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Special Education

Even as CPS opens more new schools, children with special needs have a tougher time finding options. Placements in private therapeutic schools are scarce, and some charters are reluctant to enroll them.

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Cloud computing raises student privacy concerns May 14, 2012 By: Jon Bernstein Chicago Public Schools (CPS) recently made a critical decision that many schools systems are making around the country: to move massive amounts of student data to a more cost-effective storage system of computer servers often referred to by technology experts as the “cloud.” On its surface, the decision seems rather benign. Cost savings…check. Ease of use…check. Streamlined services…check. Read More \| (4) Comments	Equity still a question mark with selective schools April 27, 2012 By: Zarinah Ali My name is Zarinah Ali and I’m writing to bring to light an ongoing issue of equity within CPS regarding admission to the district’s top selective schools. The courts threw out a 30-year-old desegregation decree which used race as a factor for maintaining racial balance in the schools. The public schools vowed to maintain balance along economic lines in place of the old decree. Read More \| (18) Comments
Noble Street discipline 'striking, systemic problem' March 30, 2012 By: Congressman Danny K. Davis When I read the news that Noble Street Charter Schools profited almost $400,000 from fining its low-income students under the guise of discipline, I could hardly believe it. When I learned that Noble suspended 51 percent of all its students, 88 percent of its African American students, and 68 percent of its students with disabilities at least once in one year, I became very concerned. Read More \| (36) Comments	A principal gives thumbs-up to Danielson framework March 29, 2012 By: Lauren Norwood As principals, one of our many duties is to build teacher practice as well as evaluate it. Read More \| (8) Comments
Testing and the Common Core March 19, 2012 By: Paul Zavitkovsky Everybody agrees: We need Common Core standards because “many 17-year-olds do not possess the higher order intellectual skills we should expect of them.” Read More \| (8) Comments	Give teachers 'green light' to become leaders March 12, 2012 By: Cheryl Watkins We run a lean operation at John J. Pershing West Middle School. The administration consists of just two people – me and my assistant principal, who also doubles as the high school algebra teacher. As the principal, I’m the person teachers go to when they have a question. I’m also the person they go to when they have an idea. So when Chris Hennessy, the physical education and health teacher, told me that it was obvious I had too much to do and he was willing to take over some of my workload, I was thrilled to have the help. His leadership has proved invaluable. Read More \| (9) Comments
Debate skills help students prepare for Common Core February 24, 2012 By: Les Lynn and Edie Canter The Republican debates—21 so far this presidential primary season—have captured the attention of Americans. As the New York Times reported on October 16, the television audience for these intense verbal clashes has been record-breaking, nearly doubling the ratings for the 2008 primary debates. Read More \| (4) Comments	Facilities problems lost amid school closings controversy February 17, 2012 By: Andrew Broy Chicago has a school facilities problem. Among its more than 600 public school buildings, 224 are enrolled at less than 50% capacity, according to the legislative task force established to examine the issue. Many of these schools produce abysmal achievement results, and now CPS is attempting to manage its building inventory by taking certain school actions, including closing two underperforming, and under-enrolled, high schools, Crane and Dyett. Read More \| (2) Comments
Reforms won't work without trust February 16, 2012 By: Laurence Stanton State Education Agencies (SEAs), school districts and teacher unions across the country have committed or will soon commit to making ambitious changes to their schools over the next several years in response to the Race to the Top competition and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act waiver process. The commitments include everything from the Common Core standards to new ways of evaluating and compensating teachers. If well-planned and implemented, each of these initiatives could be a powerful lever for school improvement. Read More \| (5) Comments

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