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: 115,000 students are back in class
By: Cassandra West / August 13, 2012
It's the first day of school for about one-third of Chicago Public Schools students, or more than 115,000 children who attend Track E schools—and the first day of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's longer school day.
Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard says the 243 schools opening Monday will be teaching to Illinois’ new “common core” standards. "Parents should see curricular changes. In mathematics, much more conceptually based mathematics. Much more nonfiction in literacy." (WBEZ)
CPS students will begin a seven-hour school day today. "For the first time in Chicago Public Schools history, we're going to have a full school day and full school year to equal the potential of our children. We're no longer going to shortchange them," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel at the Bud Billiken Parade over the weekend. (ABC7 News)
CORE, the Caucus of Rank-And File Educators, will host its fifth annual convention on Aug. 17 and 18 at The Arturo Velasquez West Side Technical Institute, 2800 S. Western Ave. in Chicago. CTU President Karen Lewis, a former King High School chemistry teacher and founding member of CORE, will address the convention. (Substance News)
If you read mainstream coverage of the recent AFT convention in Detroit, take time to read what Substance News had to say about some of the national union's internal struggles.
School board member Penny Pritzker’s Hyatt Hotels Corp. is benefiting from a $5.2 million [tax increment financing] TIF subsidy on 53rd Street – while Chicago Public Schools’ proposed 2013 budget cuts seven schools surrounding the hotel project by $3.4 million, which is roughly the portion CPS is losing from the TIF deal. (Truthout)
IN THE NATION
The U.S. Department of Education is kicking off the $400 million Race to the Top competition for districts after making big changes to the contest rules to assuage school board members and prod more large districts to apply. (Education Week)
Former CNN anchor Campbell Brown has inserted herself into the debate over teacher misconduct. (The New York Times)
At my school the administration changed the schedule
about 100 times and were moving teachers around after having issued an "organizational list". The principal had a meeting with us to read us a script that she must legally read, except it was a waste of time because we have no contract yet. The actual time students will get for recess is not much, and they're still trying to figure out how to cover teacher's 45 min. duty free lunch.
PSAE scores
Any word on when these (below) will be made public. Is CPS sitting on these results for a reason. Is there information contained about the performance of charter vs. neighborhood schools that could impact the contract negotiations. Curious minds want to know.
From the ISBE website:
2012 Prairie State Achievement Examination
(PSAE) Final Results Posted Aug. 1, 2012
The final 2012 results for the PSAE are now available
online via IWAS, on the ISBE website. The final results
are located within the Student Information System
(SIS).
If you have any problems accessing the final results,
please contact the Illinois State Board of Education’s
Help Desk at (217) 558-3600.
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