone know what schools are that low, or on the potential closings list in years past? I'm sure we can patch together a list of our own.
2: There are going to be four kinds of things done to underutilized schools -- relocations, phaseouts, consolidations, and outright closings.
My guess is that they'll do their best to avoid saying they're closing schools and use the other three names as much as possible, except for academic failure. It gets pretty semantic at a certain point, however. For kids and families and teachers, what's the real difference between having your school consolidated into another and having it closed?
3: The plan is to do something to 5-10 school buildings per year, over the next five years.
I hereby dub this initiative "Ren-10 Version 2.0," since it resembles Ren10 in closing and opening schools but goes beyond 2010 and is in truth a whole 'nother thing.
4: In the meantime, there are still 30-40 schools that are overcrowded, according to the plan (which I've now seen). While 40 new schools were built since 1995, just 14 new elementaries are in the works under MSAC (along with 11 replacement schools).
Anyone who has or has seen the MSCA list, I'm sure folks would love to see where the new and replacement schools are supposed to be.
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Wed Jan 16, 2008 at 2:44 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
Figuring out which schools are at risk for one of the noted changes requires knowing CPS’ rubric for determining a school's capacity. Other commentators have made mention of this. Sometimes CPS takes into consideration the proportion of students with disabilities in a school to determine a school's capacity and building utilization. Whatever the current method, it’s not transparent.
It’s difficult to keep track, each year, of the schools undergoing changes to their buildings - -additions, mobile units, relocations, and leased facilities -- and identify the schools that are currently defined as underutilized. But, based on reported design capacities from a few years back, the following schools are suspect (<=25 percent utilization):
Abbott, Parkman, Medill, Carver Primary, Carver Mid, Pope, Price, Fermi, Mason, Burnham, Faraday, Carpenter, Cather, Brown, W, Burke, Schiller, Armour, Delano
Additionally, Burke, Armour, Parkman, Price, Fermi, Medill, Carver Primary and Carver Middle, Cather, Faraday, Burham, Pope, and Mason have all had at least a 40 percent decrement in enrollment from 2001 to 2008.
It’s difficult to keep track, each year, of the schools undergoing changes to their buildings - -additions, mobile units, relocations, and leased facilities -- and identify the schools that are currently defined as underutilized. But, based on reported design capacities from a few years back, the following schools are suspect (<=25 percent utilization):
Abbott, Parkman, Medill, Carver Primary, Carver Mid, Pope, Price, Fermi, Mason, Burnham, Faraday, Carpenter, Cather, Brown, W, Burke, Schiller, Armour, Delano
Additionally, Burke, Armour, Parkman, Price, Fermi, Medill, Carver Primary and Carver Middle, Cather, Faraday, Burham, Pope, and Mason have all had at least a 40 percent decrement in enrollment from 2001 to 2008.
Wed Jan 16, 2008 at 3:06 PM
My Estimation - On the chop block or close
Just Going down the list at the back of the calendar and trying to use the map:
Andersen
Attucks
Banneker
Beasley
Bethune
Bontemps
Burr
Calhoun N
Carter
Chalmers
Columbus
Cuffe
Dett
Dodge
Drake
Ericson
Faraday
Foundations oops never mind it has a forcefield
Franklin
Galileo
Gladstone
Hamline or the Satellite
Hedges or the Satellite
Herbert
Inter-American
Irving
Jenner
Jensen
Kellman
King
LaSalle
Libby
Manierre
Marconi
McClellan
McCorkle
Melody
Morton
Newberry
Nia
Nicholson
Ogden
Otis
Peabody
Pershing E or W
Prescott
Ross
Rudolph
Ryerson
Schiller
Smyth
Stagg
Suder
Webster
Woods
Some of these may already be closed (I saw Skinner on the list) some may be overcrowded, I was just tring to match addresses to the map
Andersen
Attucks
Banneker
Beasley
Bethune
Bontemps
Burr
Calhoun N
Carter
Chalmers
Columbus
Cuffe
Dett
Dodge
Drake
Ericson
Faraday
Foundations oops never mind it has a forcefield
Franklin
Galileo
Gladstone
Hamline or the Satellite
Hedges or the Satellite
Herbert
Inter-American
Irving
Jenner
Jensen
Kellman
King
LaSalle
Libby
Manierre
Marconi
McClellan
McCorkle
Melody
Morton
Newberry
Nia
Nicholson
Ogden
Otis
Peabody
Pershing E or W
Prescott
Ross
Rudolph
Ryerson
Schiller
Smyth
Stagg
Suder
Webster
Woods
Some of these may already be closed (I saw Skinner on the list) some may be overcrowded, I was just tring to match addresses to the map
Wed Jan 16, 2008 at 3:18 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
Patching together a list (cont.)
Based on previously reported design capacities from a few years back, the following schools are suspect (less than or equal to 25 percent utilization):
Abbott, Parkman, Medill, Carver Primary, Carver Mid, Pope, Price, Fermi, Mason, Burnham, Faraday, Carpenter, Cather, Brown, W, Burke, Schiller, Armour, Delano
Additionally, Burke, Armour, Parkman, Price, Fermi, Medill, Carver Primary and Carver Middle, Cather, Faraday, Burham, Pope, and Mason have all had at least a 40 percent decrement in enrollment from 2001 to 2008.
Based on previously reported design capacities from a few years back, the following schools are suspect (less than or equal to 25 percent utilization):
Abbott, Parkman, Medill, Carver Primary, Carver Mid, Pope, Price, Fermi, Mason, Burnham, Faraday, Carpenter, Cather, Brown, W, Burke, Schiller, Armour, Delano
Additionally, Burke, Armour, Parkman, Price, Fermi, Medill, Carver Primary and Carver Middle, Cather, Faraday, Burham, Pope, and Mason have all had at least a 40 percent decrement in enrollment from 2001 to 2008.
Wed Jan 16, 2008 at 5:20 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
Alexander think your information is helpful. Some where I got the idea that the age and condition of the building would also be involved in this process. While we at Access Living have a lot of concerns over the closing process, we are aware that CPS has some buildings given the population of the community and the physical condition of the school that makes no sense to keep open.
But it would be far better to put the closing list out completely right now. Families can know the school will not, or likely will not be there in a few years and can look for another school now. Those of us that have objections based on the complexity of relocation of students can do our complaining and CPS can listen or not. School staff can begin to look for other options within or outside the system.
As we can see the guessing game is begining and this is really far worse than having CPS put out a list of schools that are on the choping block. I know CPS probably does not want communities to have extensive amounts of time to organize opposition to the closings, but that is likely to start even with the best guess lists. It is really far better to get this information out to the public all at once.
But it would be far better to put the closing list out completely right now. Families can know the school will not, or likely will not be there in a few years and can look for another school now. Those of us that have objections based on the complexity of relocation of students can do our complaining and CPS can listen or not. School staff can begin to look for other options within or outside the system.
As we can see the guessing game is begining and this is really far worse than having CPS put out a list of schools that are on the choping block. I know CPS probably does not want communities to have extensive amounts of time to organize opposition to the closings, but that is likely to start even with the best guess lists. It is really far better to get this information out to the public all at once.
Wed Jan 16, 2008 at 9:53 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
RE: Long list above
Suder = Renaissance 2010 school- Montessori Magnet
Skinner is at Truth right now while they build it a new building. They were supposed to be moving it to Jefferson, but ended up going all the way north to Truth.
Speaking of Jefferson. When Jefferson closed 1/2 the kids went to Smyth and 1/2 went to Gladstone. The Jefferson kids previously went to Ries. As far as I know Medill only goes up to 4th grade. It will be interesting to keep an eye on that area in the next few years.
Suder = Renaissance 2010 school- Montessori Magnet
Skinner is at Truth right now while they build it a new building. They were supposed to be moving it to Jefferson, but ended up going all the way north to Truth.
Speaking of Jefferson. When Jefferson closed 1/2 the kids went to Smyth and 1/2 went to Gladstone. The Jefferson kids previously went to Ries. As far as I know Medill only goes up to 4th grade. It will be interesting to keep an eye on that area in the next few years.
Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 1:01 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
One of the biggest reasons for everyone to be at next Wednesday's Board of Education meeting is to see how outright fraudulent Arne's "data driven" management really is.
Most of the schools that may be on the list also have large numbers of special education students, who should be programmed into their own classrooms as well as included as appropriate. Those rooms should be appropriately counted, and not at a ratio of 30 students per room per teacher (as CPS has been doing the last couple of times it did a "demographics" study for purposes of screwing the general high schools and the community elementary schools).
Once the ratio of children per room is reduced to the average for the suburbs north of Howard Street, the "underutilization" disappears.
The fraudulent use of these "demographics" studies has been a mainstay of Duncan's administration since he announced the first closings in March and April 2002 (Terrell; Dodge; Williams) and got away with it. Each new iteration of the same frauds is simply rubber stamped by Mayor Daley's school board members (unanimously and without dissent). Not one question is ever asked by a Board member as these Shock Doctrine tactics are used to destabilize schools and communities.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Mayor Daley's school board promotes "Small" (as in "Small Schools"), so that, according to the Board's own numbers, the majority of Chicago's more than 60 charter schools this year would be classified as "underutilized" if the books weren't being cooked by Arne Duncan, Rufus Williams, "New Schools," and "Demographics."
Next Wednesday's Board of Education meeting going to be a great show, with all kinds of Enron style accounting and auditing used. Maybe this time somebody other than me and my colleagues will be reporting just how mendacious this whole parade of show trials and public executions is. I'm not counting on it, but you never know. Even Catalyst might take an interest in a complete look at how Duncan's been cooking the books. After all, it's been six years since Catalyst gave Arne that big boost into the big seat so this whole teacher bashing and privatization show could move into high gear once Paul Vallas was safely out of Mayor Daley's back yard.
Most of the schools that may be on the list also have large numbers of special education students, who should be programmed into their own classrooms as well as included as appropriate. Those rooms should be appropriately counted, and not at a ratio of 30 students per room per teacher (as CPS has been doing the last couple of times it did a "demographics" study for purposes of screwing the general high schools and the community elementary schools).
Once the ratio of children per room is reduced to the average for the suburbs north of Howard Street, the "underutilization" disappears.
The fraudulent use of these "demographics" studies has been a mainstay of Duncan's administration since he announced the first closings in March and April 2002 (Terrell; Dodge; Williams) and got away with it. Each new iteration of the same frauds is simply rubber stamped by Mayor Daley's school board members (unanimously and without dissent). Not one question is ever asked by a Board member as these Shock Doctrine tactics are used to destabilize schools and communities.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Mayor Daley's school board promotes "Small" (as in "Small Schools"), so that, according to the Board's own numbers, the majority of Chicago's more than 60 charter schools this year would be classified as "underutilized" if the books weren't being cooked by Arne Duncan, Rufus Williams, "New Schools," and "Demographics."
Next Wednesday's Board of Education meeting going to be a great show, with all kinds of Enron style accounting and auditing used. Maybe this time somebody other than me and my colleagues will be reporting just how mendacious this whole parade of show trials and public executions is. I'm not counting on it, but you never know. Even Catalyst might take an interest in a complete look at how Duncan's been cooking the books. After all, it's been six years since Catalyst gave Arne that big boost into the big seat so this whole teacher bashing and privatization show could move into high gear once Paul Vallas was safely out of Mayor Daley's back yard.
Fri Jan 18, 2008 at 11:07 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
just got word from someone teaching at Anderson that they were told THIS morning at Anderson that the school is closing down. Her email to me read: "Andersen is closing. Hawthorne is coming in to take over. They want our facility for the gentrified neighborhood."
Fri Jan 18, 2008 at 3:51 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
I just knew this was going to screw students with special needs (I'm thinking of how the receiving schools aren't going to have room and resources for them --- not just how their numbers were used to skew the data to show school are under-populated.) Dang.
Fri Jan 18, 2008 at 4:18 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
which anderson is that -- the one on division or the other one?
Fri Jan 18, 2008 at 8:57 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
Andersen.
Anderson already got reconstituted, or re-educated, or regurgitated or whatever it is they're calling it this week.
Anderson is called Claremont now.
Anderson already got reconstituted, or re-educated, or regurgitated or whatever it is they're calling it this week.
Anderson is called Claremont now.
Mon Jan 21, 2008 at 1:47 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
thanks to a reader, the over-under on how many schools are going to be on the list of those that will be "reconstituted" (in all variations) has been set at 20 schools for 0809, out of the 147 that are under-enrolled.
for many kids and teachers, this will mean no more than a shift to another building. for the schools that are being closed closed -- for academic reasons, a la sherman -- the teachers are at least temporarily out of a job and the parents are having to consider whether to hang around or not.
what do you think? i bet it's under 20, and that 7 of the schools are going to be restructured for academic reasons. but i'm just guessing. we'll know on wednesday or so.
- -alexander
for many kids and teachers, this will mean no more than a shift to another building. for the schools that are being closed closed -- for academic reasons, a la sherman -- the teachers are at least temporarily out of a job and the parents are having to consider whether to hang around or not.
what do you think? i bet it's under 20, and that 7 of the schools are going to be restructured for academic reasons. but i'm just guessing. we'll know on wednesday or so.
- -alexander
Mon Jan 21, 2008 at 1:49 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
ps -- here's the dec 19 powerpoint that dispensa presented to the board, where this whole thing started:
Download Presentation
-- alexander
Download Presentation
-- alexander
Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 8:52 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
yes, sorry, ANDERSEN, on 1148 N. Honore.
closing.
Students are being shifted elsewhere.
closing.
Students are being shifted elsewhere.
Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 8:57 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
No existing Andersen students would "be shifted" elsewhere as a result of any proposed board action. None.
Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 9:23 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
if a school is closing, what happens to the students then? perhaps shifted wasn't the right term used above, but those students have to go somewhere, right?
do you have some sort of insight or more information on what will happen to Andersen students?
do you have some sort of insight or more information on what will happen to Andersen students?
Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 1:49 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
i hear the list isn't coming out tomorrow -- maybe thursday or friday.
Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 2:48 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
If what one of the earlier posters is correct, that Andersen is going to be reorganized under a replication process based on Hawthorne school, then I have some concerns. Hawthorne school in terms of its special education population is very different than Andersen. Hawthorne had in the 2007 78 students with disabilities, 37 of these students received services only for speech language issues and required no direct special education services. Hawthorne had no fully self contained students with disabilities in 2007 according to the data CPS reported to the US District Court.
Andersen in 2007 had 124 students with disabilities, and only 18 of these students received services only for speech language issues and required no direct special education services. Andersen had about 25% of its population of students with disabilities being educated in self contained classes in 2007. Now some of these students may have inappropriately been placed in a self-contained program, but most likely the school had more significantly disabled students than does Hawthorne.
The two schools are so completely different I really can not understand how there could be a replication proposal like this. Hawthore last year had only 14.6% low income while Andersen was 91% low income. Andersen is 74% Hispanic and 28% limited English proficent, where as Hawthorne has only 18% Hispanic with no LEP students.
This proposal seems very strange based on what kind of staff experiences would be required for part of Hawthorne to attempt to replicate at the Andersen site. If the students are being sent elsewhere it might make some sense, but if the population is staying I do not understand the logic of the proposal. Is this for real?
Rod Estvan
Andersen in 2007 had 124 students with disabilities, and only 18 of these students received services only for speech language issues and required no direct special education services. Andersen had about 25% of its population of students with disabilities being educated in self contained classes in 2007. Now some of these students may have inappropriately been placed in a self-contained program, but most likely the school had more significantly disabled students than does Hawthorne.
The two schools are so completely different I really can not understand how there could be a replication proposal like this. Hawthore last year had only 14.6% low income while Andersen was 91% low income. Andersen is 74% Hispanic and 28% limited English proficent, where as Hawthorne has only 18% Hispanic with no LEP students.
This proposal seems very strange based on what kind of staff experiences would be required for part of Hawthorne to attempt to replicate at the Andersen site. If the students are being sent elsewhere it might make some sense, but if the population is staying I do not understand the logic of the proposal. Is this for real?
Rod Estvan
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 8:39 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
Andersen will no longer exist. The entire Hawthorne staff and students will move to the Andersen building. Andersen students will attend other schools in the neighborhood. Andersen teachers will be looking for new jobs. Students who are bussed, the pre-K and kindergarten will not attend Andersen next year. Gradually, the other grades will be phased out. End of story.
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 10:02 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
I have two daughters who are in the pre-K there--one in a Blended program, the other in an instructional special education classroom.
Because I work in education, I initially was skeptical of Andersen because its test scores were lower than I would have liked. Yet, the experience my kids have had in the past year at Andersen has far surpassed anything I could have hoped for. (And the test scores have risen considerably in the last three years.)
Andersen is supposedly being closed not because of its academic standing, but because it is “underserved”—the facility could hold 1100 students but currently only holds 550. Ironically, one of the teachers I talked to attributed its low teacher-to student ratio as one of the reasons Andersen has been able to raise its test scores so much in the past three years.
If indeed Andersen's pre-K is closed, I will be very sad to see it go. Maybe you can do some more reporting and see what's going on? Here's what I know, based on an email from a faculty sent out to parents:
Last Friday morning the Hans Andersen Elementary staff was informed that Andersen will be closing. The Board of Education has made this decision and it will affect Pre-K beginning with the 2008-09 school year. The plan is to eliminate Pre-K and Kindergarten for next year and only house grades 1-8 with the intention of closing the grades as the children move on each year.
The staff has noted that they feel that as soon as parents are informed that the Pre-K and K are closing, they are more likely to pull their older children and the closing will be sooner rather than later for the rest of the school.
Apparently the decision was made because CPS does not want the community to have to consider private school as an option for their children--so when Andersen is closed, the Board will open another branch of LaSalle Language Academy at the same site. Apparently, they love the Andersen building, but do not love the teachers/students in it.
The faculty and a school community is asking for help defending the program. The teachers feel that the school closing in general is something that is being done to them and no one wants to go down without a fight. In the end, the staff knows that the Board may decide to close the school anyway, but the staff does not want to accept their decision without hearing from the parents and teachers. Their hope is that maybe they can save the Pre-K programs as a start and then work from there.
There will be more information forthcoming that will hopefully provide some more details and/or answer some questions, but the people who made this decision were unable to answer the principal's numerous questions. There will also be a public hearing on February 16th that is required by law. The staff is asking that parents make every effort to attend. There hasn't been a time or exact location yet, but the principal was informed that that will be the date. The parents and teachers are getting together at Andersen at 9:30 this Friday to talk about the future of Andersen.
The teachers are doing their best to answer any questions, but they don't know many details. They were simply informed that their jobs would be over in June. There was also a reporter from the Trib that I talked to about this yesterday...he said that as far as he had heard, the kids at Andersen would be “funneled” into nearby magnet cluster school Pritzker, but he couldn’t confirm this. Pritzker doesn’t have a pre-K, so I am assuming the pre-K kids will be assigned to different CPS schools around the city based on their needs.
Thanks for any more information you can dig up and report about this. Much appreciated! I really love reading Catalyst. Good luck!
parent of two daughters at Andersen Community Academy
Because I work in education, I initially was skeptical of Andersen because its test scores were lower than I would have liked. Yet, the experience my kids have had in the past year at Andersen has far surpassed anything I could have hoped for. (And the test scores have risen considerably in the last three years.)
Andersen is supposedly being closed not because of its academic standing, but because it is “underserved”—the facility could hold 1100 students but currently only holds 550. Ironically, one of the teachers I talked to attributed its low teacher-to student ratio as one of the reasons Andersen has been able to raise its test scores so much in the past three years.
If indeed Andersen's pre-K is closed, I will be very sad to see it go. Maybe you can do some more reporting and see what's going on? Here's what I know, based on an email from a faculty sent out to parents:
Last Friday morning the Hans Andersen Elementary staff was informed that Andersen will be closing. The Board of Education has made this decision and it will affect Pre-K beginning with the 2008-09 school year. The plan is to eliminate Pre-K and Kindergarten for next year and only house grades 1-8 with the intention of closing the grades as the children move on each year.
The staff has noted that they feel that as soon as parents are informed that the Pre-K and K are closing, they are more likely to pull their older children and the closing will be sooner rather than later for the rest of the school.
Apparently the decision was made because CPS does not want the community to have to consider private school as an option for their children--so when Andersen is closed, the Board will open another branch of LaSalle Language Academy at the same site. Apparently, they love the Andersen building, but do not love the teachers/students in it.
The faculty and a school community is asking for help defending the program. The teachers feel that the school closing in general is something that is being done to them and no one wants to go down without a fight. In the end, the staff knows that the Board may decide to close the school anyway, but the staff does not want to accept their decision without hearing from the parents and teachers. Their hope is that maybe they can save the Pre-K programs as a start and then work from there.
There will be more information forthcoming that will hopefully provide some more details and/or answer some questions, but the people who made this decision were unable to answer the principal's numerous questions. There will also be a public hearing on February 16th that is required by law. The staff is asking that parents make every effort to attend. There hasn't been a time or exact location yet, but the principal was informed that that will be the date. The parents and teachers are getting together at Andersen at 9:30 this Friday to talk about the future of Andersen.
The teachers are doing their best to answer any questions, but they don't know many details. They were simply informed that their jobs would be over in June. There was also a reporter from the Trib that I talked to about this yesterday...he said that as far as he had heard, the kids at Andersen would be “funneled” into nearby magnet cluster school Pritzker, but he couldn’t confirm this. Pritzker doesn’t have a pre-K, so I am assuming the pre-K kids will be assigned to different CPS schools around the city based on their needs.
Thanks for any more information you can dig up and report about this. Much appreciated! I really love reading Catalyst. Good luck!
parent of two daughters at Andersen Community Academy
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 11:49 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
I should add one point that a teacher made to me about Andersen. It’s one of the few schools that has a Blended program AND an instructional (small spec ed) program. She’s right. When my kids were placed at Andersen based on their needs, I called the Office of Specialized Services and asked them if we could have a couple of different choices so we could visit and decide which school was the best fit. They were emphatically like, “NO.” Andersen is a great school. AND it's the best choice if you want your kids to stay together. Andersen is the only school right now that has openings where siblings with various educational needs can stay together at the same school because of its blended and instructional models. Andersen has a LOT of special education Pre-K classes--two instructional model classrooms, two Autism classrooms, and four blended classrooms. As far as one teacher tells me, Andersen could fill all 8 pre-K classes to capacity right now with the amount of applications they have for next year. And she also said that Andersen has been called numerous times by other schools and been asked to take on special education students who are considered out of control, unteachable, or "problem" students. Because the principal has a background in special education and special education is (her words to me) "her baby", she never turns a student down who needs services. Where will these kids go now? Like another reader noted, it seems you have to take into consideration NOT ONLY the number of students but the types of students each school serves. If 30 percent or more of a school's students are special ed, you're going to be able to serve a lot less of them. That's just common sense. This year both my daughter's classes were maxed out. My daughter who is in a class for kids with significant needs had TEN special ed students with severe disabilities in her class. The teacher finally had to fight the Board tooth and nail to get approved for another aide to help out. That class certainly didn't seem underserved to me.
Sadly, if Andersen closes, likely my kids will be sent to two different schools to have their needs met. Sounds like no big deal, right? It’s not the logistics or the inconvenience of it...but if you have any experience with twins, it was hard enough to get them into separate classes. I can’t imagine the screaming and drama we’re going to face in the morning if they set off for separate schools. They don’t want to go to the GROCERY store or the doctor’s office without each other, for god’s sake. :)
Sadly, if Andersen closes, likely my kids will be sent to two different schools to have their needs met. Sounds like no big deal, right? It’s not the logistics or the inconvenience of it...but if you have any experience with twins, it was hard enough to get them into separate classes. I can’t imagine the screaming and drama we’re going to face in the morning if they set off for separate schools. They don’t want to go to the GROCERY store or the doctor’s office without each other, for god’s sake. :)
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 12:46 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
i hear price is on the list, too.
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 1:21 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
catalyst has a new piece out showing 56 elementary schools at less than 40 percent --
http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/news/index.php?item=2336&cat=30
-- far fewer than the 78 listed as below 40 in the CPS presentation from december. i'll try to figure out the difference between the two lists.
-- alexander
http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/news/index.php?item=2336&cat=30
-- far fewer than the 78 listed as below 40 in the CPS presentation from december. i'll try to figure out the difference between the two lists.
-- alexander
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 1:47 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
What's needed is for CPS to post the list of school capacities and enrollments for everyone. For the public. Catalyst -this blog - does not fulfill our government's responsibility to its citizens. It's not official. People keep tolerating CPS' release of information to select groups- but it is the parents, the taxpayers who deserve the list.
CPS used to publish school utilization/ school design capacities in the Annual Desegregation Reviews.
CPS should follow the lead of the New York City School Construction Authority and post annually updated school capacities and enrollments including the formula used to determine school capacities. NYC is miles ahead of CPS in this area and it has more than double the number of schoolchildren.
CPS used to publish school utilization/ school design capacities in the Annual Desegregation Reviews.
CPS should follow the lead of the New York City School Construction Authority and post annually updated school capacities and enrollments including the formula used to determine school capacities. NYC is miles ahead of CPS in this area and it has more than double the number of schoolchildren.
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 5:03 PM
blended/instructional
To the parent with pre-k twins:
Both Barbara Vick and Velma Thomas have blended and instructional ECSE programs. However these schools are pretty far away from Anderson. One is at 35/Archer and the other at 111/Western. That would be quite a trek for a 2.5 hour program.
Anyone go to the Board Meeting today and have an official word?
Both Barbara Vick and Velma Thomas have blended and instructional ECSE programs. However these schools are pretty far away from Anderson. One is at 35/Archer and the other at 111/Western. That would be quite a trek for a 2.5 hour program.
Anyone go to the Board Meeting today and have an official word?
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 7:30 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
Pritzker will have a pre-k starting next year. students have already been enrolled
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 9:09 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
Just a quick correction to the number of Pre-K programs at Andersen. There are two blended programs, 1 early childhood instructional program and 1 early childhood autism program.
Additionally, there is absolutely no way the board is going to bus students from the north side to the south side for the special education programs. That's RIDICULOUS since you can't send a 3-5 year old on a bus for an hour and a half. Plus, why should they do something like that when the programs at Andersen are ALREADY IN EXISTENCE! The Pre-K program developed at Andersen is outstanding and as a parent I have researched other options. It's wonderful that Pritzker is going to get a Pre-K program but it takes time to develop a quality program...that will not happen overnight. I've seen the extra programs that the Andersen Pre-K has held for their parents and it's refreshing that they care about involving the parents outside of school hours. They are devoted to the families they serve and truly help develop these children for success in later grades.
It's clear the board is going to play dirty but the true diservice is to these children who are already being served by these programs. It truly frightens me to think of the future of this school system.
Additionally, there is absolutely no way the board is going to bus students from the north side to the south side for the special education programs. That's RIDICULOUS since you can't send a 3-5 year old on a bus for an hour and a half. Plus, why should they do something like that when the programs at Andersen are ALREADY IN EXISTENCE! The Pre-K program developed at Andersen is outstanding and as a parent I have researched other options. It's wonderful that Pritzker is going to get a Pre-K program but it takes time to develop a quality program...that will not happen overnight. I've seen the extra programs that the Andersen Pre-K has held for their parents and it's refreshing that they care about involving the parents outside of school hours. They are devoted to the families they serve and truly help develop these children for success in later grades.
It's clear the board is going to play dirty but the true diservice is to these children who are already being served by these programs. It truly frightens me to think of the future of this school system.
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 9:39 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
I forgot about Courtenay also- They are on the north side and have both blended and instructional. They are a small school with a lot of special education students. Who knows- they could be closing too- as they are 1/2 a block from Ravenswood.
Many 3 - 4 year olds now are on the bus for an hour and a half. It sucks, but it's true.
Many 3 - 4 year olds now are on the bus for an hour and a half. It sucks, but it's true.
Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 8:37 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
It really is time for some sort of job action. We have let CPS do all this firing, restructuring, reconstituting, recombining, renaissancing... so they can close Orr's 3 small schools? When is CPS going to admit that they and Bill Gates have failed. That they have been successful in killing the CTU but have completely failed at their job of improving education in Chicago.
Do we really need a union to tell us when to have a 'grade-book-flu'? We need to send Arne and Rufus and Richie the message that Marilyn is unwilling to send.
Fire one more teacher and teach the 400,000 kids yourselves for a few days.
Think that might 'learn' them?
We've been too nice for too long.
Do we really need a union to tell us when to have a 'grade-book-flu'? We need to send Arne and Rufus and Richie the message that Marilyn is unwilling to send.
Fire one more teacher and teach the 400,000 kids yourselves for a few days.
Think that might 'learn' them?
We've been too nice for too long.
Fri Feb 1, 2008 at 7:01 AM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
The test scores at Andersen keep going up yet Arnie just talks about failing schools. Andersen has an "open door policy." Children come from all over because they are so happy with what Andersen has to offer. One would wonder why Andersen is on the chopping block!
Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 6:51 PM
EXCLUSIVE: More Details On "Ren-10 2.0"
Its quite sad to see Andersen academy destroyed to make way for La Salle academy. This school which has survived for 113 years will now come to an end through this phase out process. A school that has been around for generations and generations of students. The students are feeling the way big business operates now. A very sad thing to learn at such a tender age.
