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School closings

As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.

For the Record: Principal signing bonuses

This story has been updated to include additional information about the number of candidates in the principal eligibility pool, the number of candidates CPS has hired from outside the district, the number of principals who are retiring, and the fact that this program is aimed at low-performing schools.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Friday that CPS will offer up to 50 out-of-town principals privately funded $25,000 signing bonuses for landing jobs in low-performing schools.

The move comes as the school system faces what may be an unusually large exodus of school leaders.

Clarice Berry, president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, says 2012 could be a watershed year for principal retirements because the district’s Pension Enhancement Program is expiring. The retirement incentive allows employees to boost their long-term pension earnings by counting unused sick and vacation day payouts as part of their final salary. The program was set to expire before Emanuel demanded an end to the perk.

As of the end of March, the deadline for taking advantage of the Pension Enhancement Program, 92 principals and 50 assistant principals had decided to retire, according to the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association. “We’re going to have a number [of schools] where both the principal and the assistant principal go out at the same time,” Berry says.

Currently, there are 485 candidates in the principal eligibility pool, but more than 250 of those are sitting principals.

Local school council members also have complained that there are not enough good candidates in the pool of board-approved candidates. (In low-performing schools that are on probation, the district can override the LSC decision on principal hiring.)

Peggy Goddard, a member of the local school council at Morgan Park High School, said “there were a lot of issues” with the eligible candidates who applied for the job at Morgan Park. “A lot of typos, a lot of errors, a lot of not interviewing well.”

While signing bonuses are new, this is not the first time that CPS has tried to recruit principals from afar.

After launching the first CPS principal eligibility process in 2004, then-CEO Arne Duncan set his sights on out-of-town principals, but he did not have much success. CPS officials also sought out-of-town candidates when the most recent, tougher version of the eligibility process debuted, under the leadership of Ron Huberman.

In the 2010-11 school year, the district hired 17 new principals from outside CPS. But so far this year, the district has only found one.

In order to get a bonus, a principal must first pass the district’s rigorous eligibility process, which may soon become even more difficult.

In most cases, the principal then must apply at individual schools and be selected by local school councils. The CPS central administration may choose principals for schools on probation, but it sometimes leaves the choice to LSCs.

Berry says it may be “a hard sell” to get principals to move to Chicago, knowing that a local school council could refuse to renew their contract after four years, sometimes for political reasons.

“We have probably the most unique governance system of schools in the nation,” she says. “I don’t know that many people, understanding how LSCs have the authority to contract and renew principals, would be interested in coming here."

36 comments

Schools do everything wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

Does anyone realize that Rahm and Brizard are chasing excellent

princpals out of schools? Savvy, hard work and dedication means nothing.
No matter the bonus, out of towners will not last. They will take the bonus and do 4 yeatrs and go elsewhere. CPS is a mess and Rahm has made it this way. Brizard wont last 4 years! Denoso, not even 3. And taxpayers paid their moving expenses.

Schools do everything wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

What about the felons on lscs?

What is rahm doing about that?

George N. Schmidt wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

Mayor's Mercenaries are unwelcome, while past ones have failed..

While it's not surprising that Rahm Emanuel's version of corporate "school reform" is now proposing the recruitment of unqualified and uncertified FNG principals from out of town, it's at least worthwhile for someone in Chicago to take a close and hard look at the record of the last crops (that's a plural) of the various shake-and-bake principals and other administrators Chicago has already wasted tens of millions of dollars on.

Back in the days of the old "status quo," a teacher could move toward becoming a principal by working in the classroom six years, passing some rigorous tests, perhaps doing an internship of some kind (remember "associate principals"?) and then, with an Illinois Type 75 certificate and some real experience and knowledge of Chicago and Chicago's schools, begin trying out whether he or she wanted to move "up" to the 24/7 life of a CPS principal.

The alternatives never worked, but since those who rule Chicago are committed to a mindless corporate model that says that the principal is the "CEO" of the school (and not, for example, the principal teacher), Chicago lurches forward to another stupid and costly mistake.

The big difference in 2012 is that both the communities and the teachers are organized and taking a cold hard look at all this nonsense. Although Rahm & Co. may try to force out-of-town shake-and-bake FNG principals on Chicago's real elementary and high schools, the Local School Councils and others will be demanding real Chicago educators to hunker down for the long haul to do what's best for the real Chicago children in real Chicago public schools.

The signal characteristic of the first nine months of the Reign on Rahm at CPS is that the entire highest level of administration has been peopled with what we're calling "The Mayor's Mercenaries..." The majority of the people now ruling over the major systems within CPS has no Chicago knowledge or experience, and are therefore basically patronage hacks at the mercy of their mayor. This list begins, of course, with the "Chief Executive Officer" Jean-Claude Brizard and his two "Chiefs" for whatever ("Chief Education Officer" Noemi Donoso and "Chief Instruction Officer" Jennifer Cheatham) and continues through all the chieftans, chieflets, and chiefies who have been imported into Chicago by Rahm and his school board since June 2011. The expensive list of out of towners gets longer by the day, but as anyone who knows history knows, mercenaries do not really have a commitment to those who hire them. It's a lot like the kind of love you can rent for an hour or two on a Friday night in Cicero or at several Chicago locations. The same will prove true for the new crop of out of town principals being prepared by Rahm's rulers. As Marie Antoinette and others have demonstrated throughout history, a whore's a whore no matter how expensive...

Who Saw That Coming? wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

Real Concern For Chicago

That little scamp, Rahm Emanuel, is always good for a chuckle. He's got the big fingers-crossed, wink-wink, we-don't-have-any-money act going on. Then with a magician's flourish he pulls yet another oversized, publisher's clearing house check out of his hat and says "We're going shopping for principals across the country!" Applause, applause from his minions, while the teachers, principals, parents, and citizens of the city that elected him scratch their heads and ask politely, "What's the matter with Chicago applicants? And if you've found another 7 figures in your pants pocket can't we weigh in on how to spend it?" As Rahm takes yet another bow for whatever press is sitting at his feet, he says, "We don't want no principals that no Chicago group has sent." Ta Da!

Anonymous wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

Can anyone name an outsider

Can anyone name an outsider who was really successful? We had Fryand and Jones both at Jones a selective enrollment school. Who else is out there that made a difference? Any of the New Leaders? And how are the UIUC principals?

Schools do everything wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

The one from Kilmer--just removed

what program was he from? The one at Sullivan where things are falling she needs extra help--where is she from? The Calumet network officer from Carolina and cannot spell-even with spell check-where is he from?

teacher moral wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

teacher moral

there is a great way to make teachers want to work harder. completely ignore them and allow out of towners to become the leaders of the school. at least in the business world companies hire their own insiders (not all). why can you just send the teachers who are in the system to your weekend "become a principal" in 6 easy lesson courses. but seriously. what ever happened to giving people a promotion for their hard work. i know people in cps who have thier type 75. why not interview them. if teachers thought they might one day be a principal they might work harder for you rahm and brizard.......how does rahm claim to love chicago??? what is it that he actually loves...he doesnt want his own citizens running any deparartments??? really rahm what is it that you love about chicago??? other than that house on Damen...oh yeah you rented that away too when you tried to escape to washington!!!!

teacher morale wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago
Anonymous wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

Principal supply

Who knows how this will pan out, but CPS is increasing its investment in local talent through an expanded residency program, conducted in colalboration with local principal training programs. Candidates should come on line in fall 2013.

Anonymous wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

Principal Supply

Fall of 2013 should be just late enough to miss out on all the vacancies left by the principals abandoning the sinking CPS ship like rats to meet the June 30, 2012 deadline for receiving their sick day payouts...

Chicago dad wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

Spot on, here's some other juicy stuff for you.

1st, this is a ruse to get more Broad Toadies infiltrated into CPS. See this link and cruise this site to the "principles" page.http://thebroadreport.blogspot.com/p/broad-superintendents-academy-graduates.html

For the job history of Brizard who was rescued by Rahm, his partner in the lemon dance that brought him here, see http://www.13wham.com/content/blogs/story/Chicago-Heres-Your-Guide-to-Br...

ranmommy wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Felons on LSCs

I used to serve on an LSC and if I remember correctly, someone with a record had a right to run, but they must disclose on their candidate form that they have a record. That info is public, and parents have the right not to vote for that person. Many LSCs don't have enough people running, and so anyone who runs can get elected.

Potential CPS Principal wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Becoming a Principal

Is it REALLY that bad to be a principal in Chicago?

Chicago dad wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

No, but there are a lot of

No, but there are a lot of hoops to jump through that have little to do with supporting your teachers and improving your school. If you land in a good school you can have a good experience, a struggling school can break your heart. CPS seems to only repair school buildings that will become charter schools these days, so if you get a job in a school that hasn't been maintained properly for that past decade you are screwed and will not be able to provide a good environment for your students or staff. Maybe I should have said yes?

George N. Schmidt wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Latest example of the Broads' arrogance... Morgan Park HS March

I haven't seen any Catalyst coverage of last night's 19th Ward meeting on the Longest School Day at Morgan Park High School (Susan Zupan has her story up at www.substancenews.net), but from what I've heard (and what we may be posting in video as well), the arrogance of Jean-Claude Brizard and the Broads was fully on display. Jennifer Cheatham (another of the mayor's out-of-town mercenaries) holds the title of "Chief Instruction Officer". How we learned we needed both a "Chief Education Officer" (Noemi Donoso) and a "Chief Instruction Officer" (Cheatham) I haven't heard, but suffice to say, neither of them is from Chicago or knows anything about Chicago except what they get from their Power Points, their Talking Points, and those odious "bottom line" thingies they fondle on their "data" sets and spreadsheets. In other words, worse than nothing.

Last night was an example, and more than 200 people heard it. Cheatham actually told people from the 19th Ward that "volunteers" would handle and security and safety problems that might come up. The 19th Ward! There are as many law enforcement professionals there as in any community in Chicago, and to tell them that "volunteers" can provide security for their children is like telling doctors and nurses that the candy stripers can do the surgery this week at your local hospital.

But what would anyone from outside the reality zone know other than the insipid talking points the Broads share, then try to foist on parents, teachers, and students.

There are several delightful moments from last night at Morgan Park, but my favorite photograph is of the "Chief of Schools" Harrison Peters enraptured in his iPad while the alderman and the parents speak forcefully about the ridiculousness of the now-called "Full School Day" for Chicago. Until the latest round of Broadism, Chicago didn't know that we needed "Networks" and "Chiefs of Schools." Peters is the Network head for the "Calumet" network. Bet this is the first time in history that the citizens from Morgan Park, Beverly, or Hegesisch realized they were part of that silly configuration of unreality.

This whole Broad thing consists of "rebranding" reality, with an escalating Orwellian twist at each turn. Since Brizard came in to lead the Charge of the Broads, CPS has been freezing the hiring of teachers while engaging in a Roman Empire level orgy of hiring management level people with MBAs and Broad credentials and nothing else. Recently, when my wife and I asked about opting our son out of the ISAT test, we were referred to a Broad (recently hired at $95,000 per year) who told us that "regulations" (or was it "policy") require that he take the test. When we asked who she was and where we could read the law, she disappeared, but she is still there at $95,000 per year getting ready to tell the same lie to another parent as soon as no one is looking.

blued wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Turnaround/closures also discourages good principals

Ms. Berry says unique LSC structure may discourage some principals from applying. However, it is also true that CPS' process for turnaround and closures also discourages good principals from coming to struggling schools. For example, a very good up & coming principal was hired nine months ago at Piccolo Elementary, but four months into her new job the school was selected for turnaround which means she is out of work in June regardless of how well she did this year. She was not even given a chance to prove herself before the school went turnaround.

George N. Schmidt wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Board changed the rules on new principals and turnaround

For the past several years, the Board of Education had an "exclusion" about schools considered for turnaround that stated that a school had to have a principal continuously for at least two years. The hearings at Westinghouse and Simeon on the "Matrix" for this year's attack on the schools ignored everyone's input, but one of the most noteworthy things about the new criteria was that there was no consideration for schools that had new principals (or had rotating ones).

When I spoke at Simeon about the criteria, I asked for extra time, and was told by CPS officials that I couldn't have it. So I decided to speak only about the absurdity of spending a fortune to rebuild buildings (the examples I gave locally from down there were Calumet and Bunche, but I was prepared to list and detail a dozen) because, like everyone else, I was constrained by the ridiculous "two minute" rule. One of the things I was going to ask CPS officials was whether, from the draft of the Brizard guidelines, they were seriously going to allow schools to be put into "turnaround" even if they had had revolving door principals. At that point, the CPS people were, supposedly, "reviewing" the matrix. (Of course, we all suspected that it was a "done deal," but they keep telling those lies, then lying atop the old lies).

I asked for extra time to add more to my critique, including the specifics of the 2012 Hit List "Matrix". The officials said "No." I appealed to Jesse Ruiz, who was there. He said "No."

Then, on February 22, he added to all the other hypocrisies on his record by taking the time, following the Board's vote to screw the ten schools on the "turnaround" Hit List, to tell my colleagues in the press that he would have liked to have had more schools on the Hit List, since, after all, he was only doing it for the children, etc., etc., etc.

Each of the seven members of the Board who voted first for the matrix, then for the turnarounds, will face a great deal of accountability in the future. But from the time the Done Deal matrix was developed by Brizard and his staff, not taking into account the CPS policy of revolving principals (and, for that matter, "Network" chieftans), the ruling class had a Hit List that could have included dozens of other schools like Piccolo and Marquette.

I'm ready to testify in the parents' lawsuit if asked about the quick and dirty way that CPS did the Matrix this year, and specifically about how the principal exclusion was eliminated so they could target Piccolo, Marquette and others. But the process of destroying those schools on behalf of AUSL and the Fraynd Freaks at CPS is well on its way right now, and that is the main thing we all have to report and challenge.

cs_parent wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

"CPS seems to only repair buildings that will become charters"

Noble Charter raises on average $5 million to renovate a high school building for a new campus. That's philanthropy and federal money they find, not CPS. I could be wrong in a specific case, but in general Charters are bringing new money for capital improvements into Chicago education. That's a good thing and should be appreciated more than it is.
I'm sure within massive CPS there are all kinds of ways money is unfairly allocated and misspent.

Chicago dad wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

"CPS seems to only repair buildings that will become charters"

Federal money is MY money. Why is it only spent at charters here in Chicago? Same question for "philanthropy" money. If these so called philanthropists want to help, why just charters? Why not target those buildings/communities with the greatest need, the ones who would most benefit from having a school that is a source of pride rather than shame? Just look at the attempt to take over the Beidler School that happened soon after Rahm was elected. Their original building went up the year Lincoln became president. It was finally replaced, and then the alderman there, Burnett, helped get them a new campus after that with updated play equipment and landscaping, etc. The community was fully involved and the school was making steady improvements. The city tried to EVICT them and give their hard won facility, one paid for with Beidler funds, to a charter school while the neighborhood kids would be sent into another run down school farther away that they would have to share via consolidation with the existing school, Cather. Every single time you look, it seems Rahm and his Broad toadie are only interested in helping charters succeed at the expense of everybody else who get thrown under the bus without a second thought.

Anonymous wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Redress

I am requesting of this complainant and others if there is any hope for their issues to be addressed. The indication is that there are a limited number of straws that the Board can find to resolve issues which are deeper (in my opinion) than principalships.

The primary issues deprivation of resources; ideological leadership differences are muted by radical moves that remain intact impervious to any and all reproaches.

I am not answering my own question, I am merely querying how to attain an air of accountability for any of the leadership when one side is apparently empowered to remain seperate from the support of the other side

cs_parent wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Some philanthropists do give

Some philanthropists do give money to CPS. CPS doesn't get much because it's not considered a particularly effective organization.
My main point was really that when you see an old school being renovated to become a Noble high school it's not coming out of the CPS budget.
The good charters bring money and talent into the city. It's not just a redistribution of assets.
I don't see how Rahm is "only interested in helping charters". After a charter gets permission to open a school. It's the charter that has to find the capital and do the management. Those activities take a burden off of CPS.
Overall charters have not been hugely successful. But there are a few that are doing very well.

Chicago dad wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

What philanthropists?

In every school that is poorly funded by CPS, very many of which are high performing schools with few free and reduced lunch kids, it's the parents who step up year after year to raise money so their schools have what they need. A lot of CPS school are just fine, thank you. Show me any non charter schools that get what they need from CPS to fix basic things like holes in the wall and broken heating systems. The problems many school buildings have did not happen over night. If those charters bring talent into the city then where are the results? As you have noted, by and large they are no better with many being worse. where is the push, the effort to help all schools now? I don't see that coming from CPS or the Mayors office and I don't know of anyone who does. The focus is on charters and turnarounds as the magic bullet, one that has consistently misfired in the past.

George N. Schmidt wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Philanthropists promote privatization, and plutocarcy

Most Chicago "philanthropists" have slanted their giving for the past several years to promote the political agenda that includes charter schools and phony "choice" options, and furthers the privatization of the public schools. That's a fact of history. The most melodramatic example of this attack on public education in Chicago is the annual "New Schools Expo", which is in fact about charter schools, not "new" schools. The Expo, wildly promoted by CPS (as opposed to the recent CPS sabotage of the Local School Council elections) is a privatization and union busting event. While real new schools that are still real public schools (e.g., Westinghouse) are ignored, "New Schools Expo" and its leaders promote charter schools, some of which have been around (and "failing" both by test score matrices and on any honest financial transparency review) for ten years or more are still promoted by the "New Schools Expo" as "new."

This whole discussion quickly slips into the realm of Orwellian unreality and dishonest, as the huge majority of private money pouring into Chicago is to promote union busting, privatization, and charters. The smokescreens behind which "New Schools Expo" and others work is just another example of the hypocrisy of these agendas.

cs_parent wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Wow George, that interpreting

Wow George, that interpreting a lot of sincere actions in the worst possible light. I can't possibly know the motivation of everyone who promotes Chicago school choice beyond CPS. But I am sure that many specific supporters and actors in school choice are motivated by nothing more than giving low income Chicago parents access to good schools.

The older I get the more I realize that the far left and the far right are the same people who have chosen different weapons to fight their personalized battles of simplicity. Fortunately many capable and creative people are just interested in what really works.

Chicago dad wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

I second George

"When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." This is why I second Mr. Schmidt. Having looked at the possible outcomes of all the policies that are being pushed by those who are in positions of power as described by Mr. Schmidt, that is the only rational conclusion I can come to. Your statement about the left and right being the same people is sophomoric and at the same time utterly false. Only the right are advocates for the power of the oligarchy with those that joined from the so-called left being mere minions. It also has nothing to do with the current landscape of education "reform" which is divided between those who seek to extract financial and ideological profit from public education and have said so on the record in no uncertain terms, and those who wish to follow the facts and do what's right to defend was has been a successful model of a nation educating the children of it's citizens. The evidence of this is so clear and readily available that to deny it is to promote it via disinformation.

cs_parent wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

"(What) has been a successful

"(What) has been a successful model of a nation educating the children "

Some of the nation, yes.
CPS no. Not in the last 50 years. No real university wants regular CPS grads. That's was true long before charters and AUSL and is still true. Charters are useful distraction for some CTU members to blame others for the pitiful performance of the school system. A distraction of corporate Orwellian elitist 1% proportions! Woooo!

Fortunately those without the tin foil hats are the doers.

Chicago dad wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Dream on.

50 YEARS???!!!!!!Many of the "greatest generation" came out of CPS and look what that bunch did. CPS didn't suddenly nose dive when they graduated. You seem to be saying that no CPS kids ever went to Harvard, Yale or any Ivy league school or any of the great small universities anywhere? Where do all the kids from the selective enrollment high schools go? One of them, Northside, is habitually in the top 25 in the nation, do their grads all go to community college for associates degrees? A lot of those kids get scholarships to the best universities out there, some of those get full rides. Whitney Young, Lane Tech and Kenwood Academy have been powerhouses since way before the selective enrollments existed, and they're not alone. ROFLOL! Charters are not a distraction, their failure as a way of improving student outcomes is very well documented. They generally do worse than public schools, some times equal them and in a few cases where they do better, it's in spite of rather than because of their status as charters. Kiss what little was left of your credibility good bye.

$1/yr wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

cs_parent: "My main point was

cs_parent: "My main point was really that when you see an old school being renovated to become a Noble high school it's not coming out of the CPS budget."

I enjoyed your post, but you are totally wrong here. Board reports indicate massive expenditures on repairs and infrastructure for CPS that are then turned over to privately operated charter schools, some of which pay the great sum of $1/year in rent to CPS.

Chicago dad wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

1$/yr

Please tell me you can post a link to that 1$/yr rent thing here. I love it when the enemy gives you ammo.

George N. Schmidt wrote 1 year 8 weeks ago

Nonsense from anonymous charter school 'parents'

One of the reasons why we do not tolerate anonymous postings at substancenews.net is that you get drivel like that being spewed here by "CS Parent." People are entitled to their delusions. In Chicago, those delusions are encouraged because of the massive bias in corporate "news" on behalf of union busting, privatization, and charter school lies.

Every real public school in Chicago has been graduating students from 12th grade every year who go on to virtually every university in the USA, from the lusted-after Ivy League to my own alma mater, the mendaciously inclined University of Chicago. Most Chicago high school graduates go to less glitzy colleges and universities because they are working class and can't afford much college in American in 2012 — not because Chicago teachers didn't create "college and career ready" graduates for generations.

Despite the CS propaganda spewed from such anonymous fox holes in the Cyber Wars, the top 200 or 300 graduates of Chicago's real public high schools, without the incredible subsidies coming from the Plutocrats to promote their charter school fantasies, are going, every year, to the "best" colleges and universities in the USA — and to every place in between.

That should be news, but in Chicago it's not, because school "reform" news is charter school propaganda. Five years ago, I covered the visit of then U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to Chicago, where she did an unabashed promotional for Noble Street with Arne Duncan and Rufus Williams sitting beside her. As I reported at the time, they were less than a mile from one of the best public high schools in the USA (Whitney Young), but deliberately ignored it, because the mission of Spellings and Duncan was to promote the charter schools and further the privatization attacks on the city's real public schools.

Any year, Chicago's "news" could list the top students from the city's real public high schools. Of course, that listing would not suit the charter school fans currently owning and operating the city's two main daily newspapers — so the news of that just isn't news. Instead, during the coming months Chicago will, once again, get reams of additional charter school propaganda — as "news." Undeterred by facts, therefore, the cowardly "CS parent(s)" of Chicago can say just about anything they want, then "prove" it by citing their cheerleaders in the press corps.

When I attended the graduation of the Whitney Young Class of 2007 (my eldest son), we watched as nearly 600 young people walked across the stage Those students were going on in life to every major university in the USA (my son went on to Cal Berkeley, which he wanted, instead of my alma mater, where he had a better deal; his classmates went to every Ivy League school and dozens of others...) and to others just as worthwhile but with less cachet. And that was just one — ONE — selective Chicago real public high school.

But that same year, you would have read more propaganda for "Urban Prep" (which had yet to graduate one student) based on the Big Lie that black men from Englewood were "uneducable" until the charter school Salvation Train came in the form of Tim King's Urban Prep hustle. That's right, there was more propaganda (as "news") in the Sun-Times and Tribune about one (soon to be "failing") charter high school than on behalf of the city's top nine public high schools combined! This year, it's the same nonsense, except that Chicago's mayor is spewing the same lies against the city's public schools. Last time I covered him doing that was at the Noble Street "Pritzker" campus in December (on a day, just to be safe, when there were no real students in the school except the half dozen carefully scripted to do a dog-and-pony show with the mayor and Jean-Claude Brizard).

The fact that the corporate media in Chicago (including Catalyst, which relies on corporate largess to slant its editorial policies) have been pushing the charter school lie for the past decade doesn't eliminate the facts. As in any totalitarian system, the facts just exist in an underground history until they burst forth and overrun the lies.

I have a hunch that between now and June, when the Class of 2012 graduates, we're going to see another generation of CPS leaders, this year under Jean-Claude Brizard, ignoring the city's real public schools and pushing the charter school poison. These pushers of privatization will be doing their mendacity thing even as hundreds of members of the Class of 2012 go on to the same post-high school success that has already been the case for the Whitney Young (or Lane Tech, Northside, King, Payton, Lindblom, Jones, Von Steuben or Brooks, or a dozen others) graduates in a few months. And beyond the "selective" high schools, the city will also have thousands of major success stories from Taft, Senn and Steinmetz on the north side out to Morgan Park, Bowen and Washington on the south side. And every one of those huge stories will be ignored — because they don't fit into the Big Lie that is the current ruling class narrative about public education in Chicago (and other major cities).

Since the facts don't matter to those of Great Faith, like our anonymous "CS Parent", I don't expect the facts to intrude this year. After all, you can Google around and find more puffery written about the "success of AUSL" and "turnaround" or Urban Prep the past five years than you can find about any of the city's most successful high schools. Why let the facts get in the way, when the Web provides a short cut to the Big Lie?

The underground truth will remain again for those of us reporting it to note, while noting also the lies that will achieve print.

The Tribune and Sun-Times will continue to publish propaganda for privatization and union busting as "news." Only under its new (Rahmcentric and Rahmfriendly) management, the Sun-Times version will be even more clownlike than it's been. But just because the arteries of Google search are clogged with charter school propaganda sludge doesn't mean the facts aren't there, year after year, for everyone to see, read, and learn at every real public high school in the city. The charter school mercenaries (mostly, these are the administrators, not the exploited teachers...) will continue to play "Hey, Look Me Over!" like the girls I used to know on Clark St. when I drove a cab on the night shift 35 years ago. And, because some people become tumescent over the squirming under the streetlights, we'll have people (anonymously) like "CS Parent" treating us to another version of how that was really true love...

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