You may be hearing the same things we are. But if not, I thought I would share. The CPS Board of Ed monthly meeting has been moved at the last minute from next Wednesday to Tuesday. George Schmidt of Substance News has said that the BOE will be approving many no-bid contracts on Tuesday in an attempt to bankrupt the budget.
One of the first pieces to go private will be early childhood ed. I feel that connected to this is the latest requirement that 3 year-old children will be given standardized tests 3 times a year, and 4 year-old children will be given standardized tests 4 times a year. Wireless Generation has recently received a $4.7 million contract, something that Joel Klein and the WSJ didn't feel didn't needed to be disclosed when he wrote an op-ed attacking the CTU.
The sale and lease-back of Chicago public schools + New Market Tax Credit + the non-profit status of both the Chicago Infrastructure Fund and the charter schools, to me at least, equal a huge, invisible drain on the CPS budget. It hope that you can can come out on Tuesday to the Board Meeting. We need witnesses to this execution. And so few reporters can see the picture regarding privatization.
Thanks,
Maureen Cullnan
"...3 year-old children will be given standardized tests 3 times a year, and 4 year-old children will be given standardized tests 4 times a year."
ReplyDeleteSo simple it's almost elegant. By extension, then I guess high school kids should be given standardized tests 14-17 times a year? Some people might complain that that wouldn't leave very much time for learning, but I say, hey, as long as Pearson is profiting, all is right with the world.