CATALYST PARTNERS WITH TOP EDUCATION

BLOG IN CHICAGO, DISTRICT299.COM

 Site recently hailed by Chicago Magazine as best in class--New partnership spurs diverse

dialogue and debate on key Chicago public schools & education issues

CHICAGO -- Mixing it up Chicago-style, Alexander Russo's well-known and provocative blog, "District 299: The Chicago Schools Blog", has found a new home on the website of Chicagoland's leading source for education news and analysis, Catalyst Chicago.  The popular blog, which was hailed in the February issue of Chicago Magazineas the top education blog in Chicago, serves as a gathering place for parents, teachers, and school reformers to share news, debate, and dialogue about the Chicago Public Schools system.

As Russo tells it, the blog's popularity, stems from its ability to provide a forum for dissenting opinions on the state of Chicago public schools.  "On the blog, the dichotomy between what the school district is saying and what people in the school-reform community are saying is apparent," said Russo.  "Whatever one's point of view, we're here to provide a forum where everyone interested in Chicago education can engage in real dialogue--and help make good change happen."

Blog Relaunched on November 1

On November 1, the District 299 blog moved to the website of Catalyst Chicago.  Now embedded on the magazine's homepage at www.catalyst-chicago.com/russo, the blog continues to stir up thoughtful, passionate debate about the future of Chicago public schools.

"There is great immediacy in using the web as a forum for communication about education, and this is a blog that gets all kinds of conversations going about education in this city at the same time, all the time," said Linda Lenz, Publisher and Founder of Catalyst. 

Although syndicated on the magazine's website, Lenz emphasized that Catalyst will not interfere in the District 299 blog's editorial content.  " Alexander remains fully in charge of the blog, and Catalyst exercises zero control over what people post.  That way, unfiltered, on-the-run comments from people who really care deeply about the state of public schools in Chicago will continue to be shared and debated."

A Source for Chicago Education News and Commentary

Grassroots community groups and supporters have contributed to the dialogue on school reform for more than two decades.  The District 299 blog is designed to encourage such grassroots discussion among anyone interested in education–parents, students, teachers, administrators, academics, funders, and even other media sources. 

Alexander Russo, the blogger who created and continues to helm District 299 blog, is a perfect fit for a partnership with Catalyst.  He is a longtime advocate for educational reform both in Chicago and nationally.  His writing on education has appeared numerous times in national publications and in the pages of Catalyst, he has served as a policy adviser to two U.S. senators, and he is a regular contributor to WBEZ Chicago Public Radio's morning news program, "Eight Forty-Eight".  Russo also scribes the national blog, "This Week in Education", for Scholastic, the global children's education publishing house.

Every day on the District 299 blog, Russo posts a morning summary of Chicago education stories, and comments on education news in additional posts throughout the day.  With each post, he invites live feedback from readers.  At that point, his role becomes something like an electronic traffic cop.

"I review all the reader comments before they're published on the blog to make sure they don't contain personal attacks or provocative language," said Russo. 

Hot-Button Topics At Home on Blog

In the past month alone, Russo and his readers have already debated the reporting of teacher-abuse cases, accountability for school principals, student gun violence, bilingual education, teacher pensions, national certification, and Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan's holiday pay raise.

As far as Russo is concerned, it's a diverse discussion that has found a perfect home.  "This site is not about my opinion, it's dedicated to spurring dialogue on key education issues.  People do get really intense--and we encourage discussion at all times."

Catalyst Chicagois an independent newsmagazine created in 1990 to document, analyze and support school-improvement efforts in the Chicago Public Schools. It is published by the Community Renewal Society, a nonprofit organization founded in 1882 that works to create racially and economically just communities.  For more information, please visit www.catalyst-chicago.org.

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