I have to admit, attendance today at my school wasn’t as bad as I thought. In the classes that I taught we had about a 10-15% absentee rate. I wasn’t happy to be back, but at least I could teach without half of the class meeting it. Unfortunately, as my first link details, things didn’t run as smoothly everywhere.
The big news was CPS Chief Portfolio Officer Oliver Sicat quitting. The CPS revolving door continues to turn and I know it is a large part of CPS’s problems. Nobody has been there very long and there is no institutional memory, so they keep trying the same bad ideas over and over just to see them keep failing. The other big news today is we found out, once and for all, that charters are private schools.
Chicago Public School with No Heat Stays Open
“THIS is why our students deserve better. They—too—deserve a state-of-the art building to engage in a true college-prep experience—just like other neighborhoods have or will have very soon when construction is finished. Our school community proved—in quantitative and qualitative data—that our school has transformed itself. Our district, as our principal put it, needs to invest in this success.”
Chaos on Clark Street: Top CPS Official Quits
“After his election Mayor Rahm Emanuel cleaned house at CPS, claiming he needed to “hit the reset button on education.” Alicia Winkler and General Counsel Pat Rocks were the only two holdovers from the Daley era. Rocks retired last summer.
But today, just three of the eight people initially appointed by Emanuel remain. One of those three is Winkler. The other two are Carroll and Chief Administrative Officer Tim Cawley.”
For Students’ Sake, Chicago Must Address Poverty, Violence
“For some, it may be easier to obtain a gun than it is to get an education. More than 500 Chicagoans were killed due to gun violence in 2012. Of these deaths, 62 victims were children, and more than 440 children suffered gunshot wounds, according to various media outlets.”
Chicago Charter School Subject to Private-Sector Labor Laws
“The decision overrules a vote taken by teachers last year to form a union in accordance with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. At the time, two-thirds of teachers at the school approved the union and it became official under state law. “
CPS CHATTER 
Recent Comments