Current Issue

School closings

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

Read More
Home › Hope Evans

Hope Evans

In CPS and elsewhere, cash incentives paying off for students
December 12, 2008
By: Hope Evans

Next week, the district will make its third payout under its pilot pay-for-grades program, a controversial initiative that allows high school students to earn cash toward college for good grades. More students have signed up for the program since its launch in September, CPS says. Among high schools contacted by Catalyst, the percentage of students who received checks for good grades was rise over the first two payouts. 

Read More | (0) Comments
In CPS and elsewhere, cash incentives paying off for students
December 12, 2008
By: Hope Evans

Next week, the district will make its third payout under its pilot pay-for-grades program, a controversial initiative that allows high school students to earn cash toward college for good grades. More students have signed up for the program since its launch in September, CPS says. Among high schools contacted by Catalyst, the percentage of students who received checks for good grades rose over the first two payouts.  

Here are the percentages of students who received checks in the first and second payouts:

Read More | (0) Comments
Q&A with Ronnie Mosley, honorary student member, Chicago School Board
December 04, 2008
By: Hope Evans

Students attending schools on the city’s South and West Sides don’t necessarily receive the same high-quality education as students in the district’s elite North Side schools, says Ronnie Mosley, a 17-year-old Simeon Career Academy senior. Mosley leads a group of nine CPS students chosen recently by the School Board to “shadow” Board President Rufus Williams and attend regular monthly board meetings.

Read More | (2) Comments
Fundraising, recruiting and facilities problems kill Choir Academy
December 02, 2008
By: Hope Evans

Some charter schools have waiting lists, but the Choir Academy of Chicago had the opposite problem. Recruiting difficulties and other troubles kept the school from reaching its enrollment goals and forced its decision to shut down at the end of the school year. Brigitte Erbe, former board member of Choir Academy, talked about the difficulties.

Fundraising: Fundraising was always a problem, even when the Chicago Children’s Choir was in charge. Early on, we were hurt because it took so long to get our non-profit status approved. We couldn’t apply for grants in the meantime.

Read More | (1) Comments