Shift course on renaissance by Lorraine Forte August, 2010
Ask Wanda Taylor to give her view on Renaissance 2010, and you get a brief sigh and a “Where do you start?” Her story is a parent’s-eye view of what has happened since Mayor Richard M. Daley and then-CEO Arne Duncan launched the plan in 2004.
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Building a principal pipeline by Lorraine Forte April, 2010
Waves of principal retirements have hit Chicago Public Schools in recent years, with no letup in sight. More than 100 principals are expected to retire at the end of this school year, and more are expected in 2011. These retirement waves have swept in a crop of new principals who are enthusiastic about their jobs, committed to education—and are not likely to stay at their schools for the long term.
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Students pressed for time to learn -- and so are teachers by Lorraine Forte January, 2010
Whatever the criticism of Renaissance 2010 and the turnaround strategy, one element of learning that many of the city’s new schools have gotten right is time—more time, to be precise, with longer school days and longer years. Research has shown that extra time is especially beneficial in boosting achievement for low-income children. Yet a Consortium on Chicago School Research report found that CPS students are engaged in learning for only about half of the officially scheduled time in school.
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Dropout recovery: Tough job, but someone’s got to do it by Lorraine Forte October, 2009
As a writer and editor, I have a rule: Avoid the use of catch-phrases, clichés and jargon in articles whenever possible. Readers are better served by vivid illustration—with anecdotes, data, telling details or colorful quotes—than by overused or vague expressions. Still, there’s no better substitute for the phrase “school to prison pipeline” to describe some of the data in this issue of Catalyst In Depth.
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Lopsided discipline takes toll on black male students by Veronica Anderson June, 2009
African-American boys face a peculiar dilemma in Chicago’s public schools: how to get a solid education when, more than any other group of students, they are singled out for harsh punishments and sent packing for days, weeks, sometimes months at a time. Some are expelled—even in elementary school—for a year or longer. Many folks assume that these punishments are deserved. Isn’t it true, they ask, that black male students are more likely to behave in ways that warrant such sanctions?
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