Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Chicago follies

"It's a good (I mean) bad thing..."


Chicago high school admissions/clout scandal has federal Civil Rights implications. Selective enrollment magnet schools were set up to enforce deseg consent decree. Arne Duncan tried like hell to get out from under it.

Federal subpoenas have now been issued. Duncan/Daley are still playing dumb. Russo thinks it's "slowly heading Duncan's way." Duncan tells his media people: stonewall it.

Duncan is still leveraging $100 billion in stim money to push the Chicago model. Oy!

Mather H.S. principal says he felt pressure "from parents and politicians." But which politicians? He doesn't say.

Daley's hand-picked board prez, Michael Scott swears, "I've never called about a student.'' Translation: he called.

Daley first says, "it's a good thing" that clout heavies are trying to back-door their kids into elite schools. He even thanks God for sending them. But after talking to his law dept., he says, "it's a bad thing."

NPR:
Federal investigators are among those looking into the city's elite public schools. The investigation suggests there is more to the admissions process than just the lottery that several thousand students enter each year. There are allegations parents use their clout to get their kids into certain schools. (Listen to the NPR story here).
Poor Huberman. He inherits Duncan's mess:
"We are carefully reviewing the existing selective enrollment policies and guidelines, and we will be implementing additional controls in the near future," Huberman said in the news release. (Trib)

1 comment:

  1. Maybe its the beginning of a reconsideration of the 100 billion and what to do with it. I'd truly be happy if that were exactly what it was and creative solutions would take the lead over accountability/mayoral control/Chicago model.

    Our kids here in most nyc public schools don't even know about the selective public schools the city offers, and it is nearly impossible to imagine these schools preparing them for the SHSAT scores needed and other admissions criteria. Kids in MS private school in the city are prepared from day one and use special SHSAT prep tutoring companies to get even more of a competitive leg up.

    Its too bad to see that the supposedly race-blind Chicago magnet schools are similarly motivated.

    ReplyDelete

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