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 secret closing list, CPS CEO says
By: Cassandra West / December 20, 2012
At Wednesday's school board meeting, CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett maintained that, despite the reports, "there is no list of schools that we intend to close," according to CPS spokeswoman Rebecca Carroll. (Huffington Post)
Questions are bubbling up about the independence of a panel looking at school closings in Chicago. The independent Commission on School Utilization was named by Chicago Public Schools’ CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett to examine the school closings issue, specifically underutilized schools. But the commission is being assisted behind the scenes by the Civic Consulting Alliance that is closely linked to New Schools for Chicago, a high-powered group that advocates closing failing schools and the expansion of charter schools. (WBEZ)
IN THE NATION
For teachers, the killings of educators at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut have had an especially strong impact. They have ushered in a pre-holiday period of professional reflection, bringing both deep grief and a strong sense of resolve. (Education Week)
At her funeral, mourners recalled Victoria Soto, 27, a first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School, as a “quick-thinking, beautiful and selfless woman.”
In a reversal, New York City school officials on Wednesday said they would continue their sibling-preference policy for gifted and talented programs that have more eligible students than seats. (The New York Times)
Hey Barb..........
no one believes you.
Experience Knows
Absolutely, Quagmire! Anyone who has worked for CPS for any number of years knows that nothing comes out of Central Office that you would bet your life on.
Cover Ups
Cps will cover up things. If they cover up a Principal giving a teacher an evaluation past the deadline and agreeing with a Principal that he did it by the deadline and framing the teacher refused to sign it even though there is maximum proven evidence; then the Cps will not tell the truth about other things. If the schools have to come up with billions of dollars; then they have to get the money from somewhere. Cps is all about making Cps look good. But; when things are done wrongly and hurt human lives; in the long run it will not work. Children have to have a foundation to succeed; and younger teachers will not be able to handle them.
Hey Ted
Are you talking about Buella McCloyd at Clark HS? There are a myriad of grievances filed against her right now for what you just described: failure to follow deadlines, phantom observations and fraudulent documents and signatures.
cps
That could be just bout any cps principal. Central office is the dark star that runs so many corrupt principals . Its a sad place. Now principal have carte blance to get you blackballed ...their power is way too strong and ctu put it in the contract but never bothered telling us. Thats why i voted no
Cover Ups
No; Principal Eric Dockery; Dewey Academy.
Principals with an agenda
Has anyone heard anything about the principal at Mann? From what I heard, she's worse than any of the others!
principal
Why weren't they put into sb7. I remember going to job fairs and they'd enter their interview booths like prima donas ...forgot how to spell it.
why don't network officers who took a level 3 school to level 1
Why don't network officers who took their level 3 school to level 1, run a turnaround school? Now which network officer has taken a level three school to level one WITHOUT a change in poverty/race from when the school was level three. There are area officers who never ever got to level one, their schools stayed at level three and they now are over 25 schools...
area officer
Some have never even so much as administered a spelling quiz. Even our greatest generals went thorough boot camp or rose through the ranks.
Are area officers there to support neighborhood school failure?
Take any area officers and place them in a turnaround or consolidated school- they can change the faculty, but they cannot change the students who live within the boundaries to attend the school. After they turn the school around in 2 years (just like they make their principals do,) they deserve and should then be an area officer.
Suder Montessori- Dodge school
The old area 7 schools run by Denise little had very little improvement.
Suder Montessori is now a Level ! and Dodge school for awhile had an upswing. The rest of the schools are in bad shape. This is not necessarily the fault CPS. Parents can surely take a big chunk of the blame. How many of these kids can read Harry Potter by 3rd grade, they cant even read Captain Under pants! These kids need a major intervention.
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