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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In the News: Half of CPS buildings underused
By: Cassandra West / December 29, 2011
Half of all Chicago public schools are underused, based on a new building utilization formula unveiled Wednesday, the Sun-Times reports. And, four times more schools are underused than overcrowded under the formula, which includes charter schools.
IN THE NATION
Black students in both Washington, D.C., and its surrounding suburbs are suspended and expelled two to five times as often as white students, creating disparities in discipline that experts say reflect a growing national problem, according to a report in Wednesday's Washington Post. Last year, for example, one in seven black students in St. Mary’s County were suspended from school, compared with one in 20 white students.
New York City has failed to recover tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements for services it provided to special-needs students in recent years, as the Education Department has struggled to adapt to new rules imposed after a federal audit forced the city to return money it received for claims it could not properly document. (The New York Times)
Five suburban school districts have filed suit to stop student transfers from Kansas City Public Schools to their districts until various issues like costs and student eligibility are resolved. (Huffington Post)\
A Washington, D.C., government education agency is seeking an outside firm to investigate the city’s 2011 standardized test scores. (The Washington Post)
Most underused school building?
125 S. Clark
Catalyst and CPS should visit
Catalyst and CPS should visit schools more often or at least speak directly to teachers who work in those buildings. My school has 9 fewer classrooms (12%) than CPS claims. Of our actual classrooms, 5 of them (7%) are too small to hold 30 desks. That means the CPS projection for space utilization of our building is off by nearly 20%. And this is "data" the Board uses to make high stakes decisions? Wow.
I won't say the name of my school because the best we can possibly hope for is for CPS to leave us the heck alone. As a neighborhood school the less attention we get from CPS the better chance we have to actually serve the needs of our students and survive in the face of oppressive and destructive CPS policy.
The New Year Predicition CPS
1) Our new teacher contract will be very very bad for teachers with pay cuts and longer hours.
2)CTU wont strike because we wont ever be able to get the 75% and rahm will take it to court to "prove" we didnt get the votes. just like he "proved" he was a Chicago resident.
3) CPS will claim financial deficits even though they will increase the day by 90min? Start laying off teachers with satisfactory ratings and below.....
4) Brizzard will probably quit within a few years (it's status quo) while the teachers stick it out...yet get blamed
5) Contractors will have a financial windfall with contracts for the all mighty "common core standards"....
6) Obama and Duncan will dream up some crazy idea to out do their NCLB/Race to the Top idea!
7) 2014 is around the corner...all students will pass the ISAT hahhahaha
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