Gov. Pat Quinn is giving a thumbs up to a controversial bill allowing Chicago to install speed “safety” enforcement cameras around schools and parks. The bill, which was backed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, calls for fines of $50 or more for cars going 6 to 10 miles over the limit near schools and parks. Driving more than 10 miles over the limit triggers $100 fines.
During February's Schools on the Line, Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard fielded questions from parents, teachers and students about the longer school day, paid protesters, and just when school might begin next fall.
Gov. Pat Quinn is pushing state lawmakers to raise the age students can legally drop out of school from 17 to 18, a move aimed at improving graduation rates but one that local educators say won't accomplish much unless the state also provides the money to keep at-risk students in school.
While the mayor on Monday defended his choice of lengthening the school day to 71/2 hours, saying the number was "not arbitrary," the teachers union and a parent group maintained that research does not support such a long day.
It's been a rough week for Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, and the furor over her ill-advised comments at a conference isn't dying down. So here's your Friday morning cartoon, featuring Ms. Lewis and Arne Duncan.
