18 Of 19 New Schools Approved

Only one of the 19 new schools that Arne Duncan proposed for next year and beyond didn't get approved at yesterday's Board meeting, according to the press release below.  I'm told it's Community Services West that got held back, but is expected to go up to the Board next month. Congrats and condolences to all those who  got the green light.  You've got a busy year ahead of you to get students and get the doors open on time.  You'll get accolades from the press and from the Board, but many of those who comment here won't take what you're doing seriously.  Thank God there's only two more years until we get to 100 new schools and 2009-2010.

 

For more information contact:

Malon Edwards

CPS Office of Communications

Phone: 773-553-1620

Fax: 773-553-1622

Website: http://www.cps.k12.il.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Oct. 25, 2007

Eighteen New Schools Approved by Board of Education

School for autistic children, U of C charter and elementary replicators among approved

      The Chicago Board of Education approved 14 schools to open in the fall of 2008 and four schools to open in the fall of 2009 at yesterday’s board meeting.

      Among the approved was the Hope Institute, serving K-8 children with autism and developmental disabilities, Disney II and Burroughs II, replicating the academic successes at Disney Magnet School and Burroughs Elementary, and a charter school that will be run by the University of Chicago and serve middle-grade students.

       The schools were among 19 new school proposals recommended to the Board by Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan two weeks ago. One school, Community Services West, was deferred by the Board until its November meeting.

      “We’re very excited about the truly unique, high-quality education opportunities these schools will give parents and children,” said Chicago Board of Education President Rufus Williams. “We’ve always said that not every child learns the same way, and these schools are an excellent example of just how diverse great learning environments can be.”

      The 14 schools approved by the Board for 2008 are:

• Virtual Opportunities Inside   a School Environment (VOISE), a performance school that will serve   grades 9-12.  It will fully integrate technology into the classroom to   provide students with enriched learning environments. VOISE will open   fall of 2008 at Austin High School, 231 N Pine.

• Noble Street Charter High   School UIC, a charter school that will serve grades 9-12. It will   have a college prep curriculum with an emphasis on careers in health   and medical fields as part of its partnership with the University of   Illinois at Chicago. The school will open fall of 2008 on the near West   Side near the UIC campus. The Noble Network of Charter Schools currently   operates five schools throughout the city.

—more—

• Noble Street Charter School   Comer Campus, a charter school that will serve grades 9-12.   It will have a college prep curriculum and have a partnership with Gary   Comer Youth Center. The school will open fall of 2008 in the Greater   Grand Crossing neighborhood. The Noble Network of Charter Schools currently   operates five schools throughout the city.

• Amandla Charter School,   a charter school that will serve grades 5-12, with a college prep curriculum   starting at the middle school level. Founded by several CPS teachers,   including a Building Excellent Schools Fellow, this school will share   space with Parker Elementary, 6800 S. Stewart. The school will begin   accepting fifth-graders in 2008.

• Perspectives Chicago Lawn,   a charter school that will serve grades 6-12. Its culture and curriculum   will reflect the Perspectives philosophy, “A Disciplined Life.” The school will open fall of 2008. Currently,   Perspectives Charter School operates four charter schools across the   city.

• Perspectives Math and Science   Academy, a charter school that will serve grades 6-12 and similarly   reflect the Perspectives philosophy, “A Disciplined Life,” with a math and science focus. The school, partnering   with the Illinois Institute of Technology, will open fall of 2008 at   300 W. Pershing. Currently, Perspectives Charter School operates four   charter schools across the city.

• University of Chicago,   a charter school that will serve grades 6-8, with a college prep curriculum   and a mission to strengthen the community through research, leadership   and service. The school will also serve as a professional development   site for teachers, principals and support staff, and will open fall   of 2008 at Woodson South Elementary, 4444 S. Evans. Currently, University   of Chicago operates three charter school campuses across the city.

• The Academy for Global   Citizenship, a contract school serving grades K-8, will incorporate   the curriculum of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program   and focus on global citizenship. The school will open fall of 2008 at   4101 W 51^st St.

• LEARN   Charter School West Garfield Park, a charter school that will serve   grades K-8. Its curriculum will focus on preparing students to be contributing   citizens of tomorrow in a safe, nurturing environment today. The school   will open fall of 2008 at a yet to be determined location in West Garfield   Park. Currently, LEARN operates an elementary charter school in North   Lawndale.

• Chicago International Charter   School-Friesse, a charter school that will serve grades K-3. It   will have an innovative and rigorous curriculum. The school will open   fall of 2008 at 9535 S. Throop.

• Disney II, a performance   school that will serve grades K-8. Its curriculum will be modeled after   Disney Magnet School, an elementary school located on the North Side,   and will incorporate many of the same successful instructional practices.   Disney II is one of two franchised elementary schools that will open   fall of 2008 at a location yet to be determined. 

—more—

• Burroughs II, a performance   school that will serve grades K-8. Its curriculum will be modeled after   the curriculum at Burroughs Elementary, a neighborhood school on the   Southwest Side, and incorporate many of the same successful instructional   practices. Burroughs II is one of two franchised elementary schools   that will open fall of 2008 at a location yet to be identified.

• American Quality Schools   (AQS) Plato Learning Academy, a contract school that will serve   grades K-8. Its curriculum will incorporate a mission and belief that   every child has the innate capacity to achieve success through high   academic and personal standards, competent and caring faculty and staff,   and involved and caring parents. AQS Plato will open fall 2008 in the   Austin community.

• Kwame Nkrumah Academy,   a contract school that will serve grades K-5. The school takes its name   from the first president of Ghana, Francis Nwia Nkrumah, considered   the founder of the Pan-African movement. Its curriculum will be African-centered,   and approach teaching and learning through the African concept “Ubuntu,”   which means, “I am because we are” and “my humanity is expressed through your humanity.”   The school will open fall of 2008 at 901 E. 95^th St.

The four schools approved by the Board for 2009 are:

• Air Force Academy,   a performance school that will serve students in grades 9-12. It will   have a rigorous college prep curriculum designed to prepare students   for post-secondary education. The Air Force Academy will open fall of   2009 at a location yet to be identified.

• Chicago High School for   the Arts, a contract school that will serve students grades 9-12.   A state of the art performing arts school with a comprehensive college   prep curriculum, it will provide artistically gifted students with intensive   pre-professional arts training. Chicago High School for the Arts will   open fall of 2009 at a location yet to be identified.

• LEARN   Charter School North Lawndale II,   a charter school that will serve grades K-8 with a curriculum similar   to the other approved LEARN school. The school will open fall of 2009   at a yet to be determined location in North Lawndale.

• Hope Institute, a contract   school that will serve students in grades K-8 with autism and developmental   disabilities. The Hope Institute for Children and Families, based in   Springfield, will open fall of 2009 at a location yet to be determined.

Also, six schools were approved by the Board last November to open in fall of 2008: 

• UNO Charter School   Network-Archer Heights Campus South   will be one of two elementary school campuses at 4248 W 47^th   St. As with the North campus, the South campus also will offer effective   direct instruction methods within a disciplined environment. The Archer   Heights campus will open fall of 2008. 

       

—more—

• UNO Charter School   Network-Archer Heights Campus North will be one of two elementary   school campuses at 4248 W. 47^th   St. The school will offer effective direct instruction methods within   a disciplined environment. The Archer Heights campus will open fall   of 2008. UNO currently runs four charter campuses in Chicago and seeks   to relieve overcrowding while generating community involvement.

• UNO-Archer Heights   Campus High School will be United Neighborhoods Organization’s   (UNO) first school serving students in grades 9-12. UNO will combine   its model of direct instruction within a disciplined environment with   high academic expectations for its students. The Archer Heights campus   will open fall 2008 at 4248 W. 47^th Street.

• ASPIRA Rosa Parks   Communication and Technology High School   will be an additional charter campus and serve grades 9-12, preparing   students for technology-based jobs. The school will offer a 4-year college   prep math and science curriculum within the areas of computer science,   media arts, and communications. The school also will emphasize the social,   cultural and political climate of the surrounding community. ASPIRA   currently operates three campuses: a traditional high school, an alternative   dropout recovery high school, and a middle school. The Rosa Parks campus   will open fall of 2008 at 1856 N. LeClaire.

• ASPIRA Trade   Tech High School will be an additional charter campus serving grades   9-12 with a focus on specialized areas of the construction trades. It   will also offer a 4-year math and science curriculum, and also emphasize   the social, cultural, and political climate of the community. The Trade   Tech campus is proposed for fall of 2008 at 4101 W. Ann Lurie Pl.

• Henry Ford Power   House Charter High School will serve grades 9-12 and feature a college   prep curriculum, where students will engage in hands-on learning programs   utilizing a wide range of local resources. Students will also have the   opportunity to participate in structured, supervised internships with   a variety of corporations throughout Chicago. Located at 931 S. Homan,   the old Sears Powerhouse, the school will open fall of 2008 with 9^th   graders in the first year.

      This past summer, CPS received 38 new school proposals submitted by teachers, community leaders, and local and national educators through the Renaissance 2010 Request for Proposals process. After an extensive review process involving parents, educators, elected officials, local and national experts, community leaders and CPS staff, Duncan chose 19 proposals to submit to the Board for approval.

      Funding for the new schools comes in significant part from the Renaissance Schools Fund, a private partner to the Chicago Public Schools in fundraising, strategy and accountability for Renaissance 2010. 

       “Investments by Chicago’s business and civic communities are helping to bring successful school models to scale,” said Phyllis Lockett, Chief Executive Officer of the Renaissance Schools Fund, which has raised more than $41 million in private funds for Renaissance 2010.  “Many of the schools approved today will offer innovations, including a longer school day, more professional development for teachers, and programs that encourage active parental involvement—innovations we hope to see translated across the system.”

      —more—

      Mayor Daley began Renaissance 2010 three years ago to create 100 new schools by 2010, replacing low-performing schools with new educational options in underserved communities and relieving school overcrowding in communities experiencing rapid growth. 

      Under Renaissance 2010, 18 new schools opened this fall, 15 new schools opened last fall, and 22 new schools opened in the fall of 2005, for a total of 55 schools. Also, three additional schools opened at Dodge, Williams and Terrell in 2003 and 2004 under the original pilot program that preceded the June 2004 start of Renaissance 2010.

      The Chicago Public Schools is the nation’s third-largest school system.  It includes more than 600 schools and about 409,000 students.

– 30 –

Comments

Any truth to the rumor that Aspira was turned down for approval of the above mentioned schools by the Board of Ed?

I am new at this - does this mean that these are all "Charter" schools and that their teachers are NOT member of the CTU? Do they make more or less money? If the schools' scores don't cut it, does the Board (area) send in their gestapo teams? or do they just close them? Do charters have AIOs, or who monitors them?

and what's the difference between a "contract" school and a "performance" school?

[Charlie]

Hi 11:57,

These are not all charter schools, there are several contract and performance schools in the mix...not sure what the status of those teachers as union members is, but think performance teachers are part of the union and contract might not be.

If charters don't make the cut they can be denied their charter renewal which happens every five years. However, this has only happened a very small handful of times. The gestapo, however, does not get sent it, and charter schools do not have an AIO.

As to salary, that varies from school to school, I know all of the certified teachers where I work are paid at CPS scale or slightly better. I'm sure that doesn't happen everywhere.

In terms of charter vs. contract vs. performance, this is what the Ren10 web site says:

Charter

Charter Schools are independently-operated public schools, approved and certified under the Illinois Charter Schools Law, 105 ILCS 5/27A. Charter Schools have freedom from many state laws, district initiatives, and board policies. Charter School teachers and staff are employees of the nonprofit organization that governs the charter school or an education management organization hired by the nonprofit. Charters have existed in Chicago since 1997.

Contract

Contract Schools are a newly created form of school being established as a part of Renaissance 2010. Contract Schools will be managed by independent nonprofit organizations in accordance with a Performance Agreement between the organization and the Board of Education. Contract Schools will be free from many CPS policies and requirements, but not from state school laws. Contract School teachers and school staff will be employees of the nonprofit.

Performance

Performance Schools will be CPS-run schools with freedom from and flexibility on many district initiatives and policies, but not state school laws. Teachers and school staff are employees of CPS.

you can read more here: http://www.ren2010.cps.k12.il.us/types.shtml

Thanks for that Charlie. Do those teachers get the same pension as us?

[Charlie]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I am pretty sure that all certified teachers in Chicago, regardless if whether they are union members or work in charter or contract schools, are eligible to participate in the Chicago Teacher's Pension Fund.

Their own web site says the following:

"The Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund (CTPF) is a public employee retirement system that benefits teachers and certain other employees of the Chicago Public Schools, approved charter schools, and the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund."

[George Schmidt]

It's not "teacher bashing" to remind everyone that charters conceal more than they reveal.

At this point, the view we get of charters is about as complete as if they were harem ladies in Burkhas. Everythhing is hidden and you're supposed to take their protestations of virginity and niceness on faith.

No peeking.

BS.

So, how about the "Charter Charlie Challenge." That's what I'm calling the following proposal for those who insist on taking the New Age route and personalizing everything.

Or we can call it the "Charter Transparency Project". (For those of us who think that most things aren't really about someone's peraonal "issues" all the time endelessly like in some 12-step nightmare or satire on current events and post modern goofiness).

This is all public money.

Even the "private" money that the millionaires (Tribune's Madigan, for example) or billionaires (Gates, Walton, Pritzker, Ford) are pouring into the Chicago charters.

Do you think Aspira and Polaris would be pulling down Wal-Mart dollars if they weren't non-union "public" charter shools hyping through the Heritage Foundation (etc.) networks to lull the world (and especially New Orleans)?

So, before "choice" (as the marketers will remind you), one must have access to all information. Real transparency. Not a Mission Statement under a Burkha.

Otherwise the magic market tilts. (We'll leave out the Iron Law of Monopoly -- or Oligopoly -- for now. That's a graduate level course, and most Chicago market nut cases -- especially at CPS -- are barely out of kindergarten, prattle aside. Stuff like this requires more than Cliffs Notes at some pont, class).

So back to the "Charter Transparency Project".

It's about transparency and all those other choicey things we love so muchly. Can't make much choice if there's no transparency.

Just look at the latest international market-based "choice" debacle -- exotic mortgage thingies. Once New Century and Countrywide hid the important details (later abetted by Moody's Standard and Poors, and Fitch on the CDOs), everything was going to go to Hell very very fast.

Which it has. Same with charters. No transparency, no kvetching rights when I call you out, kid.

In Chicago, there will be no way to compare, apples to apples, -- instead of apples to bricks -- charters and other public schools until every charter is fully transparent at the level that every public school already is.

So...

Once a month, find and post some data from Chicago's charter schools that would be public information were it from the public schools.

My first favorite (always) is staff pay and benefits. Every public employee's pay is public information, from Arne Duncan and Mayor Daley to the watchman in your building.

Except charter peoples' pay.

Why not?

Why not start with the Position File (or the W-2 file), a listing of every person who works in each place, full or part time, with job description (at least job title) and salary? (This has to include all administration, up to the top dogs downtown, or on Milwaukee Ave., of out on W. Washington, at CICS, Aspira, UNO, etc.).

That's public money.

My next favorite transparency (after employee salaries) will be how many dollars each year go to those EMOs the charters are all hiring for those nifty pre-packaged lesson plans that drone forward day by day. (I've got some pictures, and it's like that Macintosh Computer ad from the 1984 Super Bowl. What do you do when the overhead breaks?)

I guess these dollars are under "contractual and other services." Buried, but still there near the surface.

Then Capital dollars. After "contractual and other services", let's hear it for the Illinois Facilities Fund and a couple of other ways (TIF tappings?) charters are gettiong "capital" dollars while others are starved and lied to. I can't turn around without hearing Rufus and Arne ooze about how they'd love to repair your regular public school's roof (or relieve your overcrowding) but unless you go to Springfield and get those baddies to put more money into CPS for capital work you know we just are TOO BROKE TO HELP YOU...

Well, this is enough for now.

At every point where real data become available -- as opposed to those hallucinations rendered in Power Point and in those Mission Statesments and well-coached New Schools proposals -- we'll take a look at what's really there.

Until transparency, there's no there there.

Just ask all the people who signed off on those adjustable rate mortgages without being shown all the fine prints.

Or all those Merrill Lynch executives who took that high risk option because Moody's, S & P, and Fitch said those thingies were "AAA".

Same same with Chicago charters, especially since the miracle of Chicago is being exported just like those "AAA" rated mortgage thingies were.

Until everything collapsed around lots of overpaid heads.

Performance schools are fully within CPS--union teachers, all in the pension fund.

By state law, charter school teachers are prohibited from joining the CTU.

Contract schools have been interesting in this. Early contract schools, like those run by AUSL, have union teachers. I'm not sure about the more recently opened contract schools. I am not sure what the rules are about pensions in charters and contracts. What is an "approved charter school" for the pension? Anybody know?

[Charlie]

You want to find out what charter school salaries are? File an FOIA. You're absolutely right that they should be shared, but the reality is, in this day and age most people aren't going to share information unless they are asked for it. It really should be up to the state or the city to collect and distribute that information. It can't be that impossible to find if Chicago magazine was able to publish a story that listed the average teacher salary and average amount of $ spent directly on education for every high school in the city, including charter schools.

You want an even better look at the financials of a charter school, go to www.guidestar.org. As 501(c)(3)s all charter schools have public 990s that can be accessed by anyone.

Charter schools are part of CPS just like traditional public schools, therefore I think it is the responsibility of the district to collect this information and share it, not the individual charter schools.

As far as private philanthropy dollars being public money...We can start to treat it as so, stop giving private individuals the opportunity to opt where they want their money to go, but if we do that we will see a sharp drop in philanthropy around the country. Let's see how well that works. And every dollar is reported in the foundations' 990 as well. Stop being lazy and do your research.

[cermak_rd]

Does it really matter how much teachers are paid? I mean, when evaluating a school, is that an important factor? Aren't average test scores, average test score gain, graduation rate, rate of violence, etc. more important by a huge factor? If I were looking for a school for my daughter, those factors would be uppermost in my mind, not the salaries of the teachers. I suppose from a social justice angle I might be concerned if I realized they were earning a pittance, but I would probably decide that was their choice and their concern.

Private philanthropy is private. If the owner of that philanthropy wants to put it into privately funded scholarships, into Charter schools, into research into ridding the world of purple bindweed, whatever, it's her money, she can spend it where she chooses. Isn't that one of the reasons DonorChoose does well, because people get a choice? Remember, tycoons have a lot of things they can spend their money on. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for instance, spends a lot of $$$ on malaria research--more than most nations spend on it. I say Blessings on them for that, it's a terrible disease that kills thousands every year.

[kat]

I would very much like to see what the turnover rate is among the teachers at these new schools and at those in the past that have been set up under Ren2010. I speculate that there are many teachers leaving these schools at a higher rate than the traditional schools because of the demands put upon them to turn things around. This has to have an effect on the overall stability of those schools.

Want to hear about salaries and teacher turnover rates? I work at a charter (one that's mentioned above, actually). There are no unions, no job protection, and no transparency, even with the employees. I was told by my organization that there was a salary schedule, yet I've never been allowed to see it. Of course the employees talk and compare - and discover there is no rhyme or reason to what we're making. About 80% of our teaching staff left last year because of the unprofessionalism of the upper administration and the demands placed on us with very little support in return. Why would you work hours longer each day, weeks longer each year, for thousands of dollars less? Not many people will.
So why do I stay? Not sure...I guess because I love the kids there and I believe I can do a good job within the system I find myself in. But I doubt I'll be around for long. It's a shame...the kids deserve to have passionate and enthusiastic teachers, not bitter and disgruntled ones.

I work at a charter school - one mentioned above - that has become the very school that charter schools were created to protect. Where is the oversight? Where are the concerned ONS people? Where is the board of directors? Why don't the people in "charge" ask the teachers what is going on? Why do they accept the bs administration provides? Why doesn't anyone care? Problems in our school are blatant and getting worse and it takes very little investigation to see they aren't in compliance with state law. This is the type of school that gives charters a bad name.

[blarko]

cermak_rd,

I hope that answers your question as to why you should be looking at teacher salaries and turnover rates.

A teacher's reputation is one of the main stabilizing factors in any school environment. When they are changed out each year, students take over the classes, and you can imagine what that does to the quality of education.

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