Updates | catalyst-chicago.org

Departments

Catalyst In Depth
Catalyst Notebook
Opinions
In Focus

Current Issue

School closings

As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.

Read More

Updates

Council federations dot the city July 28, 2005 By: Debra Williams This story contains corrected material [updated 3:45 p.m. CT, 04/01/04] Local school councils across the city increasingly are turning to each other for support, forming alliances to share ideas, provide training and work to strengthen councils as a whole. In some cases, they're also forming ties with community organizations that can bring additional resources to the table. "This is very empowering," says Nancy Jones, who works with councils for the Chicago Successful Schools Project. "They are trying to solve their own problems." Here are a few: Read More \| (0) Comments	Board may repeat summer program that offers 'step up' to high school July 28, 2005 By: Sabrina Strand CPS officials expect to complete in February an analysis of the Step Up to High School initiative, to determine whether to offer the program again this summer. About a third of eligible freshmen (2,200 out of 7,000) enrolled last summer in Step Up. Eligible students posted scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills that were above the cutoff for promotion to high school, but still below average. Read More \| (0) Comments
LSC advocates plan summit on equity July 28, 2005 By: John Myers Organizers of a citywide education summit scheduled for Feb. 21 plan to tackle the inequities suffered by Chicago's public schools. "We need to deal with the issue of quality education, but we also need to deal with the issue of equity," says Andy Wade, executive director for Chicago School Leadership Cooperative. The group is coordinating the one-day conference with help from Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform. Read More \| (0) Comments	Actors in school reform turn authors for new book July 28, 2005 By: John Myers In a new book, 11 actors in Chicago's ongoing school reform saga join researchers and editors of the Harvard Education Letter for a new look at the key issues and forces that have shaped the past 15 years of work to improve the nation's third largest school district. "School Reform in Chicago: Lessons in Policy and Practice" was edited by Catalyst contributing Editor Alexander Russo and published by the Harvard Education Press. Read More \| (0) Comments
Board set to vote on 2 new charter schools July 28, 2005 By: Ericka Moore-Freeman Two more charter schools are expected to be on the agenda for approval at the School Board's February meeting, CPS officials report. In December, the board was expected to grant up to half of 13 new charter slots available in Chicago. But only two, Namaste School in McKinley Park and the Chicago Mathematics and Science Academy in Rogers Park, were approved and are expected to open in the fall. Read More \| (0) Comments	Board set to fill half of charter slots July 28, 2005 By: Sabrina Strand The Board of Education is expected this month to approve operators for about half of the 13 additional charter schools it is authorized to open. In April, the Illinois Legislature doubled Chicago's charter school quota, raising it to 30. The School Board quickly approved two new charters, Chicago Children's Choir Academy and KIPP Ascend Academy, leaving 13 to go. Twenty-five community groups, non-profit organizations and educational institutions are in the running. But Greg Richmond, CPS chief officer of new school development, says only five to seven will be approved now. Read More \| (0) Comments
CTU sampler July 28, 2005 By: Santee Blakey Below are key provisions of the new Chicago Teachers Union contract, which runs through June 30, 2007. It was approved Nov. 18 by a vote of 15,104 to 12,599. The 55 percent approval rate reflected an earlier vote in the House of Delegates. Both the House and the full membership had rejected the first tentative settlement by a ratio of 3 to 2. (Click here for the full list) Salaries All members will get 4 percent cost-of-living raises in each of the four years. Read More \| (0) Comments	The new law July 22, 2005 By: Linda Lenz Mayor SUPERBOARD The mayor appoints five people to a Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees, to serve through June 30, 1999. City Council approval is not needed. Under the original School Reform Act, the mayor chose 15 members from slates compiled by a grassroots nominating committee. REGULAR BOARD Beginning July 1, 1999, the mayor will appoint seven members to serve four-year overlapping terms. City Council approval still will not be needed. Read More \| (0) Comments
Nobel laureate, U. of I. President behind LSC training law July 22, 2005 By: Grant Pick As State Rep. Mary Lou Cowlishaw approached the building in suburban Naperville where she keeps a legislative office, she was surprised to see a white-haired man in blue jeans struggling to get past the locked outer door. Suddenly she recognized the figure. "Why, Leon," she said, "why are you trying to break into my office?" Read More \| (0) Comments

go here for more