Union busting by CTU leadership a bad reality in the post-Janus era...While the majority of working class leaders in July 2018 are going to work hard to build (and in some cases rebuilt) unions for both the public and private sectors, a radical problem (or "issue" . . . | Article | |
BOARDWATCH: Chicago Board of Education's June 2018 meetingThe monthly meeting of the Chicago Board of Education was as tumultuous as such meetings have been lately, with the Board continuing to hold fast to its policies as much as possible, despite widespread criticisms . . . | Article | |
Test sanity increases as University of Chicago drops SAT and ACT as an application requirement...Some of the biggest news to hit the Education in the USA in June 2018 is that the University of Chicago is eliminating the requirement that students applying for admission to the College of the . . . | Article | |  |
Charter schools now leading Chicago and New Orleans in Jim Crow schools...At one time charter schools were viewed by some in the media and in the corporate "school reform" leadership as a way of providing educational equity and choice for parents and students. Many in those . . . | Article | |  |
The Sex Abuse Scandal Exposed by Tribune Reporters Have Caused an Outcry...but much more needs to be done...June began with another scandal for Chicago Public Schools: an expose by the Chicago Tribune of sex abuse and assaults by employees of CPS students. The media has been instrumental in getting Chicago Public Schools . . . | Article | |  |
Inspector General's latest report shows more about the corruption of Rahm's CPS administration under 'BBB'...The corruptions of the administration of Barbara Byrd Bennett, the second "Chief Executive Officer" of Chicago Public Schools appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, has been further exposed in a report by the CPS Inspector General, . . . | Article | |
Claypool and his cronies were as corrupt -- maybe more -- as Barbara Byrd Bennett, but so far no complete examination has been made of that era during the administration of Rahm EmanuelWhile many long time Board watchers were pleased to read the additional news of corruption during the regime of Barbara Byrd Bennett, the public still awaits a complete expose of the corruptions of Forrest Claypool . . . | Article | |
BOARDWATCH: May meeting of the Chicago Board of EducationThe Chicago Board of Education (BOE) held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at 42 West Madison Street, Chicago, lower level. All current Board members were present: Mark Furlong, Alejandra Garza, Jaime Guzman, . . . | Article | |
Philadelphia learns the hard way about Aspira charter schools, it's deja deja again as Phildelphia's auditor exposes corruption at the city's Aspira charter schools...A recent note from Philadelphia shows that the "Chicago Model" for corporate school reform should be avoided at all costs. Philadelphia is now learning the hard way that Aspira charter schools are corrupt and bad . . . | |
BOARDWATCH... Board's May 2018 meeting faces major issues with evasions...The Chicago Board of Education (BOE) held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at 42 West Madison Street, Chicago, lower level. All current Board members were present: Mark Furlong, Alejandra Garza, Jaime Guzman, . . . | Article | |  |
History is still alive today... Labor Beat's 2015 story 'A Financial Crisis Created To Justify Cuts'... Video explaining how ruling class creates a crises to justify staff cuts remains alive and relevant today...In remembrance of Larry Duncan and in preparation for the attacks from employers on workers here is a great video made a few years ago on how employers create a crises that diverts money to . . . | Article | |
RTACThe annual banquet of the Retired Teachers Association of Chicago (RTAC) again showed the organization's power, both among retired teachers and administrators -- and among political leaders. RTAC held its 92nd annual Spring Membership Luncheon . . . | Article | |  |
State rules that CPS has violated the rights of disabled children, takes over monitoring...On Wednesday, May 16, 2018, the monthly meeting of the Illinois Board of Education (ISBE) voted to accept the findings and recommendations of the investigative committee headed by Stephanie Jones, the ISBE general counsel. The . . . | Article | |  |
CTU BUDGET REVIEWS I... As union delegates take a close look at the CTU's proposed budget, questions about double dipping and other problems with the current leadership grow... Does the CTU need a retired teacher as a 'manager of managers' at nearly $100,000 per year?...In a return to times when the Chicago Teachers Union was a crony patronage operation the current CORE leadership led by Karen Lewis and Jesse Sharkey is back to its old habits of double dipping . . . | Article | |
A closer look at the racism of Paul Vallas's New Orleans 'miracle'... When School Reform Falters (if You’re Black and Poor) in New Orleans.....[Introductory by Jim Schwab. While I was in New Orleans April 19-24 for the American Planning Association’s 2018 National Planning Conference, my wife, Jean, was also there. A retired Chicago Public Schools teacher and retiree . . . | Article | |  |
Students to IDEM (Indiana Department of Environmental Management)... Gary is Not a Dump, Our Education is More Important than a Dump!Over 80 students, teachers and supporters of the Steel City Academy in Gary, Indiana, rallied and protested Thursday night, May 10, 2018, first at the United Steelworkers of America #1014 hall and then later at . . . | Article | |  |
Gangs in Chicago. 'South C's' still in business in 'South Chicago'...A small article in the May 8 Chicago Sun-Times reminded me that most of the work of Chicago's drug gangs continues, business as usual, into this, now their fourth generation. Back in the 1990s, when . . . | Article | |
Despite Vallas's claims, be left behind corruption and financial wreck in Philadelphia...Despite claims by Paul Vallas and his cheerleaders at the Chicago Tribune, Vallas left behind a wreck when he was forced out of his job at the top of the nation's fourth largest schools system. . . . | Article | |  |
The Paul Vallas I Know Was a Racist...Paul Vallas and the origins of the corporate 'school reform' policy to eliminate black teachers and principals in Chicago...[Editor's Note: With the May 1 front page story touting Paul Vallas followed by the May 2 Tribune editorial basically endorsing Vallas for Mayor of Chicago, it's clear that the Vallas Mayth persists, at least . . . | Article | |  |
Autism Awareness event at Schurz High SchoolThe Autism Awareness Week event at Schurz High School in Chicago was a success, according to the hundreds of people who attended it. Widespread publicity not only on the Northwest Side but across Chicago helped . . . | Article | |
