Opinions | catalyst-chicago.org

Departments

Catalyst In Depth
Catalyst Notebook
Opinions
In Focus

Opinions

Guest Column To stop violence, start with the youngest children April 06, 2011 By: Jane Mentzinger As the prison sentences are handed down in the beating death of Fenger High School student Derrion Albert, this is also a time to reflect and question: What sparks such violence? At what age are children making critical, life-changing decisions about involvement in violent acts? How can communities— and especially schools—respond to help students? Read More \| (0) Comments	Letter From the Editor Teaching: not just academics March 09, 2011 By: Lorraine Forte "Fewer teacher candidates pass basic skills test” That headline topped Catalyst Chicago’s story on the impact of an Illinois State Board of Education decision to raise passing scores on the test that college students must take to earn admission to a school of education. The board’s move was part of a strategy to raise the rigor of teacher preparation in Illinois and, in turn, improve the quality of the teaching force. Read More \| (11) Comments
Guest Column Defining values: A roadmap to helping urban youth February 14, 2011 By: Montana Butsch Sometimes, young people value doing nothing over doing something. Read More \| (1) Comments	Guest Column To the Schools CEO: A simple prescription for improving schools January 06, 2011 By: Pete Leki Dear Mr. Mazany: This is an open letter to welcome you as the new, if temporary, leader of the Chicago Public Schools. The example that you set by volunteering your services for the token salary of $1 per year speaks to your dedication and the unique perspective you bring to this job. Read More \| (1) Comments
Guest Column To improve schools, stop guessing and start using research January 04, 2011 By: John Simmons The data are clear: Unless Chicago and the nation can find a better way to accelerate improvement in the quality of education and implement it in the next 10 years, we will lose our competitive edge against other nations and another generation of children will be lost. 80 percent of Illinois high school graduates are not capable of doing the college-level work essential to getting the well-paying jobs that the economy already has to offer, but which are not being filled. Read More \| (0) Comments	Guest Column New schools chief must focus on education reform and student needs November 16, 2010 By: Andrew Broy The news that Joel Klein is leaving the New York City Schools and that Ron Huberman will leave the Chicago Public Schools left two of the largest school districts in our country grappling with leadership challenges. [Note: Terry Mazany, president of the Chicago Community Trust, will serve as interim CEO for CPS after Huberman’s departure.] Read More \| (2) Comments
Letter From the Editor Facing a critical juncture November 15, 2010 By: Lorraine Forte Fix another budget mess. Do something—anything?—to improve the worst schools. Curb school violence. Keep labor peace. Almost enough to make you ask, who needs this headache? Making inroads on these vexing problems could easily consume every waking hour of the city’s next mayor and schools chief. (As Catalyst Chicago went to press, leadership of the district was up in the air and outgoing Mayor Richard M. Daley had yet to choose an interim replacement to succeed Ron Huberman, who decided to step down before his boss and was set to leave Nov. 29.) Read More \| (0) Comments	Guest Column Don't wait for 'super-teachers,' restructure schools to use teachers' strengths October 01, 2010 By: Sabrina Laine, Ph.D “Waiting for Superman,” the documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, embraces the belief that good teachers make good schools. And recent research, legislation and public commentary have embraced the idea that we need to strengthen and reform our efforts on teacher preparation and professional development programs in order to build a better teacher. Read More \| (0) Comments
Letter From the Editor Time to write a new chapter for Chicago Public Schools September 13, 2010 By: Lorraine Forte The more things change, the more they stay the same. That phrase came to mind as I reviewed the reams of headlines produced by Catalyst during the years since Mayor Richard M. Daley took the reins of the Chicago Public Schools. Many of the stories that Catalyst has written over the last 15 years are the same stories we write and discuss now—budget cuts, too many high school dropouts, too few preschools...and so on. Read More \| (0) Comments

go here for more