Even as CPS opens more new schools, children with special needs have a tougher time finding options. Placements in private therapeutic schools are scarce, and some charters are reluctant to enroll them.
Recent Notebook Entries
Right Now On Notebook
By:
By:
By:
By:
Other Blogs
catalyst-chicago.org feeds
Current Issue
Emanuel names education transition committee
By: Sarah Karp / March 07, 2011
As interim CEO Terry Mazany starts outlining the details of his education plan, Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel announced today a committee to make recommendations on what should be CPS' long-term and short-term goals. It is unclear whether this committee's work will run parallel or conflict with Mazany's plan.
As interim CEO Terry Mazany starts outlining the details of his education plan, Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel announced today a committee to make recommendations on what should be CPS' long-term and short-term goals. It is unclear whether this committee's work will run parallel or conflict with Mazany's plan.
Neither Mazany, nor his chief education officer, Charles Payne, are serving on this committee.
Also, omitted is Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union. Lewis spent Monday at a Chicago Federation of Labor meeting where Emanuel said he wants to work with labor. But that message does not jibe with the exclusion of union leaders from the education committee, Lewis says.
"It seems to go out of its way to exclude the very students, parents, teachers, and community groups from neighborhoods who have been devastated by CPS policy and silenced by Chicago's elected and unelected officials," Lewis said in a written statement. "I hope in this case words speak louder than actions."
A transition spokeswoman said two teachers on the committee, one from Pershing West and one from Prieto Elementary School, are members of the union. She also said the committee will "consult with all stakeholders."
Nora Moreno-Cargie, interim CPS chief of staff, says that Mazany's education plan is still in process, with work groups meeting and preparing to make recommendations to an external advisory committee in the coming week. The plan is being prepared for the next administration and also to guide next year's budget, which Mazany's team is working on.
Two months after Emanuel steps into City Hall, his CEO will have to present a budget to be approved no later than August.
Some measures, such as not opening new charter schools in the coming year and closing under-enrolled schools, have been discussed and might be part of Mazany's education plan and part of the budget he is preparing. Moreno-Cargie says that Mazany wants decisions about facilities and the closing and opening of schools to be made as part of a systematic approach that takes into account many different perspectives.
"This has to be a grassroots effort and not top down," Moreno-Cargie says.
Two of the members of Emanuel's new transition education committee--Mike Milkie from Noble Street and Tim Knowles from the University of Chicago's Urban Education Institute--also participated in one of the work groups coming up with Mazany's education plan.
Moreno-Cargie says that shows Mazany's leadership and ensures that there will be some consistency between the work.
The people chosen for Emanuel's education committee signal some of its direction. Milkie runs one of the largest and most lauded charter school networks in the city. Knowles is an education expert, but also involved in the University of Chicago charter schools. They will be joined by Donald Feinstein, president of the Academy for Urban School Leadership, a not-for-profit organization that runs 19 schools in the city, most of them turnaround schools where the old staff is fired and replaced with new administrators and teachers.
Emanuel also will be following the lead of the philanthropic community. The head of The Joyce Foundation and the education officer at the Pritzker Traubert Foundation are both on the committee. The two foundations provide money for various CPS programs and initiatives and have been involved in teacher quality and principal preparation issues.
But Emanuel won't just be looking to heavy hitters in the education arena for advice. Two community organizations and the pastor of a large South Side church will have members on the committee. One of the community organizations, Target Area Development Corporation, was once run by Patricia Watkins, an unsuccessful mayoral candidate.
Milkie, Knowles and Mazany all could be considered candidates to be CPS' next chief executive officer. The transition spokeswoman says that the committee will not be involved in selecting the next CEO.
Below are members of Emanuel's education committee
Ellen Alberding, The Joyce Foundation
Rev. Dr. Byron Brazier, Apostolic Church of God
Donald Feinstein, Academy for Urban School Leadership
Sherrod Gordon, TARGET Area Development Corporation
Zipporah Hightower, Bethune School of Excellence
Liz Kirby, Kenwood Academy
Tim Knowles, University of Chicago Urban Education Institute
Mike Milkie, Noble Street Charter School
Natalie Neris-Guereca, Dr. Jorge Prieto Elementary School
John Price, John J. Audubon Elementary School
Diana Rauner, Ounce of Prevention Fund
Celena Roldan, Erie Neighborhood House
Monica Sims, John J. Pershing West Middle School
Elizabeth Swanson, Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation
Emanuel names education transition committee
By leaving out the head of the union, Emanuel has signaled that he is ready to battle over the contract. He will not respect teachers of traditional CPS schools. No wonder the PEP program was extended. Time to leave.
Emanuel names education transition committee
When I read news articles and consider that the mayor elect is against traditional public schools (look at those children's sad, empty eyes) and is in favor of Charter or the privitization of public schools it makes teaching in Chicago a least favorite option.
I did not vote for Rahm when he ran in the 5th district. He never emailed the residents of that district, yet I get emails from Quigley.
I did not vote for him in the last election because I felt he bought the mayoral seat, with his money, clout and political connections. It was not a fair election in that respect, especially since his tax returns (2008 & 2009) have a DC address.
Considering how the news media nationwide is pro charters, being backed by those with the millions of dollars, education in this country is going via the way of the dinosaur. All those dollars spent on securing that BA, MA or PHD in the educational field seems to be a waste of time and money spent.
The degree and the paper it is printed on, is the butt of many a joke. The future of education in this country as we know it, will be run like a business, with little regard for those providing education. The teaching profession is in a revolving door when experience does not count, where least qualified and cheaper less experienced teachers will be filling classrooms, only to be discharged (discarded) like a spent ink cartridge.
Emanuel names education transition committee
I fell as if we are all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Emanuel names education transition committee
Rahm should include Diane Ravitch on his transition team.
Emanuel names education transition committee
Rahm should include Diane Ravitch on his transition team.
Emanuel names education transition committee
It's good to see that there's is one teacher on the team. They should call come out to see Diane Ravitch this Saturday at UIC. She was once an advocate for many of the initiatives picked up by the groups represented on his team, but after looking at the results, she's changed her views.
Chicago Teachers Union Presents a Conversation with Diane Ravitch
University of Illinois-Chicago Forum
725 W. Roosevelt Road.
Saturday, March 12, 2011 12:00 Noon
Register wit this link: http://www.ctunet.com/events/diane-ravitch
Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/district-299/2011/03/jobs-youre-not-on-e...
Emanuel names education transition committee
The previous poster forgot to mention that the Ravitch events requires one purchase a $15 ticket.
Emanuel names education transition committee
Many of our universities work intimately with public, private, and charter schools in CPS. Where are they or some member of the Council of Chicago Area Deans of Education in this conversation?
Emanuel names education transition committee
I'm really not surprised to see Mazany and Lewis left out, but I am disappointed. Mazany, especially, has been the voice of some reason since he took the post. It's a scary time for teachers when bipartisan support for teacher firing and charters is the so-called panacea for our nation's educational ills. How short-sighted of Obama, Emanuel, and private sector business people who think they can improve schools without teacher cooperation or sound policy.
Emanuel names education transition committee
Some good names on the list. We should give them a chance and see what they come up with. I hope someone considers how to recognized good educucators nd give them recognition. So much of this discussion misses the point that education is about teachers engaging students. All the other fancy jargon is inmaterial
Emanuel names education transition committee
By excluding the Chicago Teachers Union participation, the elect mayor is preparing himself for being confrontational if you do not agree with him.
Emanuel names education transition committee
Who is the bilingual education member?
Who is the special education member?
Emanuel names education transition committee
Where are the education scholars who have studied Chicago schools and have evidence to guide decision making?
Emanuel names education transition committee
I'd like to ask Mayor elect Rham Emanuel to include some educators with proven track records to his education team. I am a four contract principal that served at the high school and elementary level. Although I am retired I still have some innovative ideas and experiences to share with current educators. I was also the recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Award 1999. There are tons of us with credible ideas that could foster school inprovement city-wide. Please consult with us, we could help save our children.
Larry J. Thomas , Principal Emeritus
Emanuel names education transition committee
CPS isn't interested in what successful princials have to say either. It's not about talent or know-how, it is about 'getting' CPS teachers and principals. Rahm wants to have the AP positions go to a type of school-community position. Further erroding CPAA membership. At least you do not have to take the furlough days and CPAA can do nothing about it!
Does the CPAA president have to take furlough days?
Emanuel names education transition committee
It is time for the union to promote and demand super superior teachers ... get out in front and demonstrate that public schools are better than charter schools. Past support of ignorant unqualified teachers help promote charter schools. The new mayor will be better than the mayor who is leaving ... he is surely more educated.
Emanuel names education transition committee
I hope Mr. Emanual will use his education to actually do something better than the previous mayor besides just calling himself the "education mayor". However, it sounds like the same old "raise the charters"and "kill the public schools". By the way, I'm advising young people who would like to be the chief executive or education officer of the Chicago Public Schools to become business men. It certainly is a lot faster route than actually majoring in education and teaching children.
Grace
Emanuel names education transition committee
As a veteran teacher with the Chicago Public Schools for 26 years, I am outraged by Rahm Emanuel’s disregard of public school teachers and the CTU. He will see the error of his way in a few years and it will be too late, or maybe he sees it now and doesn’t care because he knows that somehow he will be benefiting economically from all this. Many do not know that is a great business opportunity to open and run charter schools, charters are just helping create business opportunities for those who can come up with “great†ideas, there are multi-million companies who now offer their services to these schools. This is where the public school funding is going to, leaving behind all those who need it. He is not doing this to save any public citizen’s money, he just like our Mayor Daley, will benefit somehow. Let’s see if our mayor elect helps the poor and disadvantaged communities or will continue to help those communities that already have too much as our current mayor has done.
He has not included enough representation from the public schools, as far as I know we are the Chicago Public Schools system - not the Chicago Charter Schools system. It is a slap on the face for all of us who have dedicated our career to the success of our school system, because the reality is that there is more success than failure, all this negative campaign does not have to do with student success but with the oppression of labor unions – this goes back to who will really save money – not our city but the big companies that pay for corrupt politicians. I want to say that I regret voting for Obama and for thinking that Rahm Emanuel was a different kind of politician who I met when he visited my daughter’s school years ago. What a disappointment!
Emanuel names education transition committee
I feel the same way about Obama! They HAVE no idea what they are saying. They are going to serve 450k students with 100's of different charter schools??? This to me resembles a political process once known as the Fuedal System...and lets face it...it helped to define the idea of "every man for himself" ..in this case we will go from No Child Left Behind(what a joke by the way) to ECFT = Every Child For Themself...do they have any idea what they are proposing?? Just because a school puts up with a fancy website showing multultural children smiling doesnt mean they will serve them well.......
Add your comment