As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.
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In the News: Churches with city deals back mayor on longer day
By: Cassandra West / January 27, 2012
This morning's Tribune is reporting on faith-based groups that show their community support for Mayor Rahm Emanuel's controversial plans to lengthen the school day and close failing schools while also receiving millions of dollars in grants from his administration.
Several Chicago-area high schools have dialed back the term paper's length requirements and instead emphasize the research process and weighing of sources, a critical skill in the digital era, teachers say, the Tribune's Tara Malone reports.
Just 28 term papers written by Illinois high school students have been published in The Concord Review since its inaugural issue in 1988.
The art of the term paper lives at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. (Tribune)
IN THE STATE
School Superintendent Les Huddle is leaving the Jacksonville School District at the end of the school year to take the top administrative job in Lafayette, Ind. (State Journal-Register)
Schaumburg-Palatine High School District 211 students will have to pay 10 cents more for a full-price standard lunch next school year. (Daily Herald)
IN THE NATION
An Indianapolis-based nonprofit organization has crafted a sweeping plan for reworking the 33,000-student Indianapolis school system that would place the district under the control of the city's mayor, pare down the money spent in central administration, and give principals broad authority to hire and fire teachers. (EducationWeek)
City controller says Philadephia School District must cut $400,000 per day between now and June 30 just to erase a projected deficit of at least $61 million as it wrestles with continuing problems in matching expenses to declining revenues. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
President Obama’s call for every state to require students to stay in school until they turn 18 is Washington’s first direct involvement in an issue that many states have found tough to address. (The New York Times)
re church contracts with the city
The Tribune reporters did a good job with this article and need to be commended for their work. What is really disturbing to me is that the discussion on individual school closings and turnarounds has effectively degenerated into a street fight. In a street fight mobilizing your troops is critical so I have little doubt that CPS encouraged churches to support their proposals for school actions. I also am aware that the CTU has encouraged community members and organizations to oppose the closings.
From my experience with the Crane closing hearings I have to say that generally the opponents to the closing based their opposition on personal experience with the school, comparative data with schools CPS want to send the students to, or the material supports not provided to Crane during the period of probation. With rare exceptions non-CPS administrators who supported the Crane closing either supported the closing because they believe the existing teachers at the school were the problem or they simply had no idea why they supported the closing because they were paid to come to hearings.
I think the Mayor could have intervened into the degeneration of this process at his press conference this week. Instead he effectively backed up the ministers of the churches that bused in paid people. The Mayor has set the tone of a street fighter in this debate and I think that is unfortunate for our city and our schools.
Rod Estvan
North Korea
I think Rahm is starting to take his political tactics from North Korea and Stalnist Russia!!
Seriously: Paid Protesters is like the forced morning my kim ill jung died. The Pioneer Schools (sounds like a communust ideal)!! very strange....He chooses his own Board of Education (didnt stalin do this his congress) . I know the board thing is and Illinois law...but this mayor is more and more like a communist dictator...claims he is for the people while he really rewards the rich and powerful and leaves the rest in the dirt!
Almighty Rahm takes credit for no shootings/murders for 1 day
These last 24 hours there were 12. Do you now take credit for this Mr. Mayor? You see Sir, that is the trouble when you manipulate statistics.
Collection plate on steroids
I can see clergy are actively pursuing the new testament: screw thy teacher for forty pieces of silver. Way to go man of the cloth!
The truth
You know when a politican is lying 1--when he moves his lips and 2--when he pays people to spread the lies, thinking that if it is said often and loud enough it becomes the truth.
The truth is free 1--when it is right.
You don't hear about CTU paying people to spread their message. Why, because we don't have to. We are the ones telling the truth. The allies of the Union are spreading the word because their voices are not being heard or considered by the mayor and his board. These allies are not getting paid by anyone.
If anyone can prove otherwise, please reply.
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