Parents of Chicago: Questions You Must Ask About Your Child’s School This Year
1) How many teachers/staff left the year before and why?
Schools all over Chicago are in chaos. Intentional chaos. The year after the largest number of school closings in the history of the United States left a wake of destruction and pain. Get the information from teachers and staff at your child’s school about how many teachers left and what’s going on that so many are getting out. Ask about the school climate, how teachers, staff, and students were treated last year. Ask if teachers are miserable at this school. Ask why they are miserable. Many teachers are probably afraid to say anything, but if you ask them about it directly, they might open up.
2) Are there positions left unfilled and why?
It is possible your child will begin the school year with long term subs. Be angry about this, especially if the position was filled the year before. That teacher was likely run off by the chaos.
3) What is the situation with substitutes?
Speaking of substitutes, CPS has manufactured a severe shortage of day-to-day subs. Many schools simply have no one to cover classes when teachers are out sick. Your child may ILLEGALLY be taught by a classroom aide, specialist teachers like the art/music/gym teacher, or special education teachers pulled from their students with special needs.
4) Is your child’s teacher on a “provisional certification”?
CPS has manMs. Katie's Ramblings: Parents of Chicago: Questions You Must Ask About Your Child’s School This Year:y teacher positions filled with Teach For America or Chicago Teaching