As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.
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Comings & Goings: New principals
By: Debra Williams / August 27, 2012
Here’s a roundup of new principal contracts announced in August: Elias Estrada, Alcott, formerly principal at Oriole Park; Michelle Garcia-Jones, Chopin, formerly principal at Aspira Haugan Middle School; LeViis Haney, Lovett, formerly assistant principal at Spencer; Flavia Hernandez, McCormick, formerly acting principal at M. Jackson; Martha Irizarry, Reilly, formerly bilingual compliance facilitator in the office of language and culture education; Shirrie Jackson, Beethoven, formerly interim principal at Reed; Virginia Jimenez, Castellanos, formerly assistant principal at Ames; Carolyn Jones, Bass, formerly a resident principal; Kiltae Kim, Gunsaulus, formerly principal at Lloyd; Lillian Lazu, Little Village, formerly assistant principal at Goudy; Manda Lukic, Beard, formerly assistant principal at Scammon; Ginger Lumpkin, Haines, formerly an assistant principal at Walter Payton College Prep.
The following assistant principals became principals at their schools: Elvia Garcia-Graham, Spry; Pamela Green, Yates; Linda Johnson-McClinton, Calhoun North and; Andrew McIntosh, Black. Farragut Interim principal Tonya Hammaker stepped up to principal, as did Keller acting principal Delena Little.
"Back Door" School Actions
I am surprised that The Catalyst has not commented upon CPS' new "Back Door School Action" tactics. State law requires that CPS notify schools by December 1st if the school is being considered for a school action such as Turnaround, closure or consolidation. CPS has found a way around the law and practiced the new "Back Door School Action" technique on Social Justice High School on the North Lawndale Little Village campus. The Interim principal was removed August 7th, no reason given, and the entire English department was fired. A number of other key employees have been fired. The school is full of substitutes.
The school's entire master schedule was discarded and students are now sitting in classes they did not request or need. A.P. courses were eliminated even though the school's A.P. passed rate improved by two percent this year. Students held a sit in protest August 15th and hundreds or parents and community complained in protest August 23rd. The network chief nor any other CPS "higher ups" did not bother to attend to answer the questions of four hundred concerned parents, students and community members. Videos of the events are on Youtube.
Social Justice made major gains on the 2012 PSAE assessments, but the removal of key staff four days before school started is a destabilizing tactic to prepare for consolidating small schools. Schools that are achieving are difficult to turn around or consolidate, so CPS had to do something to stop the school's progress.
CPS has silenced the main stream media, but I always believed The Catalyst was an independent voice. Why isn't the Catalyst speaking out? I ask the same question that students in the video ask, "Where is the justice for Social Justice?"
How about C&G at the network offices?
I understand there has been a hiring binge at the network offices. Any way to get a count on the (mostly) Comings & (not many) Goings for the networks?
Is anything happening to the
Is anything happening to the other schools in the Social Justice High School building? Or does the system not want Latino kids learning about social justice?
We have many hires at our network office--so many without
soilid experience or implementation knowledge--some do not even know about reach or common core. We have yet to have eanyone from the network heed our calls for assistance--esp, with performance tasks and reach. Our schools literacy coach called one person and that person said to contact another person at the network. When he contacted the other person, she said to contact the first persdon we contacted. Catch 22 lives in CPS. We had some great math PD, but our principal had an outsider come in to do it.
coomon catastrophe!
there isnt a soul who knows the common core fully,. i went to a common core meeting the other day and the speakers didnt even know about the common core...its insanity!! cps is the worst!!
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