CPS Selective Schools

America has always touted itself to be a number of things; the land of opportunity, one of freedom and that of equality. The are but some of the laudable features of our democratic society. The term equality has long been associated with education among a number of other societal issues.

As the years pass, it appears to me as though equality is being shortchanged; shortchanged to those among us at the greatest risk. Part of the proof of this very serious risk is well documented in a Chicago Sun Times 'Watchdogs' piece on Monday, April 28th.

The story, which I will cover over the coming days simply states that the top five Chicago CPS Selective Schools are taking more white students and fewer minorities since 2009. Why? The answer lies at the hands of a '09 ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles P. Kocoras which lifted a 1980 consent decree that had required Chicago's schools to be desegregated, with no school being more than 35 percent white.

Am I saying bright white students should not be able to get into 'selective' schools? Absolutely not!! Are these same students deserving of the best education? You bet!! What I am saying are a couple of things. First, a number of minorities would certainly benefit from a 'selective' type education. Just as importantly, I want to see an end put to high schools relying so heavily on standardized test scores for admission.

For the life of me, I wish the many schools using standardized tests would understand that so very many children - coming from desperate life circumstances - eager to get ahead, are simply going to be left behind due to factors well beyond their control.

The over-reliance on standardized test scores may help 'selective' schools choose who to admit but those same schools, perhaps unwittingly, are shutting the door to those who most need the help.

Dick