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

City, CPS to roll out new preschool funding process July 17, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris Starting in August, the city and CPS will jointly ask for proposals from agencies that want to offer early-childhood programs – part of a new process that could shutter some existing programs and send money instead to programs in needier neighborhoods or to those run by providers with a better track record. The goal of the new process is to centralize planning for which neighborhoods, community organizations and schools receive preschool funding in the 2013-2014 school year. Read More \| (2) Comments	CTU, CPS spar over fact-finder, teacher raises July 16, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris At a press briefing Monday, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis accused CPS of improperly leaking the results of a fact-finding report to the press. Though Lewis disputed a published report that said the union had already decided to reject the proposed settlement, she left the door open for that—a move that would put the union a step closer to a possible strike—by saying that teachers are fighting for more than money. Read More \| (24) Comments
Test scores barely inch up July 13, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris Scores on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test inched up in the 2011-2012 school year, but less than in previous years, while the administration’s signature initiative to lengthen the school day showed little impact. Only two of five schools that piloted a longer day starting last September posted increases in test scores. One school, already high-performing, remained about the same; another high-performing school posted a small dip in scores. Meanwhile, one low-achieving school posted a decrease in test scores. Read More \| (8) Comments	For the Record: Democrats for Education Reform June 28, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris Staff members at the Illinois branch of Democrats for Education Reform assert that, amid a contentious season of negotiations between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union, they’ve been mislabeled as anti-union outsiders. Illinois Policy Director Angela Rudolph taught at McCorkle Elementary, then worked at the Urban League, the Ounce of Prevention Fund, and as an education program officer at The Joyce Foundation. Read More \| (31) Comments
After graduation, new teachers start job hunt June 27, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris Angel Torres worked overtime to complete his student teaching. Torres’ work day began when most people are asleep: At midnight, he started his overnight shift as a senior service technician for People’s Gas, helping the Chicago Fire Department and other public service agencies respond to calls about gas-related fires and explosions. At 8 a.m., when Torres’ shift ended, he headed to Ames Middle School for his student-teaching assignment. Sleep? “Whenever I can, I guess,” Torres said during the school year. Read More \| (10) Comments	For the Record: Teacher Incentive Fund Grant June 25, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris Disagreement with the Chicago Teachers Union over merit pay has apparently scuttled a $34 million federal merit pay grant that CPS won in fall 2010. Even so, the district’s recently released grant application provides a blueprint of CPS’ plans to use merit pay to address ongoing issues with teacher quality and retention. Read More \| (3) Comments
The future of community schools June 21, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris Communities In Schools of Chicago Executive Director Jane Mentzinger said at this morning's Catalyst Conversation that the Diplomas Now program, which currently serves Chicago Talent Development High School, will expand to Hope College Prep and Gage Park High School in the fall. Read More \| (2) Comments	District postpones parent meeting on bargaining June 20, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris CPS has postponed a Monday night meeting that was to inform parents about the status of district negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union. Read More \| (2) Comments
Task force: Brizard will attend July 19 meeting June 18, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris The Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force, which has long been critical of CPS school closing and turnaround decisions, announced at its Monday meeting that schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard would attend the next task force meeting July 19. State Rep. Cynthia Soto (D-4th Dist.) says the task force is also planning a "summit" in collaboration with the Illinois House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. No date has been set, but Soto says the task force and committee will ask community members and CPS officials to join them. Read More \| (0) Comments