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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.

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Catalyst Notebook

Monday, April 8, 2013 - 8:17am

In the News: Attendance sparse at closings hearings

By: Cassandra West
Tags: school closings

Attendance at the weekend round of public hearings on school consolidation/closings was much more sparse than earlier meetings. At one of the hearings, the district recorded just one person having attended, WBEZ reported.

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Friday, April 5, 2013 - 9:57pm

Ready to Learn shifts preschool funds

By: Rebecca Harris
Tags: early childhood education

STORY CORRECTED TO REFLECT UPDATED INFORMATION--More than 40 community-based preschool providers around the city will lose preschool funding under the city’s “Ready to Learn” preschool competition, an effort to shift preschool seats to high-quality programs in neighborhoods where they are needed.

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Friday, April 5, 2013 - 1:41pm

For the Record: School closing logistics

By: Sarah Karp
Tags: school closings

As news of the recommended school closings has settled in, parents have raised two logistical concerns: The distance that children will have to walk to their new schools and the impact of adding new students on the utilization of receiving schools.  

On both fronts, some scenarios present reason for concern.

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Friday, April 5, 2013 - 8:18am

In the News: Emanuel stands by Byrd-Bennett's response

By: Cassandra West
Tags: Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Rahm Emanuel, school closings

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday he is “100 percent hand-in-glove” with Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett, who “spoke eloquently” in rejecting the notion that racism is behind the announced school closings. (Sun-Times)

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Thursday, April 4, 2013 - 5:26pm

Lawmakers tour schools slated to close

By: Sarah Karp
Tags: school closings

As he walked along the path from one West Side school building that is slated for closure to one that will stay open, Congressman Bobby Rush ducked into an abandoned building with its windows and doors gaping open.

Congressman Danny Davis remarked, “I bet you there are people living in there.”

“It is easy for sex offenders to snatch kids up and drag them into the building,” said Shakeena Sturgen, who has an eight-year-old and seven-year-old at Delano in West Garfield Park.

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Thursday, April 4, 2013 - 8:37am

In the News: Byrd-Bennett disavows racism charges

Chicago Public Schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett on Wednesday took umbrage at critics who have called the district's plan to close more than 50 schools racist because most are in predominantly African-American neighborhoods.

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