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

Chicago wins more federal funds for teacher merit pay September 23, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris As CPS prepares to pull the plug on its current merit pay program, known as Chicago TAP, the district has received a $34 million federal grant to launch a new merit pay program that would affect over 1,100 teachers at 25 schools. Read More \| (5) Comments	Quality ratings, competition coming for Head Start September 21, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris On Tuesday, federal officials released details about their plans to make Head Start grants more competitive. Under the current system, institutions that offer Head Start programs are generally allowed to remain in the program unless they have serious problems. Now, programs will be rated based on quality. Read More \| (4) Comments
Merit pay for teachers: One program ending, another in the works September 07, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris This month, Chicago Public Schools will find out whether the district has been selected for a federal grant to launch a new initiative on merit pay that would radically restructure teacher compensation at participating schools. The new initiative would replace Chicago TAP, the local version of the national Teacher Advancement Program, which will end in CPS when federal funding runs out in spring 2011. For more, go to our latest stories in In Focus. Read More \| (2) Comments	Pay teachers based on test scores? Not yet September 07, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris In Chicago, the original plan for the Teacher Advancement Program called for phasing-in each individual teacher’s value-added student test scores as part of a formula to determine teacher bonuses. The scores would be combined with school-wide achievement data and evaluations of the quality of teachers’ instruction. Read More \| (0) Comments
Merit pay for Chicago teachers: one program ending, another in the works September 07, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris This month, Chicago Public Schools will find out whether the district has been selected for a federal grant to launch a new initiative on merit pay that would radically restructure teacher compensation at participating schools. Read More \| (1) Comments	CPS passes budget, union demands rehiring of laid-off teachers August 25, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris At Wednesday’s board meeting, CPS officials announced plans to restructure some of the district’s debt obligations to balance the system’s budget, rather than draining all of the district’s stabilization reserve funds, as had earlier been proposed. Read More \| (1) Comments
Judge sets date for hearing on teachers' union lawsuit August 18, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris During Wednesday morning’s hearing for the Chicago Teachers Union’s lawsuit over layoffs, Chicago Public Schools chalked up a preliminary victory on the question of scheduling. Read More \| (5) Comments	Union to ask federal judge to reverse layoffs August 17, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris Lawyers for the Chicago Teachers Union will go to federal court Wednesday morning to ask a judge to issue a temporary injunction reversing the layoffs of about 1,400 teachers and instructional coaches. Read More \| (11) Comments
Union pickets meeting, releases negotiation details; district passes new probation policy July 28, 2010 By: Rebecca Harris About 70 Chicago Teachers Union members and others who oppose the district’s teacher layoffs picketed outside today’s School Board meeting. Jesse Sharkey, the union’s new vice president, rallied them with a megaphone. Read More \| (14) Comments