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.
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Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
On Monday, Gov. Pat Quinn is scheduled to sign Senate Bill 7, the
landmark bill that makes sweeping changes to teacher tenure and strike
rights.
On Monday, Gov. Pat Quinn is scheduled to sign Senate Bill 7, the landmark bill that makes sweeping changes to teacher tenure and strike rights.
The signing ceremony will take place at Lexington Elementary in Maywood, home of state Sen. Kimberly Lightford. Lightford led five months of negotiations among leaders from the state’s teachers unions, legislators and education activists to hammer out specifics of the bill. (A trailer bill that addressed several last-minute objections from the Chicago Teachers Union will be signed as well, according to a spokesman for the governor.)
Included in SB7 are provisions that make job performance, not seniority, the primary factor in layoff decisions; allow for revoking tenure for poor job performance; and make it tougher for teachers to authorize a strike.
The bill also opens the door for a longer school day and year in Chicago, something Mayor Rahm Emanuel has vowed to institute. Under the bill, the length of the school day and year were added to the list of “permissible” subjects of contract bargaining. The current CTU contract runs until June 2012, but the contract could be reopened for bargaining if the district opts to declare a fiscal emergency and the School Board votes not to pay the 4 percent raises teachers are scheduled to receive next school year.
Those raises were not included in the school budgets principals received last Friday.
Another bill requiring more transparency regarding school closings and the creation of a long-term facilities plan for CPS--something the district has not had for decades--also passed during the recent session.
Here’s what happened to other legislation:
No vouchers
A bill that would have created the state’s first school voucher program, in Chicago, is stuck in limbo and not likely to be resurrected.
The bill, SB1932, was approved by the Senate Education Committee on April 7. But Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) was unable to garner the support he would have needed to pass the bill on the floor.
Murphy’s bill is similar to the one filed two years ago by Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago), who exerted much pressure to get the committee to approve SB1932. The bill would have given parents of children in low-achieving schools vouchers of about $3,600 to pay for private school tuition. The money – an estimated $108 million per year for about 30,000 children – would come from state funds otherwise going to CPS.
Some senators who helped Meeks send his bill over to the House two years ago said at the time they were voting for it out of respect for Meeks. The Meeks bill ultimately failed in the full House.
Technically, the voucher bill could still get a floor vote in the fall or next year, but its prospects are dim.
Not much ‘remediation'
HB 139 had great ambition at the start but, like so many other bills, it was watered down by the time it was finally passed by the House and Senate.
As filed by Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago), it would have forced Chicago Public Schools to create basic skills classes for students who test two years or more behind grade level in reading and math.
The final version had much less teeth: It amended current law, which applies to all school districts and requires students who test two years behind grade level to be given remediation programs—which includes summer school as one of the options.
HB 139 amended that provision, tweaking the summer school option to say that it should have "an emphasis" on math and reading if the student lags in those subjects.
Longer year pilot
HB 1415 identifies 23 schools that would participate in a year-round, longer school year with 215 instructional days, subject to the availability of federal funding. Currently, the average number of instructional days in Illinois is 175; Chicago has only 170 days.
Two of the schools are in Chicago: Aldridge and DuBois elementary schools, both on the Far South Side. The others are in Dolton, South Holland, Lansing, Brookwood, Ford Heights and Sunnybrook.
Although the program is limited at the outset, it is likely that if academic achievement improves and more funds became available, it would expand to other districts and schools.
Charters
HB 190 allows CPS to allocate at least five of its statutory allotment of 75 charter schools to serve students from the city's lowest-achieving and overcrowded schools. It was sponsored by Rep. Roger Eddy (R-Hutsonville), who is also a school superintendent for Hutsonville.
Eddy's goal was to direct CPS to an alternative to the proposed voucher program.
Here is a list of bills affecting public schools.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
Geez, you'd think the reporters at Catalyst could get their facts straight.
"The current CTU contract runs until 2013..." No, the current CTU contract runs through June 30, 2012.
"Currently, the average number of instructional days in Illinois is 175; Chicago has only 170 days." I understand that "average" is the trick word in this sentence. Illinois law requires EITHER 176 days of instruction if you have half-day parent conferences OR 174 days of instruction if, like Chicago, you have full-day parent conferences. So the average may well be 175, but it is either 176 or 174.
Chicago--through banking time--meets the requirement of 174 days in 170 days. Since the 2004-05 school year (when we added 15 minutes to the day--8 of which must be "instructional") we have "banked" the additional time and then converted it to 4 days of Staff Development. In the high schools this was accomplished by adding 1 minute to the 45-minute classes, making them 46-minutes.
At any rate, Chicago's 170-day calendar contains just as many instructional minutes as other districts' 174-day calendars.
To say otherwise is just untrue.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
Patrick Quinn is making a big mistake in signing that Reform Bill. You don't take tenure away from people who have been on their jobs. He will never be the govenor again; nor will emanuel be the mayor again. There are a lot of teachers in Illinois; and they will Not be voting for either of them. Illinois did not have to be the model for this. The school system has made a sad day for many educators in Illinois.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
Signing the Reform Bill is a terrible. Chico is all for it. He is in there because he will be running for governor next. Instead of things going forward; they are really going backwards. There is an all out attack on senior teachers; where the attack should be out on the others making the big money. When Chico was at cps he was turned out; so now he is out there to take over. He is going to help Quinn run it; and it is going to be in the wrong ways. But they must realize; the teachers in Illinois will not be voting to put any of them back in. They have trumpled up on seniority to teachers; and THAT is wrong. If you are going to take seniority from teachers; then take it away from the firemen and policemen and everyone else. Ms. Lightfoot has not done a big thing. She has caused a lot of people to lose their jobs. How would she like to lose her job? It is a sad thing she has done. People work all their lives and this is the thanks they get for it. Just thrown out the door. The REAL reasons they are doing this; so that their children can get a job and pay off those loans. But look out! The crime rate is about to soar. The young teaching the children of today. If you are not strong and tuff; they will send your life into a tail spin. These are the now children. They don't seem to have a great interest in education anymore. They should be applauding teachers to even want to enter a classroom. If anything; why not try to help the teachers of today. Because this IS a wrong direction; they are going to find themselves begging for senior teachers to come back. This is why there is so much crime. The young teachers do not have a love for the children. They love to get that paycheck. That is how it begins. But for the young teachers. You too are going to grow old. Then they will be throwing YOU off the train. That's the name of the game. Illinois and Chicago have too many problems in their school systems. Too many changes. If it IS working; then why is there so much crime? Too much crime. Reform the parents. Then teachers can teach the children.That's where the problem lies.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
and turnaround school rejects.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
PLEASE Mayor Emanuel, the minute after the bill is singed, make it a mandatate for ALL CPS schools to move to Open Schedule. You can immediately extend the school day 45 minutes at NO COST because you are just moving the teacher lunch from the last period of the day to the middle of the school day. This adds 45 minutes to the school day and provides room for recess a longer student lunch and important social time. Since the current closed schedule causes many schools to significantly cut into the already minimum instructional time, this move would restore it for the children. For once, CPS is prpared internally to implement this as it recently issued a Developing a School Recess Plan guide to walk schools through the implementation considerations.
Make schools do this for the fall of 2011. Children need to be the priority!
My child's school is being terrible about this. Parents are 100% for it, yet the principal and teachers have put up a wall of resistance and are completely ignoring the voice of the parents who are speaking for their children. I recently learned about this schedule option and the way my school is handling this is completely disheartening. It really makes me question if children are the priority. Mr. Mayor, please make it loud and clear that children are the priority by mandating all CPS schools move to open schedule by fall 2011.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
while you are at it...ask him to quit putting 33 kids per room , give all kids a text book newer than 1999 editon and provide teachers with extra money to buy supplies (100 bucks doesnt cut it)! then mom! we have a deal!!!!!
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
Are you volunteering to watch the students during lunch? Did you listen to the reasons that the principal and teachers don't like the idea or are you just whining because you want an extra 45 minutes of "me" time while your kids are at school? You realize that open campus does not mean they will get any extra instruction, right?
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
I am now well aware of the facts. For my child's school, we are on a closed schedule but provide the longer lunch, recess and homeroom of the open schedule. The result----instructional time is cut about 30 minutes each day. That is a full month each year. So, while open usually doesn't add instruction time, it will restore it for schools cutting into it.
Of course I do not just want my kids in school 45 minutes longer for selfish reasons. I want them to get at least the minimum minutes they deserve. It is 308 per day, my kids only get 273 per day. This is simply unjust.
When principapl and teachers are kindly asked, no reasons are given. By the way, I have no "me" time with 3 kids and working to pay the bills.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
The little children are really going to be attacked by gangs now. Out late in the afternoon trying to get home. Gangs are waiting for them; don't you know this? After school games and things will be played in the dark. (The reason the time was shorten was to ensure for the kids to be home before dark. SAFELY. Now they are turning it backwards again. And for recess outside. All the gangs have to do now is drive by and shoot at children on the playground . Weapons can be passed through the fences like their used to day.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
The answer should not be to lock them up without exercise. We need to find a good solution. The communities, families, alderman, police, mayor and everyone needs to work together to take back the neighborhood. I know, much easier said than done. But the mayor needs to make sure he provides the support to help communities make it happen. He can't do it without community help and the communities can't do it without support. Time to work together to make change. The gang members probably didn't have recess either growing up. We created a vicious cycle.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
I will work 45 min...I am a teacher...it doesn't bother me...however, you must realize that the playgrounds you remember dont exist anymore nor does the innocence either. I think teachers will have to be out with their classes...plus some extra help. I have 33 kids in my room this year.....there is NO WAY i can claim to be able to keep track of all of them when there are 100's of other children out there at the same time. We will need parent help and community help......I am not even asking for more money....However, recess is just part of the puzzle. We need new books, lower class size, step away from testing insanity.....the kids will need to have lunch for 30 min then 15 min of recess to start...they need structure....I think some schools can handle ....but other schools?? I dont even want to imagine!!
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
Well signing that Bill is supposed to solve the problems . Now that's a joke. The problems will have only just begun. This is a great victory for the children of Illinois; alright. No. The big Ikes just want applauds and brownie points. Teachers are not applauding. this is taking away from their life. They feel cheated. How could someone stoop so low as to take away tenure rights from only the teachers. This sounds really dumb. I will take a Pro teacher; anyday, over an amateur. I don't want a freshie teacher teaching my child. Experience is the best teacher. and please do not put those riverboats in Chicago. Wow, how the crime is going to soar. How can Emanuel come from not living here; to come here and take over. His job already reeks of being lightweight. Lay off the schools; and address the crime that's going on. Hiding behind the school system. Summer is not here yet. Look out. And if there are going to be year round schools; then I know those rooms are going to be air conditioned. Dissolving tenure. Not good.Now teachers are going to stand back and watch the BIG MESS roll though. If Daley couldn't fix it Emanuel you are wasting your time trying. Teachers keep praying. Those who have broken the Union will be losers; also in the end. Mr. Quinn they are tricking you into signing this bill. They are not on your side. They blocked you from every money you tried to borrow. Not signing this bill will have Illinois teachers in your corner. Veto the Reform Bill. You are opening up the door to let them in. Duncan is not going to give you money. He is going to give it to Emanuel.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
CTU hasn't struck in over 22 years. Why was making teacher strikes more difficult to call so necessary? Just watch for news about what's coming from 125 S. Clark in the near future. Second, let's see how many outstanding teachers get rewarded. Suddenly there won't be any outstanding teachers, despite the fact that pundits keep saying there are only a few "bad" teachers. What money are they going to use to reward the outstanding teachers they find? How much will it be per teacher? What's the definition of a "bad" teacher? Of course it will be anyone teaching longer than 3 years, so that TFAs can keep the revolving door going at each school and experienced-teacher salary-money can be used for more pet projects of Illinois legislators. Whatever new name is given to the subjective opinion of school principals, unfair evaluations will continue to abound in order to clean out a school of the principal's critics. This is a sad time in education.
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
I recall Gov. Quinn begging the teachers to vote for him;he promise to do the right things for the children and teachers; signing the bill to take tenure away from teachers will promise you a end to a political career in aillinois you promised to do the right thing;Gov. you did not keep your word so what does that make you?
Quinn to sign tenure reform law; voucher bill dead
Dear mom 9.07
I have to ask you if you are a mental patient? To write this “The gang members probably didn't have recess either growing up. We created a vicious cycleâ€. Can only be explained by a total lack of reality. I do not know what your definition of a Gang is but here is mine: Gangs have become a government , they collect taxes, have an actual territory under their control, order executions, support and train standing armies, maintain their own set of laws, enforced by their own police enter into treaties and finally go to war. I can assure you this behavior was not caused by lack or recess.
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