catalyst-chicago.org

Some 200,000 Chicago students pledge against gun violence on National Day of Concern, the same day violence flares up again at Fenger High. (ABC7)

It comes not only as communities still react to the beating death of Fenger High School honor roll student Derrion Albert, but as police respond to yet another disturbance there Thursday afternoon: a lunchroom brawl.

* Five arrested in Fenger’s lunchroom brawl. (Sun-Times)

Some 200,000 Chicago students pledge against gun violence on National Day of Concern, the same day violence flares up again at Fenger High. (ABC7)

It comes not only as communities still react to the beating death of Fenger High School honor roll student Derrion Albert, but as police respond to yet another disturbance there Thursday afternoon: a lunchroom brawl.

* Five arrested in Fenger’s lunchroom brawl. (Sun-Times)

* A Tilden High student was shot and killed yesterday.

* A Fairyland of Violence: refugees contribute to documentary on Chicago’s violent streets. (Tribune)

* Solving mental health issues is central to CEO Ron Huberman’s youth violence initiative. (Medill)

* One mother and teacher union activist wants Huberman’s plan to focus on younger students. (Medill)

* New schools czar from Cleveland hired by CPS to develop high school plans. (Plain Dealer)

* Jim Shelton, US Dept. of Ed’s Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, was in town to look at VOISE Academy’s learning continuity drill—a plan for continued education in case of school dismissal. (Press release)

* Devon Mallard reportedly doing well after Tribune pressured CPS to meet his special education needs. (Tribune)

His case resolved, Devon recently returned to classes and is doing well so far...Many other special-education disputes with the district remain unresolved. The Illinois State Board of Education said the district has "an uncommonly high number" of special-ed-related court orders out of compliance. Also, a recent report found that about half of roughly 100 district schools reviewed by state monitors were failing to give necessary services to disabled students.

* Roofers and landscapers duke it out over contracts for roof-top gardens, including two projects for Chicago schools. (Tribune)

Around Illinois

* Chicago State’s “remarkably poor” graduation and retention rates have put its accreditation at risk. (WGN)

In a letter obtained by the Tribune, the Higher Learning Commission cites several "grave" concerns regarding the future of the South Side school that serves roughly 6,800 students. The most pressing problems derive from managing enrollment, but other issues include a reduction in student financial assistance that led to dropouts and delayed approval of budgets.

The university had 6,820 students last fall, down from prior years. Retention of students from the first to second year of college is "very poor," the letter said. Of the 372 students who started college in fall 2007, for example, only 55 percent returned the next year...And the six-year graduation rate has continued to decline. Only 12.8 percent of first-year students in 2002 graduated by 2008.

* Schools tell teens to dress for the work world. (Tribune)

* Waukegan High locked down after gun reported in student’s possession; four students detained. (News-Sun)

* A $185 million expansion for Winnetka High in New Trier? (Tribune)

Around the country

* Plenty of coverage on Ed. Sec. Arne Duncan’s speech lambasting teacher colleges, from general coverage in ABC to a closer look at Louisiana’s “value-added” study on teacher training in the Times-Picayune.

* Conservative columnist David Brooks likes President Barack Obama’s education reform agenda.

Over the past few days I’ve spoken to people ranging from Bill Gates to Jeb Bush and various education reformers. They are all impressed by how gritty and effective the Obama administration has been in holding the line and inciting real education reform.

* Duncan presses for expansion of community schools movement. (Tulsa World)

* PreK spending up about $5.3 billion, despite woeful state budgets. (Ed Week)

* Dallas, San Francisco, New York and St. Paul highlighted for promising English language learner instructional approach. (Ed Week)

Large urban school districts that are successful with English-language learners provide strong oversight from the central office for educating those students, ensure that general education teachers as well as specialists receive professional development on how to work with ELLs, and use student data in a meaningful way to improve instruction for that population.

* Not enough Black male teachers in America’s classrooms. (Grio)

A record 35,000 invidividuals applied to Teach for America in 2009..."We are disproportionately recruiting people of color, including African-American and Latino and Hispanic students," [a TFA recruiter] said. "Student achievement is at the core of everything [Teach for America] does, but given the fact some of our corps members share the background of our students, there is the potential for added impact."

Catalyst found that just one in 16 CPS teachers are African American men.

* Some 7,500 events across the country marked Lights On Afterschool celebration. (UPI)

* Theodore Sizer, a well-known education reformer, has died at 77. (NY Times)