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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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Early college gives a leg up for the job market August 16, 2005 By: Maureen Kelleher Secondary schools have long offered courses that count for both high school and college credit. A cutting-edge extension of this practice is early college high school, where students simultaneously earn a high school diploma and an associate's degree. This summer, Chicago Public Schools matriculated its first early college program in partnership with DeVry University. Advantage Academy admitted 125 high-achieving juniors from across the city, who, in two years, will earn a diploma and an associate's degree in network administration. Read More \| (0) Comments	Principals beckoned to fly solo August 15, 2005 By: John Myers The district has invited 85 principals from "high performing" schools to cast off a layer of oversight and operate more independently next year. But a provision for greater financial freedom that would kick in the following year makes some principals nervous. The new decentralization program, called AMPS for Autonomous Management and Performance Schools, gives "star principals" new powers ranging from doing less paperwork to bypassing middle management and reporting directly to central office. Read More \| (0) Comments
Undocumented valedictorian fights for law to ease college aid August 03, 2005 By: Irasema Salinas-González At a political rally in Little Village on a crisp October morning, a high school valedictorian nervously steps to a microphone. He is anxious to share his dream of getting a college education but not to share his full name. Fernando is an undocumented immigrant. Fernando and some of the other students at this morning's rally are members of the youth group, Hey-U (High Empowered Youth United). They are at Our Lady of Tepeyac school to fight for the DREAM Act, proposed federal legislation that could be a lifeline to college for low-income, undocumented students. Read More \| (0) Comments	Board insider challenged new president of principals group August 03, 2005 By: Alexander Russo What was considered an easy re-election for Clarice Berry, president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, is now up for grabs with the entry of a well-connected opponent. Linda Pierzchalski, Area 19 instructional officer and former principal of Bogan High School, threw her hat into the ring in January, vowing to pick up where long-time CPAA president Beverly Tunney, who died last year, left off. Read More \| (0) Comments
Dropout programs hit with funding cuts August 03, 2005 By: John Myers Hundreds of high school dropouts are expected to be turned away from alternative schools in the coming months, since the state cut a grant to dropout programs funded through City Colleges. Eleven alternative schools lost about 30 percent of their expected budgets for this year—a total of nearly $2 million—when the Illinois State Board of Education turned down City Colleges' grant proposal for the first time in 18 years. Read More \| (0) Comments	Panel aims to shield school funding August 02, 2005 By: Daniel C. Vock When the Education Funding Advisory Board gave lawmakers its recommendation for a $1,441 increase in minimum per-pupil spending, the board made another little-noticed but far-reaching proposal that would, in effect, end the yearly battles over how much to spend on schools. The advisory board called on the state to make education funding a "continuing appropriation," thus making money for schools immune from budget cuts. Such a change would require the state to set aside money for schools first, before yearly budget negotiations begin. Read More \| (0) Comments
Backers fall short with money, disclosure July 29, 2005 By: Maureen Kelleher The question of how much funding each of the new Renaissance schools will get from the business-backed New Schools for Chicago seems straightforward and simple. But asking it didn't lead to a simple answer. In February, New Schools for Chicago teamed up with Mayor Richard M. Daley's office to announce it had awarded $3.7 million to eight schools; so far, the group has not released a school-by-school breakdown of the grants. Read More \| (0) Comments	Too few top-notch libraries July 29, 2005 By: Leslie Whitaker Excitement about books is the norm at Norwood Park Elementary on the far northwest side. Here, students often bring a tower of books to librarian Nancy Volkman, who reaches over to feel the child's muscles and asks if the student can carry them before checking the books out. Many schools tie the number of books students can check out to their grade level, but Volkman rarely imposes such a ceiling. Read More \| (0) Comments
Faculty integration an elusive goal July 29, 2005 By: Debra Williams CPS targets schools to do more to achieve a racial mix of teachers. When Warren Elementary, a predominantly African American school in Calumet Heights, needed to fill three vacant teaching positions this year, Principal Christine Ogilvie specifically sought out and hired white candidates. On the other side of town in West Ridge, Principal June Shackter of mostly white Decatur Elementary plans to hire two teachers in February—both of them minorities. Read More \| (0) Comments

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