Thursday AM News: Bernie Eshoo and More Ren 2010

Students' plea for teacher turned down Tribune
What started as a protest over the layoff of a popular librarian at Lincoln Park High School has escalated into a rancorous debate about student free speech and teacher intimidation at one of the city's flagship neighborhood schools.

No new taxes or fees in City's $5.7 billion budget ABC 7
The City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a $5.7 billion budget for 2007 which holds the line on taxes and fees, and calls for new investments in programs to benefit neighborhoods, according to a release.

Reform brings 17 more schools Tribune
Chicago gave the green light to 17 new schools Wednesday--eight high schools and nine elementaries--designed to give students more educational choices.

NOTE:  For all the NAEP science news and comments scroll down to "Last In Science"

Comments

What about teacher seniority? Where is the CTU?

[George N Schmidt]

Eshoo has 23 years total seniority and 16 years at Lincoln Park High School. She was not only union delegate for Lincoln Park, but a member of the executive board of CTU ("high school funcational vice president").

So far, the CTU leadership has not shown up at either meeting of the Lincoln Park Local School Council since this happened, despite their bizarre front page story (Chicago Union Teacher) about sending their 15-person "SWAT Team" to Gillespie elementary school a month ago to battle a principal who was a tyrant.

I guess everyone should ask CTU directly. Equally importance, however, is to ask why CPS allowed the principal to (allegedly) manipulate all those position numbers and other things to come up with a way to rid the school of a union delegate who'd been there 16 years. The principal is saying that the high school office made her do it, but yesterday Don Pittman said (as quoted in the Tribune) that the choice was made by the principal.

was there a budget cut?
isn't there a formula for librarian positions?

Yes, there is a formula for library positions. Theoretically her position could not be cut.

7:16 I don't know if there is a formula for HS librarians or not, but, if there is (as you state) then it is not "theoretical" at all.

Schools with 1,500 or more students are entitled to two librarians.

The principal of Lincoln Park learned from the best
about moving excellent and hard-working tenured
teachers who spoke-up out--Ed Klunk.
And he still consults for CPS in high school programs.
I am sure the Lincoln Park principal received guidance
from this experienced retired Amundsen principal and she came from Amundsen as a teacher there. I would have kept the beloved librarian and worked it out with her.

[1.04]

As i have written.Any principal can get rid of any teacher they want at any time.Where is the great
CTU

[LP student]

yeah we don't actually have library access anymore