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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

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 - 6:40pm

Teachers unions unveil plan for tenure reform, but stand firm on strike rights

Tags: government and policy

The clash of education reform proposals in the Illinois House and Senate
appears unlikely to be resolved by January 11, but it’s likely to be a
hot item throughout the spring legislative session after the new 97th
General Assembly convenes with a clean slate on January 12. Teachers’ unions have crafted their own reform
plan, which was discussed by union representatives at a four-hour
hearing of the Senate Education Reform Committee on Monday.

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Tuesday, January 4, 2011 - 5:44pm

Q&A with Stand for Children grassroots organizers

By: Rebecca Harris
Tags: Q&A

Many in Illinois know Stand for Children as the group behind a recent
attempt to restrict teachers unions’ strike
and bargaining rights. The Chicago Teachers Union and others have
blasted the group as a “billionaire gang” out to gut public education.

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Tuesday, January 4, 2011 - 8:23am

In the News: CPS inspector general questions board spending, recommends principal punishments

By: Cassandra West

The Chicago Public Schools’ inspector general is questioning more than $800,000 in spending under two former school board presidents — from $3,000 to check the board’s offices for “eavesdropping devices” to $12,624 for holiday parties at a president’s home, the Sun-Times reports.

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Monday, January 3, 2011 - 8:21am

In the News: Home schooling grows among African Americans; debating mayoral school control

By: Cassandra West

Home-schooling experts say more African-American families are choosing to school their children at home, according to the Chicago Tribune. The families are opting out of public schools, which critics say may be not only failing their children, but also in some cases shortchanging them of their history. In south suburban Hazel Crest, 12 families participate in the Indigo National Homeschooler's Association, where the curriculum is centered on African-American history, culture and language.

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Thursday, December 30, 2010 - 9:00am

In the News: Coalition demands elected school board; CPS at 'fork in the road'

By: Cassandra West

The Chicago Teachers Union is among seven organizations demanding that Chicago move to a 13-member elected school board that would strip the next mayor of the power to appoint board members, according to the Sun-Times. CTU President Karen Lewis and others contended some reforms under a board appointed by Mayor Daley has stalled and, in some cases, hurt schools and students.

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Monday, December 27, 2010 - 9:00am

In the News: Only one school district caught up on payments from state

By: Cassandra West

A Tribune review of state payments to schools shows that as of early this month, Beardstown School District 15 in west-central Illinois was the only school district in the state that was financially caught up, meaning it had no backlog in state payments for 2009-10 or for the current school year. Meanwhile, other districts were waiting for hundreds of millions in state payments for critical education expenses ranging from bus transportation to special-education costs, raising the specter that the process used to dole out money was unfair or tinged with political favoritism.

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