New Pershing Rd

February 1, 1996

New Pershing Rd

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The new Pershing Road makes no little plans Catalyst A century after city planner Daniel Burnham cautioned against making little plans—"they have no magic to stir men's blood"—a team of technocrats from City Hall has drafted the transformation of the Chicago Public Schools. New schools. New teaching. New tests. New ways of doing even routine things. And the plans certainly have stirred the blood of those concerned about the city's schools, in some cases to the boiling point. In the following interview, edited for space, CEO Paul Vallas first outlines a new student achievement plan, which was to have been unveiled Jan. 24, and... > Read More
First semester status report Debra Williams, Linda Lenz The leadership team Mayor Richard M. Daley sent to Pershing Road has had a whirlwind first semester, launching dozens of initiatives both great and small. Asked whether the Chicago Public Schools was becoming a "Christmas tree" system, CEO Paul Vallas responded with an emphatic "no," saying, "It's not like we don't have a focus." All the initiatives, he explained, are aimed at improving seven elements of good schooling: leadership, parent involvement, student achievement, instructional time, stability and predictability, safe and attractive schools, and small schools and classrooms. ... > Read More

The new Pershing Road makes no little plans

A century after city planner Daniel Burnham cautioned against making little plans—"they have no magic to stir men's blood"—a team of technocrats from City Hall has drafted the transformation of the Chicago Public Schools.

New schools. New teaching. New tests. New ways of doing even routine things. And the plans certainly have stirred the blood of those concerned about the city's schools, in some cases to the boiling point.

In the following interview, edited for space, CEO Paul Vallas first outlines a new student achievement plan, which was to have been unveiled Jan. 24, and...

> Read More

First semester status report

Debra Williams, Linda Lenz

The leadership team Mayor Richard M. Daley sent to Pershing Road has had a whirlwind first semester, launching dozens of initiatives both great and small. Asked whether the Chicago Public Schools was becoming a "Christmas tree" system, CEO Paul Vallas responded with an emphatic "no," saying, "It's not like we don't have a focus." All the initiatives, he explained, are aimed at improving seven elements of good schooling: leadership, parent involvement, student achievement, instructional time, stability and predictability, safe and attractive schools, and small schools and classrooms.

...

> Read More

35 networks get first Annenberg funds

By: Lorraine Forte

In its first round of grant-making, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge has awarded $2.5 million in school improvement grants to 35 school networks and their outside partners.

The 35 winners were winnowed from 89 groups that submitted full proposals; those 89 were selected by the Annenberg Challenge Board of Directors from 174 partnerships that submitted initial applications.

In its first round of grant-making, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge has awarded $2.5 million in school improvement grants to 35 school networks and their outside partners. The 35 winners were...