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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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Friday, May 14, 2010 - 7:08am

In the News: Schools to Watch, construction grants

By: John Myers

Evergreen, Libby and Little Village Academy have won Schools to Watch awards—so far, granted to only 16 schools across the state—for gains in the middle grades. (Press release)

“This was not a cakewalk. Schools had to rethink everything, and teachers took part in extensive professional development on leadership, departmentalization of middle grades, social-emotional learning and content areas," said outgoing Chief Education Officer Barbara Eason-Watkins.

Principals from Evergreen and Little Village will begin to train colleagues next year on the strategies and philosophy of middle-grades education, says Chief Area 10 Officer Isabel Mesa-Collins.

The three schools are part of the Cluster 4 Middle Grades Project, supported by the Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust; and the McDougal Family Foundation.

Marshall Middle previously won a Schools to Watch award.

More coverage from ABC7.

* CPS staff from the Office of School Turnaround traveled to Fort Leavenworth recently to study virtual learning in the Army. (Ft. Leavenworth Lamp)

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Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 2:58pm

CPS involved in 43 proposals for federal innovation grants

By: John Myers

The deadline passed quietly yesterday for submissions in the $650 million federal stimulus competition known as the Investing in Innovation, or i3, grant program.

For Chicago Public Schools officials, quiet is good. They have yet to publicly name the organizations with whom they are partnering, lest a competitor use the information to its advantage.

Still, the district did say it will be serving as the lead agency in two “development level” applications—one aimed at school turnarounds and another at beefing up the skills of teachers and school leaders.

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Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 1:18pm

Chicago summer school to get a makeover

Tags: elementary schools

CPS is revamping its summer school program to focus more on students’
individual needs, rather than the one-size fits all approach it has
previously offered.

In the past, 3rd-, 6th- and 8th-grade students who failed to meet
promotion requirements all attended the standard Summer Bridge program
that focused on reading and math.

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Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 7:08am

In the News: TIFs and school access, pink slips

By: John Myers

Restricted access to Skinner Elementary creates political friction as aldermen consider the use of tax-increment financing districts in school construction. (Chicago Journal)

* Drawing from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Goodman Theatre is helping students from VOISE and three other Chicago schools to create art and find empathy. (WBEZ)

* Despite low test scores, Young Women’s Leadership seeks renewal for its charter and recognition for its inspired and college-bound students. (Chicago Journal)

* The MacArthur Foundation has selected 10 new digital media learning projects to share $1.7 million in competitive grants. Among the winners: a coral reef conservation project that connects students on Chicago’s West Side with peers in Fiji.

* In Illinois, losing a job in the teaching profession is a painfully slow process. (Tribune)

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 11:00am

Teachers at Chicago's first union-backed charter school reach tentative contract agreement

By: Rebecca Harris
Tags: teachers

Teachers at a union-backed charter school have come to a tentative
contract agreement with management just months after newly unionized
teachers at Chicago International charter schools ratified their
contract.

The agreement calls for a significantly longer school day with daily
professional development, revamped teacher evaluation and a remediation
process that allows for quick dismissal of under-performing teachers.

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 7:26am

In the News: world language cuts, golden apples

By: John Myers

Chicago’s $3.5 million world languages program is on the chopping block. (Sun-Times)

* WBEZ: most of the 80 principals who will leave Chicago schools this year were not, contrary to news reports, forced out for low performance. For a complete breakdown, don't miss Catalyst's recent report.

Related: Eight Forty-Eight talks with UIC’s Peter Martinez about the challenges of finding 80 qualified principals.

* Five teachers won Golden Apple Awards yesterday. Another four winners will be surprised in class today. (Tribune)

* A healthy cooking program is launching in the Broadway Armory—part of a $100,000 health and fitness campaign coming to the Park District. (Tribune)

* The Tribune’s Dennis Byrne suggests campaign support from teachers unions led several Republicans to vote against school vouchers.

Related: Jim Broadway of the State School News Service says SB2494 may resurface soon.

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