Cassie del Pilar | 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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Cassie del Pilar

On the campaign trail June 02, 2006 By: Cassie del Pilar CTU President Marilyn Stewart fought a contentious post-election battle with predecessor Deborah Lynch to take over the leadership reins. Her three-year term has another 12 months left, yet the campaign is already heating up with one opponent's hat already in the ring and heated rumors that Lynch wants a rematch. Incumbent Marilyn Stewart United Progressive Caucus Read More \| (0) Comments	Highlights of CTU's contract demands June 02, 2006 By: Cassie del Pilar Proposals for the 2007-2008 deal Negotiations * One-year contract term * Recognition of Chicago Teachers Unions as the sole bargaining unit for union members of contract schools Charters * Eliminating multiple campus charter schools and requiring charters that already have them to downsize to one over three years Teachers * Selection of high school department chairs by teachers, not principals * Reduced teaching schedule for department chairs Read More \| (0) Comments
CTU sets 100 contract demands June 02, 2006 By: Cassie del Pilar CPS teachers have another year to go under their current contract agreement, yet union delegates have approved a preliminary list of demands and are gearing up to negotiate a new deal. Several items on their wish list—shaving 15 minutes off of the school day, eliminating 50-minute periods in high schools, requiring the district to foot the entire bill for health insurance premiums—would undo provisions that were hammered out by former Chicago Teachers Union President Deborah Lynch and her team. Read More \| (0) Comments	Q&A with Harvey Grossman June 02, 2006 By: Cassie del Pilar The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is one of several groups that have filed "friend of the court" briefs in the federal case that will determine whether Chicago Public Schools is released from its long-standing desegregation consent decree. Harvey Grossman says the district still owes a debt to children in segregated communities and needs oversight to ensure that resources are distributed equitably. Grossman spoke with writer Cassie del Pilar. Arne Duncan says the district is committed to integration. Can the public trust the district? Read More \| (0) Comments
Q&A with Dan Zaragoza May 12, 2006 By: Cassie del Pilar Problems with violence and discipline are nothing new at Kennedy High, says senior Dan Zaragoza, who participated in last month's student-led protest for better security at the Garfield Ridge school. This year's freshmen, including transfer students from the attendance areas of schools that closed, were especially disrespectful and unruly, he says. Zaragoza, vice-president of student government, talked with writer Cassie del Pilar. There was a lot of press coverage of the protest. How was it organized? Read More \| (0) Comments	Dropout policy not enforced May 12, 2006 By: Cassie del Pilar After the Illinois Legislature raised the compulsory school attendance age to 17 from 16, the School Board launched a media blitz to announce a new attendance and truancy policy that included a controversial provision requiring parents to sign a consent form before a child drops out. Bill Leavy, executive director of Greater West Town Community Project, says he believes the law has at least lit a fire under schools to do more to keep kids from leaving. But some kids who tried to get back in school initially had a difficult time doing so, he adds. Read More \| (0) Comments

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