catalyst-chicago.org

More than half of Illinois’ 800-plus school districts have more than one year’s worth of operating cash on hand, suggesting some downstate and suburban school systems might be able to shoulder part of the funding burden for educators’ pensions, according to the Sun-Times.

A CPS history teacher has started an online petition to protest Change.org for "taking money to promote a campaign attacking Chicago's public school teachers by a conservative anti-union organization." The civic action group MoveOn is helping to distribute the petition.

A student advocacy group that's been working with Chicago Public Schools on a new student discipline code likes some of the concessions the district has made, but wants school officials to stop calling police for non-serious infractions. (Tribune)

Describing the recent spike in violence across the city as an "epidemic," supporters of Chicago Public Schools' anti-violence initiative for students most at-risk called for funding to be restored to summer programs. (Tribune)

Contract negotiations between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers union have now passed the seven-month mark. And although the current contract expires at the end of this month, CPS and CTU still seem to be far apart on many issues. (WBEZ)

IN THE NATION
The Recovery School District, the Louisiana agency that governs most of the public schools in Orleans Parish, is moving to lay off almost 200 teachers. (NOLA.com)

Los Angeles Unified's teachers union has ratified an agreement to take up to 10 unpaid furlough days next year to save the jobs of 4,700 educators and restore some Adult Education, preschool and English-learner programs that had been threatened with elimination. (Los Angeles Daily News)

The American Federation of Teachers is forming a partnership with TSL Education, the British publisher of the weekly Times Educational Supplement, to create a Web site where teachers can share curriculum materials with one another.  (The New York Times)