Three Million CPS Alumni CPS Launches New Web Site To Connect and Engage Alumni
CPSalumni.org Debuts with Famous Local Alumni and a User Tutorial
WHO:
Rufus Williams, President, Chicago Board of Education
Arne Duncan, CEO, Chicago Public Schools
Barbara Eason-Watkins, Chief Education Officer, CPS
Joe Soto, V103 radio personality and CPS alum
Bob Berland, Olympic medal winner and CPS alum
Carl Dasko, Principal, Bateman Elementary School
Richard Mell, Alderman, 33rd Ward
WHAT:
Chicago Public Schools officials and local celebrities launchwww.CPSalumni.org, a new Web site to connect CPS alumni.
WHEN:
Thursday, April 24 - 1 p.m.
WHERE:
Bateman Elementary School - 4220 N. Richmond St.
Chicago Public Schools launches the new Web site, www.CPSalumni.org, to connect an estimated three million people, who have attended or worked in Chicago Public Schools, with separate home pages for every school in CPS history. CPS is the first large urban public school district to organize its alumni in this way.
The goal of CPSalumni.org is to build relationships with alumni and their former schools and classmates, engage alumni in supporting their schools, share information about alumni groups and activities, encourage the sharing of stories and photos about school experiences, and archive public education in Chicago.
The site also will enable CPS to continue to build its list of famous CPS alumni, which includes people such as Amelia Earhart, Nat King Cole and Harrison Ford.
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Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 8:51 AM
Three Million CPS Alumni
I do not think that either Duncan or Eason-Watkins are alumni, but I could be wrong. Both my elementary school and high school have had alumni events. This is a good idea as long as it is not yet another CPS idea for trying to get more donations, which I suspect that it is. I give enough to my University Alumni association fund raisers and pay enough in property taxes already.
Every time I turn around CPS has its hand out asking some one to give money, be it the Ren 2010 fund, or what ever. Really I am very tired of it.
I know many of you feel that you owe CPS something for your education and where you find yourselfs today. I honestly feel that I did not recieve even in the 1960s and 1970s a very good education. When I went to college on a low income scholarship I had very big academic deficits. In fact my ACT scores were so low I had to go to city college for two years before transfering to Univ of IL.
Most of my fellow alumni from Prosser did not go on to college, most went into technical jobs right out of high school. Some were drafted during the Vietnam war, a few were killed, some became messed up from the experience, and several used the GI Bill to go on to school. Of the former Prosser GIs who went back to college after the war that I know, none graduated with a college degree.
The situation of many of these Prosser graduates is not good now. Numerous alumni lost high paying industrial jobs when they were in their 40s, some went back to technical schools and gained new skills only to be downsized yet again.
Some alumni have had a good income their whole lives and been very lucky. The minority of us graduated from a four year college. When I went to Prosser it was one of the best high schools in the city and sadly years later the results for many of my fellow alumni are not great.
Tim L
Every time I turn around CPS has its hand out asking some one to give money, be it the Ren 2010 fund, or what ever. Really I am very tired of it.
I know many of you feel that you owe CPS something for your education and where you find yourselfs today. I honestly feel that I did not recieve even in the 1960s and 1970s a very good education. When I went to college on a low income scholarship I had very big academic deficits. In fact my ACT scores were so low I had to go to city college for two years before transfering to Univ of IL.
Most of my fellow alumni from Prosser did not go on to college, most went into technical jobs right out of high school. Some were drafted during the Vietnam war, a few were killed, some became messed up from the experience, and several used the GI Bill to go on to school. Of the former Prosser GIs who went back to college after the war that I know, none graduated with a college degree.
The situation of many of these Prosser graduates is not good now. Numerous alumni lost high paying industrial jobs when they were in their 40s, some went back to technical schools and gained new skills only to be downsized yet again.
Some alumni have had a good income their whole lives and been very lucky. The minority of us graduated from a four year college. When I went to Prosser it was one of the best high schools in the city and sadly years later the results for many of my fellow alumni are not great.
Tim L
Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 5:12 PM
Three Million CPS Alumni
Arne Duncan = Lab Rat
Barbara Eason Watkins - grew up in Michigan, making it unlikely she's an alum either.
Myself, am also an alum who doesn't care to get on their electronic begging list.
While my CPS education was nothing to write home about, at least at that time kids only got ambushed by the service after they left, as opposed to now, with CPS apparently getting some sort of finder's fees from the armed services for the privilege of setting up snares for students in-house. This way the Army can conveniently bag them, like shooting fish in a barrel.
So - selling off the assets and using the proceeds to build schools for the rich so they'll come back to live and force out the working class that built this the city. Then the Pritzkers can be free to set up the lakeshore as a rich people's playground.
Way to go, CPS; I'm sure there's a big line forming online to sign up and say, "Thanks sooo much."
Barbara Eason Watkins - grew up in Michigan, making it unlikely she's an alum either.
Myself, am also an alum who doesn't care to get on their electronic begging list.
While my CPS education was nothing to write home about, at least at that time kids only got ambushed by the service after they left, as opposed to now, with CPS apparently getting some sort of finder's fees from the armed services for the privilege of setting up snares for students in-house. This way the Army can conveniently bag them, like shooting fish in a barrel.
So - selling off the assets and using the proceeds to build schools for the rich so they'll come back to live and force out the working class that built this the city. Then the Pritzkers can be free to set up the lakeshore as a rich people's playground.
Way to go, CPS; I'm sure there's a big line forming online to sign up and say, "Thanks sooo much."
Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Three Million CPS Alumni
Chicago now has one of the nation's worst public school system websites, with some of the prettiest mini-sites imbedded within it.
Try to find the answer to the simplest budget or data questions on the CPS site. What were the school by school results of the recent LSC elections. How much is CPS paying for each of the charter schools? How much is going each year to the major contractors working for CPS? What is the resume (job qualifications) of each of the people working in executive positions at CPS?
No answers on the CPS website. It's designed to obfuscate, not illuminate, and is a disgrace to the city.
On the other hand, CPS already had two major sub-sites within the overall website that were sparkling, and utilizing the entire panoply of current technology.
The military "area" web site is better than the general site for CPS. It's also better than any of the other areas.
The Renaissance website, also a piece of CPS, is likewise the best money and interest can buy.
Now it looks as if CPS is going to add an "alumni" website of the same general quality.
When CPS wants to cover up, you get the maze of the original website.
When CPS wants to highlight, you get these two examples.
Try to find the answer to the simplest budget or data questions on the CPS site. What were the school by school results of the recent LSC elections. How much is CPS paying for each of the charter schools? How much is going each year to the major contractors working for CPS? What is the resume (job qualifications) of each of the people working in executive positions at CPS?
No answers on the CPS website. It's designed to obfuscate, not illuminate, and is a disgrace to the city.
On the other hand, CPS already had two major sub-sites within the overall website that were sparkling, and utilizing the entire panoply of current technology.
The military "area" web site is better than the general site for CPS. It's also better than any of the other areas.
The Renaissance website, also a piece of CPS, is likewise the best money and interest can buy.
Now it looks as if CPS is going to add an "alumni" website of the same general quality.
When CPS wants to cover up, you get the maze of the original website.
When CPS wants to highlight, you get these two examples.
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