Debra Williams | 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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Debra Williams

Organizers expand preschool access campaign citywide December 09, 2008 By: Debra Williams Saturday was snowy, windy and cold, but that didn’t stop 50 people—mostly African American and Latino moms and grandmas—from braving the blustery conditions to attend a town hall meeting to talk about early learning for young children. The meeting, held in an office building near Ashland and Van Buren, was hosted by community organizers Power-Pac and COFI (Community Organizing and Family Issues). Both groups have recently experienced success in getting more children enrolled in preschools in Englewood, where seats had been empty, and they were looking to expand their efforts citywide to other communities where preschools were underutilized. Read More \| (0) Comments	Researchers praise CPS teacher, principal hiring; some areas still need work November 25, 2008 By: Debra Williams A year ago, Timothy Daly, president of the New Teacher Project, said CPS needed to be more strategic in how teachers are hired into the system and how to keep them once they were there. Late hiring, for instance, was causing the city to lose good teacher candidates to other school districts. Sometimes, CPS teaching positions were offered as late as July or even August. Daly suggested school officials nudge principals to hire teachers sooner. Read More \| (0) Comments
Illinois looks to Arkansas for principal quality effort November 20, 2008 By: Debra Williams State educators are looking to create a master credential for principals, similar to what national board certification is for teachers. The Illinois Principals Association is talking to education leaders inArkansas about a master principals program that was established there and signed into law in 2003. The Master Principal Program, a voluntary, three-year program was championed by a state senator who wanted to create incentives for talented principals to work in struggling schools. Read More \| (1) Comments	CPS preschool nearly full in Englewood November 18, 2008 By: Debra Williams A year ago, Chicago Public Schools could not enroll enough children in Englewood to fill the seats in its state-funded universal preschool program. Today, nearly every slot is taken. “We have 320 slots, 300 of them are filled,” says Ava Haji, who oversees CPS’ Preschool for All programs on the south side. Several more children are in the pipeline, awaiting results of medical exams. Read More \| (0) Comments
Bonus of contention for CPS principals October 22, 2008 By: Debra Williams In recent years, Chicago Public Schools has rolled out bonus pay for administrators and teachers. Now, the district is considering merit pay for principals; specifically, tying a portion of their salaries to student test scores, attendance and, for high schools, freshman on-track rates. Also on the table is a proposal to scrap principals’ graduated pay scale, which is based on school size and can range from $118,000 to $160,000, and replace it with a flat salary of $125,000 a year. Read More \| (4) Comments	From outside to inside schools September 10, 2008 By: Debra Williams When it comes to forging solid relationships between communities and schools, Logan Square Neighborhood Association has it all figured out. Read More \| (0) Comments
Medill Elementary: Doing what it takes September 10, 2008 By: Debra Williams One overcast Friday afternoon in July, a little girl waits to be picked up from Medill Elementary, where she goes every morning for a summer camp of sorts. But no one shows up. “What happened?” asks Principal Denise Gamble, a note of concern in her voice as she talks to her staff. Read More \| (0) Comments	Trust-building tools September 10, 2008 By: Debra Williams Medill resources are invested in a number of tools that build trust among staff and bond educators’ relationships with students and parents. Read More \| (0) Comments
Westcott takes the plunge June 04, 2008 By: Debra Williams If teachers at Westcott can raise test scores and pass performance evaluations this year, they will take home an average of $2,000 in extra pay. Support staff will also get bonuses. But money was not the primary reason Westcott became one of 10 schools to participate in the district’s pay-for-performance pilot. “We don’t teach for the money,” says kindergarten teacher Leah Coffey. “The motivator was having time to share our practices and learn new strategies.” Read More \| (0) Comments

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