Even as CPS opens more new schools, children with special needs have a tougher time finding options. Placements in private therapeutic schools are scarce, and some charters are reluctant to enroll them.
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Golden Apple Foundation Honorees
By: Alexander Russo / May 08, 2008
Know anyone on the list? Me, neither. Congrats to all of those involved. From CPS:
Six Chicago Public Schools teachers celebrated National
Teacher Appreciation Day by receiving the 2008 Golden Apple Award for Teaching
Excellence in grades 4 through 8 Tuesday; eight others were named Teachers of
Distinction. It is the most Golden Apples for CPS since 1996.
Mayor Richard M. Daley and CPS Chief Education Officer Barbara
Eason-Watkins surprised Brooke Thompson, music teacher at Peirce School of
International Studies Tuesday morning with the award and a basket of apples.
Also surprised Tuesday morning were Monica Gil, 7th grade, Gray
Elementary; Samina Khan, 6th-8th grade science, and Donnell
White, 7th-8th grade math, Clark Academic Preparatory
Magnet High School; Natalie Neris-Guereca, 5th grade, Pershing West
Magnet School; John Nieciak, 6th-8th grade language arts,
Sheridan Math and Science Academy.
Clark Academic is the first CPS school to have two winners
in the same year. This year also marks the first time that three CPS schools
had two finalists each: Clark, Pershing and Sherman School of Excellence.
The teachers were among 31 Chicago area
finalists – 13 from CPS – culled from 850 nominees in the annual
competition sponsored by the Golden Apple Foundation. The Foundation is
dedicated to recognizing and developing excellence in teaching. The
prestigious award includes a tuition-free spring term sabbatical at
Northwestern University, a personal computer from IBM, $3,000, and membership
in the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a group of 220 expert teachers who
work together to ensure that all children have the excellent teachers they
deserve.
For the second year Golden Apple announced Teachers of
Distinction, second-tier award recognizing superior and laudable teaching. Eight
of the 13 Teachers of Distinction are from CPS, including: Margaret Burns, 5thgrade, Gallistel Language Academy; Jennifer Cho, 4th grade, National
Teachers Academy; Lisa Espinosa, 7th grade, Ruiz School; Virginia Kogen,
7th-8th grades, Madero School; Mary Meade, 1st-8thgrade, science teacher, Christopher School; Mark Nelson, K-8thgrade, fine arts, Stone Academy; Esther Ohito, 6th-8thgrade, English, Pershing West Magnet School; Claudine Randolph, 5thgrade, University of Chicago Charter School – Donoghue Elementary.
This is horrible stuff. Nice to see Gates blowing his money on this nonsense. Why don't you support the public schools that already exist. What a joke!