catalyst-chicago.org

As home to three small public schools, Cregier Multiplex was a CPS model for shared space. This summer, it also became a cautionary tale for how not to manage a multi-school campus.

Cregier Principal Dyanne Dandridge-Alexander was hired with the support of parents and teachers over a year ago. But in July, the award-winning administrator was fired. During the months of conflict, flaws on all sides were exposed, but most significant were the structural flaws of the job itself.

As Chicago Public Schools continues to push its Renaissance 2010 initiative, the district is scrambling to find homes for the new schools. In at least two cases, the district placed Renaissance schools in facilities built to relieve overcrowding.

One case involves the second charter school to be operated by Aspira of Illinois, a nonprofit agency. CPS decided to house the new charter in a brand-new school intended to relieve overcrowding at Haugan Elementary in Albany Park.

El nuevo programa de la Junta Escolar sobre los estudiantes que abandonan la escuela atrajo titulares por requerir que los estudiantes y los padres firmen una forma de consentimiento que detalla las consecuencias posibles de su decisión, como por ejemplo menos oportunidades de trabajo y una mayor probabilidad de ser encarcelados.