Cassandra West | catalyst-chicago.org

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Adolescent Literacy

A raft of past programs have failed to substantially improve the reading skills of middle grade and high school students. CPS is trying once again, as part of a federal project that aims to help teens learn how to analyze complex non-fiction.

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Cassandra West

In the News: Group starts $60 million venture fund for 50 new charters; Brizard remains a hot topic April 22, 2011 By: Cassandra West Renaissance Schools Fund, which for the last six years has poured enough startup money into new charter schools to triple their number in the Chicago Public Schools system announces a new $60 million venture fund to add 50 more charter schools. Read More \| (6) Comments	In the News: More criticism of new CPS chief's tenure in Rochester; parents call on Congress April 21, 2011 By: Cassandra West When Rochester City Schools Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard departs to take charge of Chicago's public school system, he'll leave behind a largely broken school district with dismal test scores, shaky finances and a fractured relationship with teachers, the Tribune reports. Read More \| (5) Comments
In the News: Sizing up Emanuel's CEO, school board appointees April 20, 2011 By: Cassandra West From Rochester to Chicago, reports — old and new — on Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel's choice for CPS' chief executive have emerged as a hot topic online this week. Read More \| (8) Comments	In the News: High-stakes testing protests grow April 19, 2011 By: Cassandra West The Chicago Teachers Union reacted swiftly to the announcement that Rochester, N.Y., schools superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard will be Chicago Public Schools next CEO. Read More \| (0) Comments
In the News: CPS rewrites schools, charities rules; Emanuel promises longer school days April 18, 2011 By: Cassandra West A financial dispute at an affluent Northwest Side elementary school is prompting Chicago Public Schools to rewrite policies to define more clearly the separation between schools and the increasingly influential charities that support them. (Tribune) Read More \| (0) Comments	In the News: CPS considers property tax hike; audit says ISBE not following law April 15, 2011 By: Cassandra West Chicago Public Schools are considering an $80 million property-tax increase as they try to close an estimated $820 million budget deficit, and they may have to lay off more than 2,000 teachers and increase class sizes without it, according to internal documents obtained by the Chicago News Cooperative. Read More \| (6) Comments
In the News: Legislators move ahead with education reform; Duncan advises Emanuel on schools chief April 14, 2011 By: Cassandra West Sweeping education reforms that would make it tougher for teachers to strike and easier for districts to fire poor teachers and lengthen the school day are emerging after months of negotiations. Read More \| (3) Comments	In the News: State asks preschool programs outside Chicago to reapply for funding April 13, 2011 By: Cassandra West Thursday is the deadline for Preschool for All programs outside the city of Chicago to reapply for funding for the coming fiscal year, and it is the first time in years that many programs’ funding status will be competitively re-evaluated. Programs in Chicago will not be affected; they are funded as a group by a set portion – 37 percent – of the state’s total Early Childhood Block Grant allocation Read More \| (0) Comments
In the News: Emanuel seeks innovators, reformers; misplaced faith in standardized testing April 12, 2011 By: Cassandra West The Tribune says the candidates Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel is talking to during his national search for Chicago's next schools chief fall into two camps: innovators and reformers. Read More \| (0) Comments