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: No new contract, schools open Monday
Students in 243 Chicago public schools, about a third of the district, return to the classroom Monday amid continued negotiations over the Chicago Teachers Union contract.
Speaking at a conference on Thursday in Chicago, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called the interim deal between Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union on a longer school day a huge step in the right direction. (ABC7News)
Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard says he’d like to see the school board stay the way it is—with members appointed by the mayor, that is. "Chicago really has one of the best school boards ever seen in history,” Brizard said. “I’ve worked for both, elected and appointed school boards. By far, this is the highest-performing board I have ever seen.” (CBS Chicago)
The more than 50 Chicago Public Schools that opted last year to be "Pioneer Schools" in the mayor's long day plan used the extra minutes on remediation and math, reading and dance, according to the Sun-Times. Some schools showed mixed results in terms of testing. Two of the pioneers had double-digit gains in ISAT test scores, according to preliminary data. The majority showed some improvement, but two lost ground.
IN THE STATE
The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board has assigned Community Unit School District 300 and its teachers union a mediator in their ongoing contract negotiations, the school board announced Thursday. (Courier-News)
A lawsuit filed against the Normal school district by Urbana elementary school students who were sexually abused by their teacher can proceed after an Illinois Supreme Court decision issued Thursday. (News-Gazette)
IN THE NATION
Why Alabama is going slow on charter schools. (The Washington Post)
Zorn piece in today's Tribune
Catalyst didn't include it in today's round-up, but Eric Zorn at the Tribune has a column and an on-line data sheet accompanying it about how the LSD just doesn't compute. It's a very well-researched piece, and includes CPS answers to the columnist's questions.
Playing Ball
While we are bargaining, and our members are doing the heavy lifting of putting the schools, classrooms, and lesson plans back together for Monday. CEO Brizard is at Wrigley throwing out the first pitch. Priorities? CEO Brizard practicing his pitch... He'll be throwing 1st pitch for @cubs http://instagr.am/p/OJ67Dfvhlh/ #cpsb2s
More wasted money by the CPS Board--time to elect them!
Follow up to Kugler story on CPS spending in Corey H case
As Substance readers may recall John Kugler on July 24 had a story about costly appeals being made by CPS in the Corey H case which was about to end. Based on several filings made by lawyers for CPS in the last week it appears that CPS is going to file an appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Cir.
The District level Judge in this case was upset with CPS this appeal he described as both needless and costly. Now CPS is planning on paying its outside counsel even more money to continue this litigation. As I pointed out in a comment to John's article CPS sees winning this case as putting lid on special education class action cases against CPS.
Rod Estvan
Please forgive--the headline above is NOT by Rod Estvan
The comments are and are at Substance. Sincere apologies.
Wont you please come to Chicago + please pray for our teachers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSgpwhF8Dbc
Yes Men
Of course Brizard likes the school board. It's made up of a bunch of yes men that don't have a back bone.
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