That Time of the Year

Graduation, prom, final exams and Common Core. Okay, I get the first few elements but adding in Common Core and other standardized testing at the end of the year seems to be poor timing at the very least. Yeah, I get it, we want to check for progress.

But terrific teachers (and that's the vast majority) are checking for progress in many areas throughout the entire school year. Besides, students and staff are pretty tuckered out by May. It is likely that this is one of the worst times of the year to be administering high stakes tests.

Celebration is but one part marking the end of the school year. There are proms, retirement parties and more. It seems to me that, though classes should continue, the work load in May and June should not be the same as the rest of the year particularly if you want to keep students engaged in real learning.

That's just my take on things!
Dick

A Pay Cut Offered to CPS Teachers

Over the past two days the words have been flying right and left concerning the proposed CPS offer for Chicago school teachers to take a 7% pay cut. I get it...it's posturing, it's early in the negotiation process. But, to start with that large of a CUT is more than insulting, it's a bad bargaining salvo to fire so early in the process.

Sure the district is in dire financial straits. I get that. The CTU understands that and knows that there is an untenable financial mess. If you want teachers to be part of the solution to end the crippling effects of budget shortfalls then you'd better find a better way than offering such a substantial reduction. You may want to offer a 0% increase but to start bargaining by saying you will lower salaries is simply ugly and unnecessary.

When it comes to solving problems, you had better understand that respectful and trusting relations must exist between the parties. Right now, that's not the case and it doesn't bode will for anyone going forward.

Dick

Feed the Children

Feed the Children is a remarkable charity that enables young people to flourish. You name it and they have it!! Food, school supplies and so very much more.

I ventured to Elkhart, Indiana today and this terrific agency provided me with 12 pallets of school supplies. Yes they were donated to our charity so they we can, in turn, provide them to students in the Chicagoland area this fall. Talk about well organized, friendly, eager to serve and generous. This is no exaggeration. What a terrific group of people to work with; from the manager to the office staff, all the way to the forklift operator. What a great agency!!

Thank you Feed the Children,
Dick

Contining Money Crunch

CPS has its hands full when it comes to financial concerns. The school district is facing a $1.1 billion shortfall and billions more in pension payments. A new note of doom arose recently when the CPS Administration notified the teachers union that it would not exercise its option to extend the teachers contract for an additional year.

Here's why...If CPS DID extend the contract then CPS would be granting raises amounting to $105 million, an amount that CPS says it simply can't afford. So, look for protracted negotiations.

With a good number of communities suffering from blight (an absence of industry and other businesses that would provide a tax base) the various neighborhoods simply aren't able to establish a steady and reliable tax base to properly fund the neighborhood schools. That and other issues are part of the 'money crunch.'

Dick

Times are Tough at CPS

Last year CPS had a capital budget of just over $1/2 billion. That's right...$510,000,000! Things are different this year as the CPS brass just announced that the capital spending for the 2015-16 school year will be a 'meager' $160 million. What a change.

This large scale cutback in the CPS capital budget shouldn't really come as a surprise as the district has a monumental deficit and is faced with rapidly escalating pension costs. Throw in the fact that a new teacher contract is on the horizon and it's easy to understand the enormous cut.

Make no mistake, there are plenty capital needs particularly since there are some very old buildings and because there are some schools where overcrowding is a real issue.

The way forward will be difficult and it will take a number of years to get the school system on sound footing. Here's hoping the kids don't take too much of a hit because of the financial difficulties.

Dick

Too Many Baltimores

What is taking place in Baltimore is indeed sad and tragic. There are many moving parts; the death of Freddie Gray, the peaceful protests, the destructive riots, the police department, the manner of handling the affair by local and state authorities, the decades long problems - blight, poverty, decay - in portions of the city, the good work of many organizations and so much more.

These various elements have much to do with one another in the story that is Baltimore. It is the same story that has played out in other parts of the country. It is an ongoing story.

What I have seen happen in the journalistic media, but more frequently in social media, is too often the concentration on just one of the above elements. I have been appalled at the rants about the youth destroying property as if that is the only part of the story that they people want to see. By the way, I absolutely do not
condone such heinous acts.

But the point is this...this isn't simply a matter of the sad ending to the life of Freddie Gray. People need to understand the numerous events and issues that have been the life of Freddie Gray and lives of so many others who have not met the same fate as Freddie.

We all need to be more knowledgeable about what takes place in areas of neglect and despair particularly if we are not familiar with such regions. There are too many Baltimore's in America and we all be better served to learn about what can be done to improve each of them.

What Does It Mean?

Over the years I've attempted to let people know what is taking place with our charity; fundraisers, special packing and delivery days, important initiatives, the 'Go Green' Program and so much more. On other occasions I've filled you in on events taking place within CPS and the field of education at large.

What does it all mean? Just what has been the outcome after some 1,000 blog posts?

Well, fortunately, it means that the journey continues and the work is ongoing. It signifies that our charity and all that it encompasses has survived, perhaps it is even thriving. We've stuck it out, we've managed to keep our heads above water. More to the point, it means that we continue to serve those; those without the necessary resources, those who are suffering often due to no fault of their own.,

After all these years, 10 years since Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans schools and the city, we are still making a difference, saying that when people of good will come together we can and will make a difference.

Here's to another 1,000 blogs.

Dick