http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/ News and Blogs from Catalyst-Chicago Copyright 2010 Catalyst-Chicago - Catalyst Notebook en-us http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/588/In_the_News%3A_Thursday%2C_March_11 http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/588/In_the_News%3A_Thursday%2C_March_11 Draft academic standards in math and English—the bedrock of the national common standards movement, of which Illinois has played a central role—were released yesterday. (NYT) The new standards are likely to touch off a vast effort to rewrite textbooks, train teachers and produce appropriate tests, if a critical mass of states adopts them in coming months, as seems likely. But there could be opposition in some states, like Massachusetts, which already has high standards that advocates may want to keep. "Many states have too many expectations in their academic standards that... Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:17:00 CST http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/587/Quinn_warns_of_drastic_cuts_to_Illinois_schools_without_tax_hike http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/587/Quinn_warns_of_drastic_cuts_to_Illinois_schools_without_tax_hike Governor Patrick Quinn used his budget address today to back lawmakers into a corner on school spending. His ultimatum: Enact a 1 percent income tax hike for education or slash state funding for schools by 17 percent.... Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:22:00 CST http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/586/Catalyst_wins_national_reporting_award http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/586/Catalyst_wins_national_reporting_award Deputy Editor Sarah Karp and Data and Research Editor John Myers have won first place in the Education Writers Association's 2009 National Awards for Education Reporting, the country's most prestigious competition for education journalism. Karp and Myers won for "Reaching Black Boys," our May/June 2009 issue of In Depth, which reported on the widespread use of harsh discipline against African-American boys in Chicago Public Schools, and the impact on their education. Karp and Myers won in the special interest/trade publication category. Scott Stephens, from our sister publication Catalyst Ohio, won... Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:22:00 CST http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/585/In_the_News%3A_Wednesday%2C_March_10 http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/585/In_the_News%3A_Wednesday%2C_March_10 The Sun-Times unearths thousands of changed grades at Hyde Park Academy, including more than 870 F's that were boosted to passing marks. Search through a database of changed grades by high school. * Olympic Speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno visits Smyth Magnet to discourage underage drinking and push healthy lifestyles. (Sun-Times) * BackTalk notes the need for LSC candidates. * Gov. Pat Quinn formally unveils his budget at noon and will invite reluctant lawmakers to pass tax hikes. But Quinn's opening salvo includes little more than cuts, loans and deferred payments to help fill an... Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:48:00 CST http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/582/In_the_News%3A_Tuesday%2C_March_9 http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/582/In_the_News%3A_Tuesday%2C_March_9 The US Department of Education has released final rules for the $650 million Investing in Innovation grant, a stimulus-funded competitive grant aimed at school districts and nonprofits. (Ed Week) * While the Supreme Court considers Chicago's handgun ban, Mayor Richard Daley pushes statewide gun restrictions. (Tribune) More from WBEZ. * Students are filing college financial aid requests at a fast clip as state funding lags. Nearly 45 percent of CPS seniors have already done so. (Huffington) * The Tribune Editorial Board applauds Urban Prep for its 100-percent college acceptance rate. ... Tue, 9 Mar 2010 07:27:00 CST http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/581/Chicago_group_set_to_take_parent_education_campaign_statewide http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/581/Chicago_group_set_to_take_parent_education_campaign_statewide To outsiders, the fact that a school is performing poorly might seem obvious from the numbers readily available on state school report cards. But there's a vast difference between the quality of education many parents think is taking place in schools and what students are actually experiencing, says Patricia Watkins, director of TARGET Area Development Corp. and founder of Parents and Residents Invested in School and Education Reform, known as PRISE.... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 15:20:00 CST http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/580/In_the_News%3A_Monday%2C_March_8 http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/580/In_the_News%3A_Monday%2C_March_8 Dawn Turner Trice profiles a pre-med student who opts to teach in a South Shore elementary school instead. (Tribune) "You know the social problems. But it's not just that," he said. "It's the school system's inadequacies. It's the budget constraints. It's the No Child Left Behind law. It's the almost exclusive focus on reading and math for standardized testing. Sometimes, it's bad administrators or a system so thick with bureaucracy it's almost impossible to get through." * All 107 seniors at Urban Prep are are off to four-year colleges, a major milestone... Mon, 8 Mar 2010 08:35:00 CST http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/579/Students_protest_budget_cuts http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/579/Students_protest_budget_cuts Students from North Lawndale/Little Village and Julian high schools joined young people across the nation Thursday afternoon to protest budget cuts. Most of the students outside of Chicago were from universities and were angry at proposed tuition hikes and program slashing. ... Fri, 5 Mar 2010 13:02:00 CST http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/578/In_the_News%3A_Friday%2C_March_5 http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/578/In_the_News%3A_Friday%2C_March_5 State Supt. Chris Koch, addressing lawmakers during a special Senate committee hearing, predicts 13,000 job cuts if state reduces education budget by 10 percent. (SJR) Illinois Issues provides a rough breakdown of those cuts: tenured teachers, 457; non-tenured teachers, 5,826; administrators, 505; service employees, such as counselors and social workers, 402; non-certified employees, 5,194. More from the Herald-Review and Statehouse News. * Little Village, Julian high schoolers protest school budget cuts at City Hall. (Substance) * News that Illinois made the final cut in phase one of Race to the Top generated lots of... Fri, 5 Mar 2010 07:14:00 CST http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/577/Illinois_one_of_16_finalists_for_first_round_of_Race_to_the_Top_grants http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/577/Illinois_one_of_16_finalists_for_first_round_of_Race_to_the_Top_grants Once thought to be on the outside looking in, Illinois instead has joined 14 other states and the District of Columbia as finalists for Phase One of the Race to the Top grants. A victory could pour as much as an estimated $510 million into the state's education coffers to drive sweeping reforms. To be sure, Illinois has won exactly $0 so far. "We are setting a high bar and we anticipate very few winners in phase one," noted U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "But this isn't just about... Thu, 4 Mar 2010 19:05:00 CST