What a wonderful event...Music abounds in the hallways at Hay
Many thanks,
Dick
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
A Picture is Worth a Thousands Words!
What a wonderful event...Music abounds in the hallways at Hay
Many thanks,
Dick
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
School Fair...Is it?
Parent Power is hosting a school fair. Okay, I suppose any group can hold a 'fair.' But let's look at the details. The group is hosting the fair for 7th and 8th grade students as they ready to go into high school next year and the year after. Parent Power is working in conjunction with CPS, the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools.
Parent Power was founded by Tom Hurvis who use to serve on the board of New Schools for Chicago. New Schools is a charter organization. Though he no longer serves on the board of New Schools and denies that Parent Power has a pro charter agenda, one has to wonder.
What I wonder is this...how did CPS and its CEO, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, decide that Parent Power would host this? Who took the initiative to ask Parent Power to host? From my vantage point CPS should be hosting the fair and paying for it. When it comes to public education then the agency, the board, should be in charge. This is the best way to insure a degree of 'fairness' prevails.
Dick
Parent Power was founded by Tom Hurvis who use to serve on the board of New Schools for Chicago. New Schools is a charter organization. Though he no longer serves on the board of New Schools and denies that Parent Power has a pro charter agenda, one has to wonder.
What I wonder is this...how did CPS and its CEO, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, decide that Parent Power would host this? Who took the initiative to ask Parent Power to host? From my vantage point CPS should be hosting the fair and paying for it. When it comes to public education then the agency, the board, should be in charge. This is the best way to insure a degree of 'fairness' prevails.
Dick
Monday, September 22, 2014
A Day Late and a Dollar Short
Sunday's Chicago Tribune carried an editorial piece called "A new Plan of Chicago: 12 ways to heal our city." Well, wouldn't you know it, the first 'way' to heal the city dealt with schools. Actually, I found the argument to have some merit but I mostly came away from reading about 'schools as tools' laughing. A lamentable laugh have you.
The editorial calls for the recently closed public schools to be revived as community centers. Here's why it's laughable. First, CPS didn't put the money into keeping these schools going in the first place. Just who does the Tribune see as putting in the massive funding to revive the buildings as community centers? That's just pie in the sky.
Laughable because the schools shouldn't have been closed in the first place. Many were functioning quite well at the time of closing. Had the buildings remained open then adding a community center within the schools would likely have been smoother and more likely to happen with the building already in use.
All the reasons for having a community center have merit. No argument here. Why on earth did the powers that be in City Hall and at CPS as well as within the school communities - not to mention the editorial board at the Trib - put forth the idea when the schools were humming with activity.
Your guess is as good as mine!!
Dick
The editorial calls for the recently closed public schools to be revived as community centers. Here's why it's laughable. First, CPS didn't put the money into keeping these schools going in the first place. Just who does the Tribune see as putting in the massive funding to revive the buildings as community centers? That's just pie in the sky.
Laughable because the schools shouldn't have been closed in the first place. Many were functioning quite well at the time of closing. Had the buildings remained open then adding a community center within the schools would likely have been smoother and more likely to happen with the building already in use.
All the reasons for having a community center have merit. No argument here. Why on earth did the powers that be in City Hall and at CPS as well as within the school communities - not to mention the editorial board at the Trib - put forth the idea when the schools were humming with activity.
Your guess is as good as mine!!
Dick
Friday, September 19, 2014
Funding
The Illinois Senate passed SB 16 the other day though the House is yet to act on it. In short, the bill will redirect money from some areas, typically ones in better shape financially, to areas where funding is a problem. Yes, that means some of the wealthier collar counties will get less funding than areas with greater poverty.
Understandably, some will lament the loss of state funding while others will heave a sigh of relief if the House passes the bill and Governor Quinn signs it.
From my perspective, there are far too many inner city children (not just Chicago) and numerous rural areas that surely need an infusion of funds. I realize that it is asking some to give up some dollars but I hope they see the larger picture and heed the call for help in these areas of need.
The point is this...if education is critical then it is critical for ALL children. This is a plea for those areas who will lose funding to realize the benefit gained by all of us in terms of reaching out to those with greater needs.
Dick
Understandably, some will lament the loss of state funding while others will heave a sigh of relief if the House passes the bill and Governor Quinn signs it.
From my perspective, there are far too many inner city children (not just Chicago) and numerous rural areas that surely need an infusion of funds. I realize that it is asking some to give up some dollars but I hope they see the larger picture and heed the call for help in these areas of need.
The point is this...if education is critical then it is critical for ALL children. This is a plea for those areas who will lose funding to realize the benefit gained by all of us in terms of reaching out to those with greater needs.
Dick
Thursday, September 18, 2014
All in a Day's Work
The next time you hear a citizen complain about teachers or education here are a few things to let them know.
Teachers plan and grade many hours each night and over weekends. The various majority of teachers are constantly being in-serviced or taking graduate courses so that they can stay current and, more importantly, make the classroom experience all the more richer. Summers off! Again, you would be stunned to see how teachers are planning, revising and writing curriculum during the summer.
The school day. It is often crazy. Attend to parent emails, respond to Administration requests, attend IEP meetings, and make classroom adjustments in curriculum as you have to respond to the 'special need's of certain students. What this latter point signifies is the fact that it is really two or three classes going on at one time in one room!!
Grading, planning, running activities or clubs (the community wants more kids involved), coaching and more takes time before, during and after school.
Oh, sorry, I forgot one important thing. The teachers have to teach their classes One other admission...this brief synopsis doesn't even come close to describing what is meant by "All in a Day's Work."
Dick
Teachers plan and grade many hours each night and over weekends. The various majority of teachers are constantly being in-serviced or taking graduate courses so that they can stay current and, more importantly, make the classroom experience all the more richer. Summers off! Again, you would be stunned to see how teachers are planning, revising and writing curriculum during the summer.
The school day. It is often crazy. Attend to parent emails, respond to Administration requests, attend IEP meetings, and make classroom adjustments in curriculum as you have to respond to the 'special need's of certain students. What this latter point signifies is the fact that it is really two or three classes going on at one time in one room!!
Grading, planning, running activities or clubs (the community wants more kids involved), coaching and more takes time before, during and after school.
Oh, sorry, I forgot one important thing. The teachers have to teach their classes One other admission...this brief synopsis doesn't even come close to describing what is meant by "All in a Day's Work."
Dick
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Musical Chairs
If memory serves me somewhat correctly, musical chairs is something we played when we attended kindergarten, 1st grade or 2nd grade. I may be off but those sound about right. Yes, everyone scrambled for a chair (more like a mad crush) when the music ended.
A version, sadly, of musical chairs too often takes place in terms of moving principals around. They are here one day, gone the next. Here one year then they disappear. It's as if the music has ended and so has their worth and employment.
Just the other day, as reported in today's Chicago Sun Times, the Principal of Marshall High School was terminated. That's right. Some two weeks into the new school year and she is gone. If you are going to change leaders why do it part way through the year? Has she done something so egregious in the first two weeks of the semester to warrant removal? Hmmm...I doubt it.
This brings up a larger point. As our charity goes into many of the same schools year after year I too often see the above trend. I know of one school that has had three principals in each of the past three years. That is not an uncommon occurrence at a number of CPS schools. The last thing struggling students and schools need is a lack of stability.
I don't care how it is spun, constantly changing principals, asst. principals and other staff just isn't in the best interests of the students.
Dick
A version, sadly, of musical chairs too often takes place in terms of moving principals around. They are here one day, gone the next. Here one year then they disappear. It's as if the music has ended and so has their worth and employment.
Just the other day, as reported in today's Chicago Sun Times, the Principal of Marshall High School was terminated. That's right. Some two weeks into the new school year and she is gone. If you are going to change leaders why do it part way through the year? Has she done something so egregious in the first two weeks of the semester to warrant removal? Hmmm...I doubt it.
This brings up a larger point. As our charity goes into many of the same schools year after year I too often see the above trend. I know of one school that has had three principals in each of the past three years. That is not an uncommon occurrence at a number of CPS schools. The last thing struggling students and schools need is a lack of stability.
I don't care how it is spun, constantly changing principals, asst. principals and other staff just isn't in the best interests of the students.
Dick
Monday, September 15, 2014
For Profit Companies in Schools? NO!
Privatize, privatize, privatize. Whether it's for-profit charters schools or outside firms coming into the schools, the result is often the same. Too frequently the outcome is lacking in quality or not getting the job done the right way
The Chicago Sun Times reported on Saturday that numerous CPS schools had "filthy conditions after janitorial services were privatized." The result, aside from dirty schools, means that principals are often dealing with this serious issue rather than the more critical dual task of assisting teachers and students in the classroom. As one principal of a South Side elementary school put it, "I have hardworking janitors, but they can't keep up, since several were cut."
There you have it. Going on the cheap. It works like this. Your goal is to 'save money.' First, you let some of the staff go (a bad idea since most are committed workers) since they are too expensive. Next you hire outsiders at a cheaper rate. Finally, you're likely see a decrease in job quality.
Cutting corners in public education is wrong.
By the way, the amount paid to the outside janitorial service was a cool $340 million!!! Not such a good return on their investment.
Dick
The Chicago Sun Times reported on Saturday that numerous CPS schools had "filthy conditions after janitorial services were privatized." The result, aside from dirty schools, means that principals are often dealing with this serious issue rather than the more critical dual task of assisting teachers and students in the classroom. As one principal of a South Side elementary school put it, "I have hardworking janitors, but they can't keep up, since several were cut."
There you have it. Going on the cheap. It works like this. Your goal is to 'save money.' First, you let some of the staff go (a bad idea since most are committed workers) since they are too expensive. Next you hire outsiders at a cheaper rate. Finally, you're likely see a decrease in job quality.
Cutting corners in public education is wrong.
By the way, the amount paid to the outside janitorial service was a cool $340 million!!! Not such a good return on their investment.
Dick
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