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Mayor’s troubleshooter Barbara Lumpkin lands $154,000-a-year job with Board of Education. (Sun Times)
Lumpkin is the City Hall equivalent of a utility infielder. She has also served as Daley's city comptroller, budget director and city treasurer following the conviction of Miriam Santos...In 2005, her name turned up on city documents as one of four officials who signed off on some of the 14 pay raises over eight years -- three within two months -- granted to former gang member-turned convicted Hired Truck czar Angelo Torres.
* CEO Ron Huberman announces six new schools (Catalyst) he will recommend to the School Board, including a 6-12 grade Chicago International charter school near Altgeld Gardens (Tribune).
* UNO and CPS compete for the purchase of the old Notre Dame High School for Girls. (WBEZ)
UNO CEO Juan Rangel: Instead of battling it out with us over that building, I would suggest that CPS fulfill its commitment to our community here and build a brand-new modern school.
* CPS universal breakfasts full of sugar, lots of doughnuts. (Tribune)
* More from the Tribune on the Cooking Up Change healthy eating initiative.
* The Tribune stokes the fire between Sen. James Meeks and the Chicago Teachers Union.
* CPS science director Mike Lach headed to DC. (D299)
* The New York Times gives a nod to Huberman’s anti-violence plan.
* Orozco has a new school-based health center. (Extra)
* Student injured in fight near Hope College Prep. (CC)
Across Illinois
* After the Tribune uncovered questionable reporting on school stimulus spending, Gov. Pat Quinn has dispatched investigators.
* Summit on dropout crisis brings state’s top educators together. (Pantagraph)
[In] the video, teens who dropped out of high school explained why they did it…Their reasons for quitting school included drugs, having parents in jail, health problems, pregnancy and lack of motivation. They also talked about factors that would have helped them succeed, including respect, mentors and tough love.
* Fear mounting over school funding shortfalls. (Pekin Daily Times)
* State owes UI a whopping $300 million. (News-Gazette)
Across the country
* Lots of stories—including this piece in the Tribune—on President Obama’s visit to Wisconsin yesterday. Read his remarks in full.
* Ed. Sec. Arne Duncan joined the president and stuck to his talking points during a Q&A with reporters on Air Force One. (Ed Week)
* The AFT takes issue with a high-profile report on teacher evaluation, compensation and preparation. (Ed Week)
* Union supporters take back the Denver school board and charter advocates say it could hurt Colorado’s RttT bid. (Colorado Independent)
More from Alan Gottlieb in Huffington.
* In Louisiana, members of the School Boards Association are overwhelmingly opposed to RttT. (News Star)
* GOP victories in Virginia and New Jersey have sounded alarms for early childhood education advocates. (Early Stories)
* Ford Foundation puts $100 million on the table for secondary education. (Press release)
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MailThe high cost of benefits is driven by P.A. 89-15, the minimum contribution to the Teachers’ Pension Fund is required to be an amount determined to bring the total assets of the Fund up to 90% of the total actuarial liabilities by the end of FY2045. The required CPS contribution is calculated as a level percentage of payroll over the years through FY2045. The calculation for determining the CPS required contribution is the total amount of the employer contribution less additional state appropriations, additional CPS appropriations and other employer appropriations.
Given the fact that Mr. Huberman has made pension fund the key of the fiscal problems of CPS in his budget letter issued in August one would think he would have simply left this costly position vacant. Moreover, if one was going to fill this position it would seem purdent to have hired someone with a very big fund raising background. Based on what the Sun Times has presented of Ms. Lumpkin's experience she does not appear to have had that type of background.
This type of move only puts Mr. Huberman in a weaker position when he asks the CTU for concessions in the future. Really it was not too smart and in general I have been lead to believe Mr. Huberman is a rather smart person.
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