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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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Staff

More National Board teachers for CPS, Illinois December 15, 2008 By: Staff NATIONAL BOARD TEACHERS This year, 327 teachers in CPS received National Board certification, 120 more than last year and bringing the total number of board-certified teachers in the district to almost 1,000. Statewide, 703 teachers—almost 200 more than in 2007—received certification, making Illinois fifth in the country for the number of teachers receiving the credential from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Read More \| (0) Comments	New clinic opens at Spry December 10, 2008 By: Staff MEETING HEALTH NEEDS Through a partnership with Alivio Medical Center, Spry School has opened a health clinic to serve both Spry students and the school's Pilsen neighborhood. The clinic opened last week in the renovated basement of Spry and will provide basic non-emergency health services, such as preventative care, physicals and district-mandated exams for students, counseling, testing and treatment for sexually-transmitted diseases, and immunizations, says registered nurse Maria Sauerzapf of Alivio, who is overseeing the clinic. Read More \| (0) Comments
Making progress in math December 09, 2008 By: Staff HOW U.S. STACKS UP IN MATH The latest international comparisons show U.S. students compare favorably with their peers in other countries in math performance, scoring about the international average, according to the just-released Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007. Black students still perform below the TIMSS average, but their achievement is rising at a faster pace than for whites or other groups. Read More \| (0) Comments	Grants for classroom projects, reading and arts study December 04, 2008 By: Staff FUNDS FOR CLASSROOM PROJECTS The Oppenheimer Family Foundation is awarding small grants of up to $2,000 to 350 CPS teachers who designed hands-on and community-based classroom projects for students. The foundation has awarded its Teacher Incentive Grants for 26 years; this year’s total is $207,000. For more information, visit the foundation’s website. Read More \| (0) Comments
Research shows dropping out can start at age 11 December 02, 2008 By: Staff ELSEWHERE To stem the dropout tide early on, Chicago is paying significant attention to the transition from 8th grade to high school. Read More \| (0) Comments	Schools chief to serve on transition task force November 25, 2008 By: Staff TRANSITION TASK FORCE Christopher A. Koch, Illinois’ state superintendent of education, will serve on a new task force that will identify high-priority issues for the next secretary of education to address in his or her first 100 days under incoming President Barack Obama. The group will hold its initial meeting Dec. 1 in Washington, D.C. Koch is one of seven state schools chief to serve on the group. Read More \| (0) Comments
New middle school for Southwest Side November 24, 2008 By: Staff OVERCROWDING RELIEF A new Southwest Side middle school, slated to open this fall at 53rd Street and South St. Louis, will take in 6th- through 8th-graders from overcrowded Sandoval and Tonti elementary schools. The new school has not yet been named. Teachers from Sandoval and Tonti can reapply to teach at the new school, but are not guaranteed jobs. Sandoval and Tonti will restructure to serve kindergarten through 5th-graders. Read More \| (0) Comments	Choir Academy charter closing November 20, 2008 By: Staff ChoirAcademy of Chicago, which has struggled with low enrollment and sluggish fundraising, will not renew its charter and, subsequently, will close next June. The school, which has been open for five years, provides students in grades 2 through 8 with an eight-hour school day packed with music and performance study. The longer school day costs the charter extra money, putting it in financial straits. Read More \| (0) Comments
Parents union to place stewards in schools November 17, 2008 By: Staff Parents United for Responsible Education will unveil new strategies for a citywide parents union at its annual meeting tonight, including plans for a union “steward” to be placed in every Chicago public school. The Chicago Parents Union, according to PURE, will help solidify parental rights at a time when local school councils are under fire. Stewards will be trained by union staff to act as first-option parent advocates for sorting out issues at the school level. The annual meeting takes place at 6:30pm, Nov. Read More \| (0) Comments