District 299 Chicago Schools Blog :: Who <b>Really</b> Runs Your School?

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Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Who Really Runs Your School?
There are a couple of things that jump out from this Salon.com review of "Gang Leader For A Day," which as you may recall is about life in the Robert Taylor homes before they were torn down.

First is the unfortunate but understandable suspiciousness with which the author comes to perceive community-based organizations: "As soon as people start using the word "community," you can be pretty sure they're trying to put something over on you."

Second is the discovery that, whether it's a CHA building or any other place, there are one or two folks who can get things done, if you can only figure out who they are. In this case, it's the street gang called the Black Kings -- and a little old lady named Ms. Baily.

So: who is really in control of your school? Sometimes it's the clerk, or the programmer. [It was a dean at one place where I worked, and the boss's personal assistant at another.] Other times it's the LSC chair or the AP. Let us know, and remember that -- since we don't know who you are -- you can name the school or even the person.

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Comments

Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 8:56 PMBy: disgusted parent Who Really Runs Your School? OK, so no one has made a comment...Here goes: Blaine School is run by a rogue principal who has a major control issue. NO ONE can work outside of the box, parents are kept from volunteering unless you've been approved by either her or the elite parents who have taken over, even bought the principal with their huge donations. A climate of fear & intimidation is the climate for parents & teachers & students. The Evil Ms Day is such a horror parents wonder why we have her on the payroll as a Fine Arts & Gifted Coordinator when we could pay for a Science Teacher, Computer teacher, math specialist? The principal pits the parent groups against one another, she plays favors, so many of the people who give big dollars some how land ALL of their children in the gifted program. It's basically a private school. Heaven forbid you've got a child with an IEP, so many laws and moral rules are being broken here. Watch out! Beware! It's not all is appears to be!!!

Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 9:26 PMBy: rodentface Who Really Runs Your School? Interesting. Two weeks ago on the old 299 blog the same "rogue principal" was noted in answer to the question "Who's the best principal in the city?".

Hmmm.

Anyone else want to chime in?

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