Although the 2011-12 school year is just a few months away, Chicago Public Schools principals are still in the dark over the staff and programs they'll need to cut to deal with the district's $720 million budget deficit.
As the Trib reports, administrators usually have tentative numbers by spring, which allows them to make up their staff roster, determine how much they can spend on textbooks, and decide whether there's money left to fund new programs.
This time around it's taking much longer, due to the state's slow-pay policies and the transition from the administration of former schools chief Ron Huberman to the new CEO, Jean-Claude Brizard, who started last week. Read more...
The Chicago Board of Education yesterday voted to go ahead with closing seven schools, although parents have expressed heavy opposition to the plan.
The changes include closing Anderson Elementary and consolidating it into LaSalle II Magnet School, consolidating Carpenter Elementary into Talcott, closing Schneider Elementary and consolidating it into Jahn, merging Avondale Elementary and Logandale Middle schools, and consolidating the four schools at the Bowen High campus into one.
Interim schools CEO Terry Mazany has said the changes are necessary because many of the campuses suffer from low enrollment and the district faces a budget shortfall. Read more...
Last year, aldermen and parents bashed CPS for providing last-minute notice of schools that were to be closed. Ron Huberman, then the CPS chief, promised closing and consolidations would take place the summer before CPS took such actions.
But now, according to the Sun-Times, Huberman's flown the coop without leaving behind a school-closure list. The district, facing declining enrollment on several campuses, once again plans to close schools without much notice.
This seems like a haphazard and needless way for CPS to make enemies. It's pretty easy to forecast trend lines on enrollment numbers months, or years, into the future, , figure out where changes need to be made, and prepare for them in advance. Apparently that's not happening at CPS, though.
An alert tipster just sent me documents detailing the City Colleges of Chicago's decision to lease a $736 per month Chevy Tahoe for the district's chancellor.
Our tipster poses two questions. What is it about expensive leased vehicles that top public officials love so much? And wouldn't taxpayers would be better off simply reimbursing officials for mileage on their personal vehicles?
The answer to question #1 is easy: Who doesn't like a free car (other than the people paying for it?). The answer to question #2 is undoubtably yes, but the vehicles have are something of an expected perk for top public officials. Read more...
The Chicago Teachers Union says it will file a lawsuit tomorrow to prevent Chicago Public Schools from expanding class sizes by 20 percent.
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, CTU President Marilyn Stewart said raising class sizes in Chicago elementary schools from the current maximum of 28 to 35 will destroy public education in Chicago.
High schools could see their maximum size jump from 32 to 35 students. Read more...
