catalyst-chicago.org

As the district opens 100 new schools under Renaissance 2010, students will have more options and neighborhood schools will face greater competition. But are more school options good for kids?

For students who choose to leave their neighborhood schools, the answer is likely yes. Numerous studies conducted over the last decade indicate that students who leave traditional public schools for "choice" schools such as charters and private schools raise their achievement—even though charter schools may have lower test scores overall.

The Chicago Reading Initiative was first out the gate when CEO Arne Duncan took over the district three years ago. Today, the signature program has expanded substantially, now encompassing three distinct efforts, 365 schools and more than 600 literacy teachers who coach classroom teachers in reading instruction.

All told, district officials argue the program is worth its $52 million pricetag, citing test score improvements at 65 percent of the schools participating last year, 78 percent of those on probation.

As superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools from 1991-95, Howard Fuller was a vocal advocate of charter schools and clashed with the teachers' union over his desire to close and re-staff failing schools. Fuller was the first person with little education experience to head a major urban school system. He now chairs the Washington, D.C.,-based Charter School Leadership Council and spoke to writer Alejandra Cerna Rios while in town recently.

I read the article, "Too Many Schools Too Soon?" (Catalyst Chicago, October 2004) with great interest. I think you make some valid points in highlighting the challenges as well as the accomplishments of New York City's creation of new small schools. I would however like to provide a bit of the history for your readers.

El año pasado, el personal y el concilio local de la Elemental McNair en Austin se cansaron del mal comportamiento estudiantil, especialmente las peleas.

McNair adoptó una política de cero-tolerancia con las peleas, lo que significa una suspensión inmediata.

¿La Elemental Reed está en probatoria. ¿Qué poderes tiene el concilio escolar local? ¿Qué poderes hemos perdido?

Beverly Helm, Presidenta, Concilio Escolar Local de Reed

Mientras una escuela esté en probatoria, la Junta Escolar puede despedir a un principal y nombrar un sustituto. Así perdemos el poder de evaluar el principal y adjudicar contratos de cuatro años. Si el principal no es despedido, retenemos estos poderes.

Whitney Wall, a 3rd-grade teacher at Pope Elementary, laughs ruefully at the memory of her early years of teaching, struggling to manage classrooms in New York City and Baltimore.

Wall says that as an education major in college, she learned little about discipline. But she praises Consistency Management and Cooperative Discipline, the classroom management program used at Pope. "Discipline was something I was thrown into. I wish I had had this program my first year, instead of trying to make it up as I went along," she says.

Chicago Reading Initiative (CRI) The anchor of the district's literacy efforts, this $52 million systemwide program features literacy teachers in low-performing schools, reading "coaches" in area instructional offices and a variety of professional development programs. A mandate for two hours of reading instruction daily was extended to all elementary schools, and the framework for reading instruction is required to include four components—comprehension, fluency, word knowledge and writing.

RESEARCHER: Caroline Hoxby, economist, Harvard University

WHAT WAS STUDIED: Hoxby examined how private school vouchers for low-income students in Milwaukee public schools impacted standardized test scores over three years beginning in 1996-97. She also examined the effect of charter schools on public elementary school students in Arizona and Michigan between 1992-93 and 1999-00.

WHAT SHE FOUND: On every statewide standardized test, scores grew the most in public elementary schools that faced the most voucher or charter competition.