catalyst-chicago.org

CPS lunchrooms are piling up waste. (Tribune)

Environmentalists inside and outside of the district say the practices in Chicago lunchrooms aren't just bad for the planet but undermine the messages children hear in class about environmental stewardship. And they seem out of place in a city often touted by its mayor as one of the greenest in the nation.

Related: CPS lunchrooms force kids to toss uneaten food. (Tribune)

* CTA doomsday cuts hit today and could impact schools. (Sun-Times)

* Ald. Latasha Thomas tells Substance that the district’s criteria for closing schools are wrong and should be discussed in City Council hearings.

* Eight Forty-Eight spoke this morning with Mayor Daley's pick for School Board president, Mary Richardson-Lowry.

On Friday, the show interviewed UM researcher Brian Jacobs, who says hiring and firing authority afforded to Chicago principals has improved teacher attendance.

* Chicago Weekly highlights changes at Harvard Elementary, an AUSL turnaround.

* PC Rebuilders and Recyclers offer refurbished, discounted computers to CPS families. (ABC7)

* Culture of Calm coordinator jobs pay up to $90,000 a year. (CNC)

District officials slow plans for a split South Loop Elementary. (Tribune)

John Jacoby, who has a daughter in South Loop School's seventh-grade gifted program, said it's time to think about expanding the South Loop brand to include a high school. As vice president of the local school council, he was involved in the National Teachers Academy conversations, which, he said, also included talks about adding a ninth grade and starting a high school, but that wasn't part of the CPS proposal in December.

* CPS will release another $10 million for mentoring services in 12 neighborhoods, and officials want local community and faith-based groups in on the deal. (Tribune/WBEZ)

As Catalyst’s Sarah Karp notes, “CPS CEO Ron Huberman made good on a promise he made last month to include community organizations.”

* Proposed bylaw changes could force student athletes to sit out for a year. (Sun-Times)

* Gillespie principal, alderman defend school’s academic record at turnaround hearing. (Substance)