December 14, 2015
By Juan Perez Jr. and Grace Wong
The Chicago Teachers Union (click here) on Monday delivered the city a message that union leaders have threatened for weeks: Educators are prepared to walk off the job for the second time since 2012 if an agreement can't be reached on a new contract.
The union said 88 percent of its 24,752 eligible members voted "Yes" to authorize union leaders to call a strike, well above the 75 percent threshold necessary for a strike to occur. Members voted in schools citywide over three days, and votes were tallied at the union's Merchandise Mart offices.
"Do not cut the schools anymore. Do not make the layoffs that you have threatened. Instead, respect educators and give us the tools we need to do our jobs," said Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey....
DO NOT BECOME THE SOUTH, where teachers have to bring their own supplies. Chicago teachers are assets to the city.
July 21, 2015
Written By Maudlyne Ihejirika
More children in Illinois (click here) and nationwide are living in poverty after the Great Recession, receiving no lift from an economic turnaround, according to an annual child welfare report released Tuesday.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation report found 1 in 5 children — 22 percent of children nationwide and 21 percent in Illinois — were living in poverty in 2013. That’s compared to 2008, just after the recession started, when 18 percent of children nationwide and 17 percent in Illinois lived in poverty.
In Chicago, the number rose to 33 percent, or one in three children living in poverty in 2013, from 30 percent in 2008, according to the 2015 Kids Count Data Book....
Every self-respecting Democrat knows the best way out of poverty is education. I guarantee the gangs in Chicago aren't lead by PhDs.
"Charter Schools in Chicago No Model for Education Reform" (click here)
October 2014
Charter schools have become the cornerstone of school reform in Chicago and nationally. Arne Duncan, who led Chicago schools and was a strong proponent of charters, became secretary of Education.
As Secretary Duncan has championed policies to dramatically expand the use of charters throughout the United States. Chicago, however, remains one of the nation’s lowest performing school districts. Sadly the charters schools, which on average score lower that the Chicago public schools, have not improved the Chicago school system, but perhaps made it even weaker. Further charters, which are even more likely to be single race schools than the already hyper segregated Chicago school system, have not increased interracial contact, an often-stated goal of charter systems. Finally, the fact that Chicago charters use expulsion far more often that public schools deserves further study. In the end it is unlikely that the Chicago charter school experience provides a model for improving urban education in other big city school districts.
Enrollments in Chicago charters increased by more than nine times between 2000 and 2013 and, with strong support from the current administrations in both Chicago and Washington D.C., the system continues to grow. Indeed, the system actually uses a loop-hole to bypass the 75 school limit included in the state’s charter law and there are now more than 120 charters in Chicago. The legislature is now considering lifting the cap entirely....
Segregation only emboldens gangs when that is their reality.
November 18, 2015
By Juan Perez, Jr.
The Chicago Board of Education (click here) voted unanimously Wednesday to close three privately run charter schools at the end of the academic year despite objections from some teachers and community members.
The schools being closed for academic underperformance are:
•Amandla Charter High School, 6800 S. Stewart Ave.
•Shabazz-Sizemore Academy Elementary School, 6936 S. Hermitage Ave.
•Bronzeville Lighthouse Charter Elementary School, 8 W. Root St.
Six board members voted to revoke the charters of the Amandla and Shabazz-Sizemore campuses and opted not to renew an expiring agreement with the Bronzeville Lighthouse campus. Board member Mahalia Hines was absent from Wednesday's school board meeting.
Chicago Public Schools officials said the board will vote in December on the charter of CICS-Hawkins High School at 801 E. 133rd Place....
By Juan Perez Jr. and Grace Wong
The Chicago Teachers Union (click here) on Monday delivered the city a message that union leaders have threatened for weeks: Educators are prepared to walk off the job for the second time since 2012 if an agreement can't be reached on a new contract.
The union said 88 percent of its 24,752 eligible members voted "Yes" to authorize union leaders to call a strike, well above the 75 percent threshold necessary for a strike to occur. Members voted in schools citywide over three days, and votes were tallied at the union's Merchandise Mart offices.
"Do not cut the schools anymore. Do not make the layoffs that you have threatened. Instead, respect educators and give us the tools we need to do our jobs," said Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey....
DO NOT BECOME THE SOUTH, where teachers have to bring their own supplies. Chicago teachers are assets to the city.
July 21, 2015
Written By Maudlyne Ihejirika
More children in Illinois (click here) and nationwide are living in poverty after the Great Recession, receiving no lift from an economic turnaround, according to an annual child welfare report released Tuesday.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation report found 1 in 5 children — 22 percent of children nationwide and 21 percent in Illinois — were living in poverty in 2013. That’s compared to 2008, just after the recession started, when 18 percent of children nationwide and 17 percent in Illinois lived in poverty.
In Chicago, the number rose to 33 percent, or one in three children living in poverty in 2013, from 30 percent in 2008, according to the 2015 Kids Count Data Book....
Every self-respecting Democrat knows the best way out of poverty is education. I guarantee the gangs in Chicago aren't lead by PhDs.
"Charter Schools in Chicago No Model for Education Reform" (click here)
October 2014
Charter schools have become the cornerstone of school reform in Chicago and nationally. Arne Duncan, who led Chicago schools and was a strong proponent of charters, became secretary of Education.
As Secretary Duncan has championed policies to dramatically expand the use of charters throughout the United States. Chicago, however, remains one of the nation’s lowest performing school districts. Sadly the charters schools, which on average score lower that the Chicago public schools, have not improved the Chicago school system, but perhaps made it even weaker. Further charters, which are even more likely to be single race schools than the already hyper segregated Chicago school system, have not increased interracial contact, an often-stated goal of charter systems. Finally, the fact that Chicago charters use expulsion far more often that public schools deserves further study. In the end it is unlikely that the Chicago charter school experience provides a model for improving urban education in other big city school districts.
Enrollments in Chicago charters increased by more than nine times between 2000 and 2013 and, with strong support from the current administrations in both Chicago and Washington D.C., the system continues to grow. Indeed, the system actually uses a loop-hole to bypass the 75 school limit included in the state’s charter law and there are now more than 120 charters in Chicago. The legislature is now considering lifting the cap entirely....
Segregation only emboldens gangs when that is their reality.
November 18, 2015
By Juan Perez, Jr.
The Chicago Board of Education (click here) voted unanimously Wednesday to close three privately run charter schools at the end of the academic year despite objections from some teachers and community members.
The schools being closed for academic underperformance are:
•Amandla Charter High School, 6800 S. Stewart Ave.
•Shabazz-Sizemore Academy Elementary School, 6936 S. Hermitage Ave.
•Bronzeville Lighthouse Charter Elementary School, 8 W. Root St.
Six board members voted to revoke the charters of the Amandla and Shabazz-Sizemore campuses and opted not to renew an expiring agreement with the Bronzeville Lighthouse campus. Board member Mahalia Hines was absent from Wednesday's school board meeting.
Chicago Public Schools officials said the board will vote in December on the charter of CICS-Hawkins High School at 801 E. 133rd Place....
