Parent Calls Out Barbara Byrd Bennett

I found a great CPS story on Chicago Now of all places.    I feel that CPS made a huge miscalculation in delaying the closing announcement.  The problem is, it’s energizing whole communities.  I saw at the first meeting, CPS was blaming the teachers union for the raucous crowd, but the CTU doesn’t have that many active members and after the last 10 years, there just aren’t that many people of color working for CPS.  It will be interesting to see how this will work out.  I see CPS trying to drive a wedge between West Side and Southwest Side parents, but if the communities remain united, this will be a very interesting couple of months to watch.

Dear Barbara Byrd Bennett, We’re Talking.  Are you Listening?

“It doesn’t really look very good right now. Even that shameful, distressing, disheartening event masquerading as a community forum on Monday night isn’t helping. Things might look a little better for you people right now if anyone, anywhere had actually ever made an effort to have a real conversation with the people whose neighborhood public schools are being treated as pawns in a crazy chaotic board game. If anyone had actually sat down with the leaders of the schools you want to close, listened to them, and brainstormed together about the best way to go about this right-sizing.”

CPS Counseling Director Under Fire for Alleged LGBT Insensitivity

“If Elkins’ allegations are to be believed, it would appear Karpouzian’s unsubstantiated homophobic comment “that gay people were going to hell” is also intertwined with her religious perspective. Upon review of the Everlasting Love episodes available on YT, however, none of the titles directly address LGBT issues, and the select episodes viewed did not uncover any homophobic comments, religious-based or otherwise.”

The Chicago Leadership Collaborative

CPS employees received this link in an email today.  Just looking at this site is very enlightening.  It’s scary to think of a dozen TFA members fresh off 2 years of teaching and a year Harvard becoming CPS principals.

Chicago Parent and Activist Jitu Brown at Journey for Justice Hearing in Washington

Jitu Brown talks about his trip to Washington.  I am so impressed with this man. The more I listen to him, the more he impresses me. 

Superintendent Dr. Walter Milton Jr. Has Withdrawn his Application

“Dr. Cheatham is a top candidate, and we are impressed by her work. In her time there, Chicago Public Schools have made significant strides in improving student achievement, and the schools that Dr. Cheatham specifically supervised made gains above the district average. Dr. Cheatham brings a depth of experience addressing the challenges of an urban school district and making improvements in the face of high need and dwindling resources. Those are the skills and expertise that we are looking for as we continue our path to improving achievement for all students.”

Chicago Parents and Teachers Unite Against Standardized Testing

“Parents of Chicago Public Schools students passed petitions today outside 37 schools, calling for CPS to drastically reduce its reliance on standardized tests. The parents, members of a coalition called More Than a Score, also want CPS to fully disclose the cost and purpose of the 22 tests currently administered in the district.”

 

The Testing Fight in Seattle

There is something going on in Seattle that may be spreading and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  There is a lot of overtesting going on nationwide and it’s only getting worse.  At my school the library, computer labs, and art room are all shut down for over two weeks of NWEA testing right now. 

Scrap the MAP!  Seattle Teachers Refuse to Administer a Punitive Standardized Test

“The test has fallen under widespread and persistent criticism by teachers across the district who say the MAP isn’t aligned with state standards they are expected to teach to. The MAP test also doesn’t affect student grades or chances of graduation, which means students don’t take the test seriously. This is particularly irksome to teachers because the MAP is used to calculate “student growth”–as a part of evaluating the effectiveness of the teachers who give the test.”

Back in the Classroom, Testing is as Bad as I Thought — and Worse

“How much time are we talking about? Well, it takes about three and a half weeks to administer the test to all the students in our school who are required to take it. Multiply that by three (remember, the MAP is given three times per year) and here’s the result: the computer lab is converted into a de facto testing facility for over 10 weeks — an entire quarter of the school year.”

At Chicago Charters, Secret Sauce Now Available “To Go”

“Now, merely encouraging non-test-score-boosting students with poor posture and sagging pants to leave does not a secret sauce make. The Noble schools have some other ingredients up their uniform sleeves too, like their innovative approach to parent engagement. Earlier this month, Noble made headlines with the news that the charter chain charges low-income parents for their children’s disciplinary infractions—like untied shoes, unbuttoned polo shirts and failure to keep their eyes on the teacher.”

East Chicago Teachers Union Posts Billboard Slamming Superintendent

“The East Chicago Federation of Teachers, Local AFT 511, posted a billboard prominently Monday at the corner of Indianapolis Boulevard and Columbus Drive saying they don’t support the school superintendent.”