turnarounds | catalyst-chicago.org

Current Issue

Adolescent Literacy

A raft of past programs have failed to substantially improve the reading skills of middle grade and high school students. CPS is trying once again, as part of a federal project that aims to help teens learn how to analyze complex non-fiction.

Read More

turnarounds

Tough choices for turnarounds October 13, 2011 By: Lorraine Forte Tamoura Hayes started high school with big dreams for college that she already knew would be tough to reach. “C’mon,” she said. “I go to Marshall High School.” Obviously, Marshall’s long-standing academic failings weren’t lost on Tamoura, who went on to say that she “wasn’t even supposed to be here.” Marshall was her last option. Her family couldn’t afford the private school that was her first choice, and she wasn’t offered a slot at Raby, one of the newer high schools sprouting up on the West Side. Read More \| (1) Comments	As school closings vote nears, questions remain on money, academics, safety May 20, 2013 By: Sarah Karp When Margarita Miranda moved to Old Town in 2000, the area looked much different. The Cabrini Green public housing projects cast a long shadow, and neighborhood elementary schools were located on every few blocks. Today, the high-rise public housing has been wiped away, leaving the area with a smattering of row houses, townhouses and some stretches of still-empty lots. Read More \| (0) Comments
71 school actions in massive district shakeup March 21, 2013 By: Sarah Karp and Rebecca Harris In announcing the largest shakeup ever attempted in one year by a major urban school district, CPS officials laid out a complicated plan for a total of 71 actions--closings, co-locations and turnarounds--that will affect more than 30,000 students. (Full list below.) Read More \| (15) Comments	In the News: 3 teachers sue CPS for discrimination December 27, 2012 By: Cassandra West Three Chicago Public Schools teachers who lost their jobs this year have filed a lawsuit saying that the district's process for "turnaround" schools is racially discriminatory because it targets West and South side campuses with a higher percentage of African-American teachers and staff, the Tribune reports. Read More \| (24) Comments
Getting the questions right on Chicago schools November 05, 2012 By: Charles M. Payne, PhD The awkward departure of Jean-Claude Brizard from Chicago Public Schools seemed to surprise no one. Many figured the deed was already done when the Chicago Tribune (on August 31) started speculating about his future. Given the ending of the teachers’ strike, given the looming fights over school actions, given new leadership untarnished by old fights, it would be wonderful if Chicagoans could take a step back and think for a moment about the larger issues of how the education debate is being framed in our city. Read More \| (12) Comments	CPS awarded grants to "transform" four high schools June 20, 2012 By: Sarah Karp This story has been updated to reflect the actions of the Illinois State Board of Education at their June 21 meeting. CPS was awarded on Thursday a $25 million federal School Improvement Grant to perform what is called "transformation" on four high schools and to turnaround one. Read More \| (17) Comments
Legislators grill Brizard on school closings, turnarounds April 02, 2012 By: Jim Broadway SPRINGFIELD -- Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard and members of his staff were grilled for more than two hours by legislators who sharply questioned the district’s decision-making on school closings and turnarounds and called for a summit of the CPS facilities task force. Read More \| (33) Comments	In the News: District wins in negotiations over teacher evaluation April 02, 2012 By: Cassandra West The first round of negotiations between the Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union went squarely to the district, which will get its way in weighing student performance more heavily in teacher evaluations. (Tribune) Read More \| (4) Comments
Anger with CPS over closings and turnarounds spreads in the Legislature March 26, 2012 By: Jim Broadway High level employees of Chicago Public Schools took an unprecedented scolding Monday on the subject of school closings and turnarounds in the city – and even more heat for CPS’ perceived “disrespect” for the Illinois Legislature by the absence of its leader, CEO Jean-Claude Brizard, at a hearing at the Capitol. Read More \| (27) Comments

go here for more