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Adolescent Literacy

A raft of past programs have failed to substantially improve the reading skills of middle grade and high school students. CPS is trying once again, as part of a federal project that aims to help teens learn how to analyze complex non-fiction.

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Guest Column

Arts education should focus on academics January 09, 2013 By: Bruce Taylor In the ongoing fermentation that represents CPS’ efforts at transformation, one ingredient ardently stirred into the mix is the role of the arts in public education. As a catalyst for discussion and debate, I’d like to offer some thoughts and observations informed by 30-plus years of dealing with this issue. Read More \| (14) Comments	For students' sake, Chicago must address poverty, violence January 03, 2013 By: Jesse Sharkey Recent tragedies related to gun violence have led to increased calls for more stringent gun control nationwide, but here in Chicago, atrocities occur daily. For some, it may be easier to obtain a gun than it is to get an education. More than 500 Chicagoans were killed due to gun violence in 2012. Of these deaths, 62 victims were children, and more than 440 children suffered gunshot wounds, according to various media outlets. We are a city in crisis—because we are a city of poverty. Read More \| (12) Comments
In push for elected School Board, don't forget local school councils December 12, 2012 By: Kylene Young This year, I helped hire my boss. I had the unusual opportunity to play a crucial role in deciding who would evaluate my job performance and ultimately decide whether or not I would keep my job as a teacher in Chicago Public Schools. Read More \| (24) Comments	Getting the questions right on Chicago schools November 05, 2012 By: Charles M. Payne, PhD The awkward departure of Jean-Claude Brizard from Chicago Public Schools seemed to surprise no one. Many figured the deed was already done when the Chicago Tribune (on August 31) started speculating about his future. Given the ending of the teachers’ strike, given the looming fights over school actions, given new leadership untarnished by old fights, it would be wonderful if Chicagoans could take a step back and think for a moment about the larger issues of how the education debate is being framed in our city. Read More \| (12) Comments
Sparking a conversation to get the best teachers November 01, 2012 By: Ellen Behrstock-Sherratt and Allison Rizzolo Chicago Public Schools teachers recently took to the streets for the first time in a quarter-century to protest the new teacher evaluation system alongside more traditional bread-and-butter issues. But amidst the polarizing debate as to whether striking was the right thing to do, we lost sight of the big picture. Read More \| (67) Comments	What we’ve learned about unions since the strike October 29, 2012 By: Charles Tocci and Melissa Barton With students back in Chicago’s schools, many people are looking for lessons from the teachers’ strike. Some, including the Chicago Tribune editorial page and wealthy venture capitalist Bruce Rauner, have already recommended that the city double-down on its attempts to weaken the Chicago Teachers Union with more school closings and charters. Read More \| (15) Comments
Five reasons why Chicago should have an elected School Board October 22, 2012 By: Valerie F. Leonard The Chicago Board of Education has been appointed by the mayor since its inception in 1872. The Board of Education currently has seven members who serve staggered terms. The mayor appoints the board, its president and the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. Chicago is the only city in the State of Illinois that has this arrangement. Read More \| (32) Comments	It's time to change the statistics on education October 15, 2012 By: Lisa Kulisek & Cheyney Wortham We all know the statistics. By the age of 25, just 6% of students who enter CPS high schools as freshmen will have a bachelors’ degree. For African-American and Latino students, that number drops to just 3% who will hold a four-year degree. This is a systemic problem that starts at birth, but is exacerbated by inequities in a school system. There is a 28-point gap between the percentage of Caucasian and African-American students who meet and exceed reading standards in 3rd grade. In 11th grade, the gap is 40 points. Read More \| (164) Comments
Real parents have been standing up October 05, 2012 By: Rebeca Nieves Huffman I moved to the Beverly community (the 19th ward) for many reasons—the anchor one being the strong public schools. Within months of moving, the attendance boundaries were redrawn and I no longer was zoned to a high-performing public school. Student scores are just one of the many indicators of the school’s success. We are now zoned to the school where barely a third of 3rd-graders are reading at grade level and only 18% of their 8th graders are proficient in math. Read More \| (124) Comments

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