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Arne Duncan
Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
4:48pm
Tue Apr 30

Education Experts Question CPS Clout List Kept Under The Duncan Administration

A list kept under former Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan’s administration of clout-heavy Chicagoans and public officials looking to get kids into some of the city’s top schools was made public last week.

Some education experts say the log is another example of the intense competition for too few high-quality school seats in the city and the disparity in education and economic investment in Chicago neighborhoods.

“The fact that there’s so many people who want to get into those schools shows that the people really want a quality education, and the system should be responsive instead of disinvesting in various school communities,” said Eric “Rico” Gutstein, faculty associate with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Collaborative for Equity and Justice in Education.

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PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
5:36pm
Fri Apr 26

A Look At How Charters May Fare If CPS School Actions Are Approved

Education

The Chicago Public Schools’ plan to shakeup and shut down a record-breaking number of neighborhood schools in June will likely lead to further charter school expansion in the city, education policy experts and activists predict.

Quick Hit
by Brandon Campbell
11:28am
Tue Apr 16

$100,000 Plus In College Debt, ‘No Jobs in Sight’: Chicago Students Push For Loan Reforms (VIDEO)

With total college loan debts pushing nearly a trillion dollars in the U.S., a group of Chicago students are pushing for student loan reforms.

Students told stories of promising futures soon replaced by a grim employment outlook through their prepared speeches at the Chicago Temple United Methodist Church Saturday afternoon.

Amanda Weaver, a Loyola University master’s student, told the crowd of about 200 parents, students and concerned community members that her student loans added up to a combined total pf $134,000.

“My parents, teachers, guidance counselors all told me ‘Go to school, take the loans, invest in my future,’” Weaver said speaking from the church pulpit. “I was told I would get nowhere in the job market without this expensive degree. Well, the truth is, after I graduated there were no jobs in sight.”

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Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
5:12pm
Mon Oct 15, 2012

Ravitch Says CTU Strike Was Galvanizing Moment For Teachers

Diane Ravitch, who was assistant secretary of education under George H.W. Bush and then became a national spokeswoman against the so-called education reform movement, says that Chicago has taken the lead on education reform – and the revolt against such policies.

Now a professor at New York University, Ravitch told reporters at the Chicago Teachers Union headquarters Monday that the strike gave “vicarious exhilaration” to teachers across the nation that were “beaten down” by evaluations based on standardized tests and charter schools.

Ravitch says Chicago is distinctive on education issues because of a “more militant” teachers' union, noting that in much of the south, west and now to an extent in northern states such as Wisconsin, “Teacher collective bargaining rights are eliminated.” Read more »

PI Original
by Matthew Blake
6:10pm
Thu Sep 13, 2012

"The Union Cannot Strike In Chicago": SB7 And The CTU Strike

Education

While the strike doesn’t mean SB7 has failed, it adds confusion about what’s next in Illinois education policy.

PI Original
by Matthew Blake
7:20pm
Tue Sep 11, 2012

Obama, Race To The Top And The Chicago Teachers Strike

Education

The CTU strike is more than a political thicket for the president. It also tests the ramifications of Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most impactful education policy and one crafted by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the former head of Chicago Public Schools.