Am I Good Enough? The Burden of Privilege and Poverty
School reform is rooted in the belief that when it comes to children, privilege or poverty should not determine the quality of their education. Oh, but it does. Read Full Post >
All Blog Posts With Chicago public schools Tag or Category
April 24, 2013
April 17, 2013
'It Happened to Them': Student Stories that Must Not Go Untold
The Kids in my family tell me incredible stories about what goes on in their schools. But their school horror stories are not as unique as one might think. Teachers play a vital role in helping children cope with the struggles they face in and outside of school. Read Full Post >
April 10, 2013
How a First-Rate Principal Stopped the Infamous "Revolving Door"
Guest blogger Whitney Bubenzer credits her principal for nurturing her teaching career and showing her the enormous potential found in urban education. Read Full Post >
April 02, 2013
Numbers Don't Lie: Why Closing 54 Schools Won't Fix Chicago's Money Mess
The promise of lowering CPS'$1 billion deficit was the primary justification for proposing to close 54 neighborhood schools. Unfortunately, the math is not adding up. Read Full Post >
November 19, 2012
Chicago Principals Share Parent Engagement Ideas
Twenty-six Chicago Public Schools principals share their creative ideas for successfully engaging parents in their children's education in a new booklet recently released by CPS. Read Full Post >
November 01, 2012
Chicago: Giving $25 Card to Attend Parent-Teacher Conferences
At 70 Chicago public schools with low parent-involvement scores, parents who attend a conference for their children will receive a $25 "Balance Rewards" card at Walgreen's. Read Full Post >
October 17, 2012
Chicago Public Schools: Change We Can't Believe In
Change is hard, especially for the Chicago Public Schools. We have had five CEOs of the school system in the past four years. Arne Duncan. Ron Huberman. Terry Mazany. Jean-Claude Brizard. And now, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, or B3 as her nickname goes. At least we finally got a woman in the top spot!... Read Full Post >
September 19, 2012
Chicago Teacher Strike Over, But Bigger Problems Persist
I would be hard pressed to find someone in Chicago who isn't relieved that the teacher strike ended on Tuesday night. After months of contentious negotiations and a seven-day walk-out, the spirit of old fashioned compromise finally set in. The Chicago Public Schools got a few reforms it wanted and t... Read Full Post >
September 12, 2012
Honk If You Don't Support A Teacher Strike in Chicago
For the past three days my morning drive to work has become a bit awkward at two stop signs. As I inch closer to the intersections near two different schools, I am beckoned by a throng of teachers in red shirts holding picket signs, chanting, and banging on the metal guard rails that line the sidewa... Read Full Post >
September 05, 2012
As Chicago Teacher Strike Looms, I Celebrate a Great Lesson
I did it. Yesterday I publicly revealed my blog to my students. I set up the LCD projector and taught the Smiley-Face Trick of "Repetition for Effect" using my post about my second-grade Ms. White, who wrote me off. All four of my writing classes applauded at the end of the lesson. It was the grea... Read Full Post >
