catalyst-chicago.org

Illinois lawmakers approved a proposal Wednesday that would increase the range of courses that count toward meeting high school math requirements.

High school students could count vocational courses, such as drafting or wood shop, as math credits under Senate Bill 3244, which requires a detailed math curriculum in Illinois. (Evanston Now)

CPS principals will get school budgets soon and will find that they have more decision-making power and more money to spend on instruction, but their budgets may include less money for other expenses. (Catalyst)

CPS chief Jean-Claude Brizard, who has emphasized the primary role of principals in reforming schools, said by giving principals "control and holding them accountable, they are best equipped to align resources for kids."

Almost immediately after CPS said that the district plans to redirect $130 million in funds to principals to use at their discretion as they add a longer school day next year, some questioned whether the "rosy picture" administrators were painting may be followed by draconian cuts ahead as the district faces a budget shortfall of at least $600 million. (Tribune)

And: Here's the Sun-Times story on the $130 million more in flexible instructional spending.

A group of youth activists say data they've obtained shows more than 2,500 people 18 or younger have been arrested on Chicago Public Schools’ property since September.  The data also showsthat more than three-quarters of minors arrested on school property are African-American. (WBEZ)

Barbara Bowman, chief of Chicago Public Schools' early childhood program and mother of White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, is stepping down from the district. Bowman, 83 plans to keep teaching at the Erikson Institute, a graduate school and research center specializing in early childhood education she co-founded.  (Tribune)

IN THE NATION
After years of cuts to public school budgets across the country, many districts are relying on parents to pay for classroom supplies, extracurricular activities and even teacher salaries. But some worry that uneven distribution of funds will widen disparities between schools and between districts. (NPR)

In many waivers to the main K-12 education law, states propose testing students in science, social studies, and writing, too. (Education Week)

A New Jersey school district has fired at least two educators for verbally abusing autistic children after a father sent his 10-year-old autistic son to school wearing a hidden microphone upon suspecting he was being mistreated by staff. (Reuters via Chicago Tribune)

In cases around the country, suspicious parents have been taking advantage of convenient, inexpensive technology to tell them what children, because of their disabilities, are not able to express on their own.  (Newsday)