Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Would you support a 6th Ward meeting on Education?



For more information contact:

Monique Bond

CPS Office of
Communications

Phone: 773-553-1620

Fax: 773-553-1622





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 19, 2010



Chicago Public Schools Officials Announce 2010
Proposed School Actions

New Student Bill of
Rights Criteria Guides Process





Chicago Public Schools officials today announced a series of proposed school actions that are designed to improve educational opportunities for students at low-performing schools and create operational efficiencies by closing school buildings that are under enrolled or in poor condition.



CPS Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman and Chief Education Officer Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins said the proposed actions call for the turnaround of five schools, closing four schools, consolidating four schools and phasing out one school.


"Our primary obligation is to assess the performance of schools and provide the best possible educational opportunity for students in every school in Chicago," Huberman said. "This means taking a long hard look at every school under our Performance Policy and making what can be difficult decisions on whether a school is properly serving its students.



"At the same time, we – like virtually every school system in the U.S. – are faced with tough budget constraints and, as a result, we must ensure that we are using our limited operational funds in a smart, cost-effective way. We cannot afford to operate schools where the student population has declined to a level in which keeping a school open is no longer fiscally prudent."



Under Board-approved policy, CPS can close or create turnaround schools for chronic low performance; for low enrollment and underutilization; or if a building has fallen into a state of substantial disrepair.

- more-



In cases where school actions are approved by the Board, new guidelines introduced this year aim to ease the transition of students from one school to another.



Huberman said the proposed actions are the result of months of study, analysis and outreach, and that a series of public hearings will take place over the next few weeks to hear from school communities, concerned citizens and other stakeholders. Following the hearings, CPS administration will make a recommendation in February to the Chicago Board of Education for turnarounds, phase-outs, consolidations and closing that would take effect beginning with the 2010-11 school year



Huberman said two high schools and three elementary schools are proposed for turnaround because of poor academic performance. Under the turnaround strategy, students stay at their school and new leadership and staff are brought in to change the school culture and performance expectations.



The turnaround strategy at CPS began in 2006 with the conversion of Sherman Elementary School by the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL). The following year, Harvard Elementary School was turned around by AUSL. In all, 16 CPS schools are currently being turned around by AUSL; by the CPS Office of School Turnarounds, which reports to Chief Education Officer Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins; or are engaged in turnaround efforts that are principal-led.



AUSL would be designated to implement the turnaround strategy at four of the schools for which turnaround is being proposed:

  • Bradwell Elementary School, 7736 South Burnham
  • Frank L. Gillespie Elementary School, 9301 South State St.
  • Charles S. Deneen Elementary School, 7257 South State St.
  • Wendell Phillips High School, 244 East Pershing Road
The current John Marshall High School, 3250 W. Adams, is proposed to be turned around by the CEdO-CPS Office of School Turnarounds.



The complete press release can be found at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/25455165/School-Actions-10-PR-2

Would you support and participate in a 6th ward meeting on Education? Based on the above and the new enrollment policy for selective enrollment schools that may not allow some high school bound students attend the school of their choice and lastly the lack of support for Harlan, the only decent high school in the area.

3 comments:

  1. I'm flattered that you think my high school alma mater is considered a decent school. I think the principal would love to hear that. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Our teenagers travel far and wide to go to school. We have teenagers traveling to 6200 North to go to school because they feel they can't get the same quality of education here in our community.

    We need to get the support that Harlan needs to make it one of the schools students want and not have to attend.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Catalyst reported a list of schools that met the criteria for turnaround. Of those schools Harlan was one. However as your Blog has helped us point out, Harlan is turning around now without an official designation. Over the last ten (10) years we have started a 7th & 8th grade academic center (for students testing at stanine 7 and above); a phenomenal pre-engineering program (for students stanine 7 and above) and this fall we are starting a new information technology program (I'm not sure of those requirements). In addition to these programs designed to attract students who have a little better educational preparation and maybe a lot more personal motivation, Harlan has a fantastic AVID program that works with all students regardless of scores who want to succeed in high school and need some peer and staff support.

    Harlan also received an infusion of cash ($1 million plus) for repairs and upgrades this past summer. When the Mayor was out last month (for the second time in 2 years) he encouraged us (Principal Evans and myself) to get the scope of work required for a new track facility down to the Board and to the Chicago 2016 operatives asap). We met on it Thurs., so we are hopeful that we will be rolling out a new track and field facility within the next year (design, money and construction time).

    So when the list appeared, I was disappointed at the number of troubled schools we have; concerned that the socio-economic issues in some make improving educational outcomes more difficult, and confident that neither Harlan nor Robeson* would be slated for turnaround status this year.

    Our community has the will, the concern and desire for educational excellence that gives us the ability to turn around Harlan. We encourage parents of 7th & 8th graders to visit the school and take a second look at a school on the rise.

    Freddrenna Lyle

    P.S. I didn't go through the list of changes and improvements made at Robeson, but we are working equally hard to better its educational achievements and those at the elementary schools listed in the report.

    ReplyDelete

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