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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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charter schools

Two charter campuses could close February 21, 2013 By: Rebecca Harris and Dona Fernandes UPDATED--CPS has announced that it plans to close two charter high school campuses. In November, the district had promised to get tough on charters, perhaps because of the number of neighborhood schools officials plan to close. Read More \| (3) Comments	In the News: UNO reviewing its charter spending February 15, 2013 By: Cassandra West United Neighborhood Organization officials said Thursday they have hired former U.S. District Judge Wayne Andersen to conduct a review of how their charter-school network selected companies to build new schools with state grant money, the Sun-Times reports. Read More \| (8) Comments
In the News: Aldermen want charter moratorium February 14, 2013 By: Cassandra West A group of aldermen is calling for a moratorium on new charter schools starting in 2014 in Chicago, arguing it doesn't make sense to add new charter seats at a time the city is considering closing public schools that don't have enough students, the Tribune reports. Read More \| (1) Comments	Charters targeted by teacher pension fund proposal February 13, 2013 By: Rebecca Harris The Chicago Teachers Pension Fund is seeking a change in state law that would expand the number of charter school teachers who are required to participate, and also allow the fund to levy steep fines on charter schools that are late in handing over teachers’ payments toward pension savings. Read More \| (0) Comments
In the News: UNO exec quits in wake of Sun-Times report February 13, 2013 By: Cassandra West The No. 2 executive of the United Neighborhood Organization quit Tuesday, eight days after the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the politically influential charter school operator paid state grant money to companies owned by two of his brothers. Read More \| (1) Comments	For the Record: Walton Foundation funds community engagement January 30, 2013 By: Sarah Karp District officials have said they don’t want to link the volatile issue of school closings with the equally volatile issue of charter school openings. But a major pro-charter foundation is providing financial backing for the current crop of school closing meetings taking place around the city this month. Read More \| (78) Comments
School choice supporters rally at Union Station January 29, 2013 By: Lucio Villa and Rebecca Harris About 1,500 school choice supporters rallied Tuesday night in Union Station's Great Hall, dancing and cheering in support of increased charter school funding and school vouchers. Read More \| (8) Comments	In the News: Charter chain's Springfield connection January 24, 2013 By: Cassandra West Crains' Grez Hinz tells the story of how one chain of privately operated charter schools—that would be UNO—recently almost got a whopping $35 million grant — as much as Chicago Public Schools were to get for the entire city — thanks to a well-placed pol or two. Read More \| (0) Comments
CPS approves new schools, but charters face tough questions January 23, 2013 By: Rebecca Harris CPS officials approved several new charter and alternative schools at Wednesday’s board meeting, and also announced new plans to engage with Community Action Councils. But the charter schools that were approved might face an uncertain future. Both Foundations College Prep, which will open in Roseland, and Orange Charter, which has not picked a neighborhood yet, were pulled from the December meeting agenda, had their openings delayed by a year, and were given additional conditions they must meet before they are given final approval to open. Read More \| (9) Comments

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