Anger with CPS over closings and turnarounds spreads in the Legislature
By: Jim Broadway / March 26, 2012
High level employees of Chicago Public Schools took an unprecedented scolding Monday on the subject of school closings and turnarounds in the city – and even more heat for CPS’ perceived “disrespect” for the Illinois Legislature by the absence of its leader, CEO Jean-Claude Brizard, at a hearing at the Capitol.
In the end, the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee decided to call for a joint hearing of four legislative committees – the education committees and appropriations committees of both the House and the Senate – and to force Brizard and Mayor Rahm Emanuel to attend even if they have to be subpoenaed to make that happen.
“We have been bamboozled again by CPS,” exclaimed Rep. Esther Golar (D-
Professors caution CPS on using tests to evaluate teachers
By: Sarah Karp / March 26, 2012
Behind closed doors, the Chicago Teachers Union and CPS officials are negotiating the details of a new teacher evaluation process scheduled to debut in at least 300 schools this fall. On Monday, a diverse group of university professors raised yellow flags.
The group, named CReATE, sent a letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard and the Board of Education signed by 88 faculty members from 15 local universities warning that using student test scores in teacher evaluation could do more harm than good. The universities included the University of Illinois Chicago, DePaul University and the University of Chicago.
The warning comes as the School Board is scheduled to vote on Wednesday whether to spend $590,000 for teacher roster verification software. This softwar