Cassandra West | catalyst-chicago.org

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School closings

As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.

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Cassandra West

In the News: No secret closing list, CPS CEO says December 20, 2012 By: Cassandra West At Wednesday's school board meeting, CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett maintained that, despite the reports, "there is no list of schools that we intend to close," according to CPS spokeswoman Rebecca Carroll. (Huffington Post) Read More \| (12) Comments	In the News: Trib uncovers secret CPS closing plan December 19, 2012 By: Cassandra West An internal Chicago Public Schools document obtained by the Tribune shows for the first time that the Emanuel administration has weighed how many elementary and high schools to close in which neighborhoods and how to manage the public fallout. Read More \| (5) Comments
In the News: 4th utilization hearing draws big crowd December 17, 2012 By: Cassandra West More than 500 parents, teachers and children from dozens of Chicago Public Schools squeezed into the 200-seat Horner Park field house gymnasium on Friday night for another hearing by the "Commission" on Chicago schools utilization plans, Substance News reports. Read More \| (0) Comments	In the News: 4 national groups seek charter contracts December 12, 2012 By: Cassandra West Four national charter operators—Rocketship Education, Basis Schools, Concept Schools and Charter Schools USA—have applied to open schools in Chicago next fall, according to Illinois Network of Charter Schools executive director Andrew Broy. (WBEZ) Read More \| (2) Comments
In the News: Byrd-Bennett vows to tackle truancy December 11, 2012 By: Cassandra West Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett vowed Monday to move forcefully to address the city's crisis in K-8 truancy and absenteeism, saying she would expand "Check & Connect," a small-scale program that in Chicago pairs trained mentors with roughly 450 truant elementary students and has shown signs of promise in its second year. (Tribune) Read More \| (3) Comments	In the News: CTU points out "utilization" contradiction December 10, 2012 By: Cassandra West Chicago Public Schools said Friday it planned to add four more charter schools to the nine charters previously approved for the coming year, but the Chicago Teachers Union fired back in a press released that said the openings only exacerbate the so-called "utilization crisis." Read More \| (0) Comments
In the News: CTU to hold summit on school closings December 07, 2012 By: Cassandra West The Chicago Teachers Union will hold an "Education Summit On School Closings" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at Marshall High School, 3250 W. Adams St. CTU says the meeting will provide training to school leaders on how they can engage the broader community against increasing charter school initiatives and pending school closings by Chicago Public Schools. It is open to the public and members of the media. Read More \| (5) Comments	In the News: Rethinking how principals are trained December 06, 2012 By: Cassandra West A growing number of principal-preparation initiatives are forsaking university classrooms in favor of much more familiar training grounds: the schools and districts where those aspiring leaders will end up working, according to Education Week. Read More \| (4) Comments
In the News: Charters rip CTU "educational apartheid" report December 05, 2012 By: Cassandra West Charter school leaders are ripping the CTU report last week that accused Chicago Public Schools of engaging in "educational apartheid" by closing public schools and moving students to charters. But the Chicago Teachers Union isn't backing off. Read More \| (9) Comments