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If you've got a question or comment for the blog, don't write it here -- cuz no one will see it.
Write it here, where the new site it, so that it can be read and responded to.
It's the same blog, just in a new home.
We'll move the past posts and comments over to the new site in a few weeks.
After nearly two years, District 299 is now moving over to Catalyst Chicago.
The address is changing, but not much else.
Check it out here. It looks pretty good.
Email me if you have any problems or questions (at District299 at gmail dot com).
See you over there.
Earlier today, word leaked out from the secret Catalyst corporate headquarters high atop the Sears Tower that this blog was moving to their site, starting tomorrow. And it's true. I'm actually pretty excited. Here's the announcement:
"Starting November 1st, Alexander Russo's District 299: The Chicago Schools Blog will move to Catalyst Chicago. It will be featured on our home page. Russo, a contributing editor to Catalyst, launched his CPS blog in December, 2005. Since then, the site has turned into a gathering place for parents, teachers, and activists to read the latest news, share the latest gossip, and find out what's going on in other parts of the city."
So that's where you should go starting tomorrow AM (here). The site won't change much in terms of its look and appearance, and as I've explained before your privacy, anonymity, and right to rant and rave (within reason) are all being preserved. Enjoy! And if you ever have any troubles, let me know at district299 at gmail dot com.
Just so you know, this site is going to have a new home starting on Thursday. I want to give you a couple of days to get ready. There will still be open commenting, and the site will still be independent editorially -- I criticize pretty much everyone and everything, as you know.
What will be different is that the site will be affiliated with -- but not controlled by -- another organization to be named soon, and I will (finally) get a little bit of Diet Coke money for the time it takes to post stories, monitor comments, add fun new functions, and call around once in a while for tidbits and gossip.
But, I repeat, the content is still going to be entirely mine, for better or worse. Your comments and contributions are still going to be yours. So don't get all paranoid on me. Or if you do, do so while reading the site and writing to tell us all about it.
Thanks as always for making this blog one of the most interesting (and fun) things I've done in recent memory. Onward and upward.
Best Of The Week
This Week's Question: Who Are You? 50
Montessori -- And Magnet -- At Oscar Mayer? 12
LSCs
CPS Board President Hates LSCs 13
Curie LSC Chair Reinstated...But Not Until 11-30 15
125 S. Clark Street
18 Of 19 New Schools Approved 3
New School For Autistic Students Not Good Enough 1
Linking Attendance To The Master Schedule 12
Charter Chatter
Requested Test Score Data 23
Not Even Close 1
Media Watch
The Defender & Heartland
School Choice, Race, and Income In Chicago 8
School Life
Making CVS Safer 4
Costumes and Candy 5
Mr. Silva's Students Go To ISU
Hand Washing, Baby Wipes, and Head Start 3
Teachers & Teaching
What If Marilyn Stewart Wanted To Sue You? 2
Chicago Teacher Retention Program Goes To DC 6
Teachers Fired, But Not Decertified, In Illinois & Elsewhere
There are more changes coming to this site -- good ones, I think, to make the comments sections flow more readily and to bring in more parents along with the teachers and administrators who are already in the know. Or, I think that's who you are. That's this week's question: Who are you? North side teacher, South side parent, elementary principal, first-year rookie? Put as much or little information as you want, but try and put something. I'll go first...
Arts Office On Junkets To Venezuela & New York City? 9
From a reader: "What is going on with the new CPS arts team?"
Parents Vs. Parents 13
The
next thing that may bubble over into the mainstream press is tomorrow's
showdown between the old Citywide Parent Advisory Council and a new,
cyborg version called the "Parent involvement advisory council."
More On Teacher Firings At Wells 33
I
don't understand all the details, but apparently there's a
little-publicized provision in the new contract that allows some kinds
of teachers to be fired.
Scheduling Snafus Interview 9
Earlier this week, Vocalo.org did an hour on the FUBAR scheduling going
on at Wells among other places, including interview with kids at the
school, David Gilligan, and me.
My Enemy's Friend Is My Enemy, Too 36
Let
the charter-hating begin. CICS celebrated 10 years this weekend, and
WGN and the Tribune -- those ignorant fools -- they covered it.
Chicago Teacher Slams Silence In NYT 5
NYT
golden boy Will Okun (a Chicago teacher) has moved from prize-winning
NYT blogger to full-on op-ed writer with today's NYT opinion piece on
the silence thing. Plus: Shhh! 8
What Tests Needed To Get Into Skinner? 10
A
Chicago parent wants to apply to get her son (age 5) into Skinner but
doesn't know the procedure. Can any of you know-it-alls help us out
:-) ?
Teacher Training, Military Schools 7
Chicago's 'grow your own' teacher training program and military schools are among the largest in the nation.
New Comment Changes 15
I've
changed the comments back to oldest first like they used to be -- sorry
about that. And I'm instituting a new 500 word comment rule.
I've changed the comments back to oldest first like they used to be -- sorry about that. And I'm instituting a new 500 word comment rule. You've got 500 words to say whatever you have to say - hopefully it's detailed and first-hand like this one from last night -- but that's it. If I see something that's way too long, I'm going to cut it off.
By the way, there have been over 15,000 comments on this site since it started 18 months ago, and 2,200 posts. Not bad!
Springfield Follies
Missed Opportunity in Illinois 1
125 S. Clark Street
Lots More Coverage For 19 Proposed Schools 5
Why Teach Chinese? 3
Systems Problems
Enrollment Disaster At Percy Julian High School 9
Payroll Problems: 400 Grievances, 16 Promised Changes 3
School Life
Remember Recess? 17
Youth Violence And Gang Territories 2
Reader Contest: "A Day In The Life" 27
Foundations and Reform Groups
Evil Geniuses At UofChicago Set To Take Over The World 7
The Genius Behind Teach For America
Myths About "High-Impact" Nonprofits 2
Media Watch
Chicago Magazine's High School Issue 5
Changes To This Site, Big And Small 1
There are some big changes coming to this site, perhaps within a few weeks, but in the meantime one small one: As of a day or so ago, the comments appear with the newest ones first -- just like the blog posts show up.
No more scrolling through a long post to see if there's anything new. Or at least that's the idea. Feel free to comment, pro or con, if you think it makes a big difference or if you have any other ideas about how to make the site better.
Recent Comments