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School closings

As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.

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Catalyst Notebook

Thursday, April 25, 2013 - 7:22am

In the News: Clout opened door to spot at Payton Prep

By: Cassandra West
Tags: Arne Duncan, Bruce Rauner

Greg Hinz at Crain's reports on how potential GOP gubernatorial candidate and wealthy venture capitalist Bruce Rauner used his clout to get his daughter into Walter Payton College Prep High School by placing a call to former CPS chief Arne Duncan, according to sources with first-hand knowledge of the matter. Rauner owned a suburban home and his daughter could have attended wealthy New Trier High.

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013 - 6:00pm

Charters, closings questioned by board members

By: Sarah Karp
Tags: charter schools, CPS administration, school closings

CPS board members approved Wednesday the expansion of several charter networks but, in an unusual occurrence for an appointed board that usually accepts all of the administration’s recommendations, the proposals did not all earn unanimous votes.

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013 - 7:19am

In the News: Sun-Times lectures on test boycott

By: Cassandra West
Tags: standardized testing

The Sun-Times, in an editorial, tells public high school juniors not to boycott "a state-mandated test called the PSAE" on Wednesday, as some students have threatened to do to send a message about how their results are being used.

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013 - 7:03am

In the News: Charter supporters mounting a fight

By: Cassandra West
Tags: charter schools

Under the newly formed group Charter Parents United, privately run charter schools and their allies are expected to announce at this week's Board of Education meeting a May 8 downtown rally and present the board with a petition demanding equity in funding for charters, according to the Tribune.

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Monday, April 22, 2013 - 1:59pm

Concept Charter Schools get a green light

By: Sarah Karp
Tags: charter schools, CPS administration

Two new charter schools will open up this fall in Chicago, but neither will have a formal connection to CPS.

After CPS rejected Concept Charter School’s proposal to open two schools, the operator turned to the Illinois State Charter School Commission, which was created two years ago to handle appeals when proposals are turned down. The commission last month approved Concept’s plan to open two kindergarten-through-12th grade schools.

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Monday, April 22, 2013 - 8:42am

In the News: CPS students plan to boycott state test

By: Cassandra West
Tags: standardized testing

A group of Chicago high school students plans to boycott part of this week’s state exam, because they say it’s unfair to judge whether their schools are good or not based on one test, WBEZ reports.

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