Rebecca Harris | 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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Rebecca Harris

Backlog in special education leaves some children without services January 18, 2011 By: Rebecca Harris Rasheed Jackson is one of hundreds of young children who have fallen through the cracks of special education in Chicago Public Schools: His evaluation for services has been severely delayed, far longer than federal law allows. In his case, three years longer. “He talks like a baby,” says Rasheed’s mother, Shavon Kalfus. “If he had the help prior to age 6, it wouldn’t be a problem.” Read More \| (2) Comments	UNO packs charter school community forum January 15, 2011 By: Rebecca Harris A standing-room-only crowd packed Saturday's community forum on eight proposals for new charter schools and expansions. Charter school proponents far outnumbered the opponents, who blamed late notice and the forum's location for their side's low turnout. Read More \| (8) Comments
Q&A with Stand for Children grassroots organizers January 04, 2011 By: Rebecca Harris Many in Illinois know Stand for Children as the group behind a recent attempt to restrict teachers unions’ strike and bargaining rights. The Chicago Teachers Union and others have blasted the group as a “billionaire gang” out to gut public education. Read More \| (14) Comments	In the News: CTU holds mayoral forum December 17, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris State Sen. James Meeks drew hisses from the crowd at yesterday’s Chicago Teachers Union mayoral candidates forum. The candidates clashed over what kind of executive leader CPS needs. (Chicago Tribune, WGN) WBEZ’s Linda Lutton takes a look at school segregation and “the dynamics that come into play when higher income neighbors don’t feel the neighborhood school is good enough for their kids.” Read More \| (3) Comments
CPS releases results of first kindergarten-readiness assessment December 13, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris Chicago Public Schools has released results from the district’s first Kindergarten Readiness Tool assessment, administered to 17,000 students as they were leaving CPS-run preschool programs last May. Read More \| (1) Comments	Study of state preschool program back in progress December 13, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris A study of Illinois early childhood programs that was halted by the state’s cash-flow crisis has now gotten back underway. For the first time, researchers have collected data on children’s academic progress in state Preschool for All programs. Read More \| (0) Comments
District gives schools four signposts for reading instruction December 09, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris On Thursday, Chicago Public Schools launched a new reading initiative with a framework designed to make it easier for teachers and principals to assess the quality of reading instruction at their schools. Read More \| (5) Comments	In Focus: How restorative justice came -- and quickly left December 02, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris Monroe Elementary Principal Edwin Rivera was excited to learn in fall 2008 that his school would receive grant money to start a restorative justice program. As a former counselor, Rivera is a strong believer in strategies that give schools an alternative to solve conflict and avoid suspensions. Read More \| (0) Comments
Greater freedom, new standards for alternative certification programs November 30, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris For years, alternative teacher and principal certification programs have been legally tethered to universities and dependent on state-accredited schools to provide the coursework required for teacher certification. Read More \| (3) Comments