Chicago Public Schools Archives

My day was saddened when I heard the news of the president of the Chicago School Board. Michael Scott is no longer with us and the speculation on his last moments are rampant. As a business person, mayoral confidant, and school board president, Michael Scott's life was complicated, to say the least. See Tribune story on Michael Scott.

Trib photo: William DeShazer

The Tribune reported that "around 3:15 a.m. today, police found Scott's blue Cadillac parked next to a trash bin yards away from where he was discovered along the river, police say. The car was winched onto a tow truck about 6:30 a.m."

I will await more details on the death of Scott. My prayers are with his family as the mystery unfurls.

Leatrice Jackson was fed up. She decided to keep her child home from Fenger High School because she had fears of Tywon, her son, being harmed. Can you blame her?  

The Chicago Tribune ran a front page story on Tywon not going to school for three weeks. He was sprawled across his bed, chillin', with no homework in sight.

But if homeschool, charter, magnet, or other public school options weren't available, what else could poor little Tywon do? Fire up the Palystation bruh.

To be fair, his mother tried endlessly to get her child into other schools, but she is quoted as saying, "When you say you are coming from Fenger; they don't want you. You're automatically labeled."

Let the labeling begin as Tywon bounces into Corliss High School. I hope that he can regain the three weeks lost in class time, because a mind is truly a terrible thing to waste.

Fruits and vegetables probably won't get picked, because sugar and colorful wrappers win every time. Chicago Public Schools makes the decision to serve Fruit Loops, Pop Tarts, and donuts or breakfast.

With children opting for straight sugar instead of natural foods, the sadness continues with a child's choice to eat twice the recommended amount of high fat, high sugar content foods. This defeats the purpose of children eating breakfast for health reasons. Frankly, this looks like a key marketing ploy for large companies who want their brands to be programmed into children's minds, for future loyalty. The sugar is addicting and so is the brand recognition.

Reduce gym time, add sugar, and wonder why behavioral problems persist? Free breakfast is great, if we're feeding them the right stuff.

Did you see the nation's report card? For Illinois 4th graders, only 39% are proficient in math. Sad. But it gets sadder with low-income and African American students. Only 18% of low income students met or exceeded standards, while only 11% of African Americans met or exceeded the standards. This is terrible and I am ashamed of Black people right now. Ashamed! Because millions of dollars are being spent and only 11 out of 100 Black 4th graders can meet the math standards?

Appauling!

Call me tonight on Garrard McClendon Live. I have a bone to pick with teachers, parents, and school systems. You should all be embarrassed. 877-358-CLTV.

 

 

 

Check out Fenger H.S. parent, Toya Truitt, and State Senator Monique Davis on GML. Why was the violence meeting held downtown? Can money solve Fenger's more intricate problems?

   

   

If you live on 130th street, that's a long walk (or bus ride) to Fenger. Check out the Tribune article. I would be upset too if I had to go to a school far away from my home. However, no excuses for a melee in front of the Agape Community Center - so much for love. 

What are your thoughts on The Ville, Altgeld Gardens, and Fenger High School? Is the closing of Carver as a conventional High School the culprit? Tribune reporter, Kristen Mack, shares her story with us, "Fenger kids tell why they fight."

Dr. Lance Williams from Northeastern Illinois University talks about the sociological aspects of violence in Chicago.

 

CEO of Chicago's High Achievers, Jinny English, gives her analysis of the tragic event and the players surrounding the death of Derrion Albert.

 

   

CPS is paying attention to the troubled and delinquent. Twelve hundred to be exact. Well, so much for the good students. High GPAs, perfect attendance, and no school offenses can't get you $30 million. But if you're a bad son-of-a-gun, wreaking havoc in school, here's some money and attention. Ron Huberman - this is a big risk, but it might work.

Chicago Public Schools has infused de facto probation officers in a 24-7 / 60 hour per week mentor masquerade. Where are the parental responsibilities? If I had a knucklehead child who I didn't care for, I would be rejoicing now. "Thank the Lawd that CPS is gon' take care of my baby...I ain't gotta raise him because Mr. Huberman will give my child a 60 hour mentor."

This is appauling. God bless Mr. Huberman - I see where he's going with this...but when delinquents get attention, what are we rewarding? He says, "If we don't offer enough of a carrot to alter their lifestyle, they won't bite." Blatant bribery in the form of 60 hours per week.

I can see the high, middle, and low achievers being neglected, while Bay Bay's kids get first-class supervision, the well-behaved get second-class citizenship. This gives greater incentive to be a bad kid, and a bad parent.

"The district's research found that ineffective schools tend to expel students at a higher rate and have 17 percent less parental involvement. For the 38 schools the district is focusing on, each school will have a specific school culture action plan. Training and hiring of security  personnel will also undergo a revamping."  - from Azam Ahmed's Tribune story.

I'll be nice until I see this plan blow up in Huberman's face. If he can keep 1200 students on the straight and narrow - Great! But will 2400 other students cross over into the neglected world of terrible attendance, high crime, and low achievement? Time will tell.

Did you miss the scholastic fireworks on GML? Check out the clips from Tobias Q. Brown talking about school improvement, attainment, and year-round schooling. What are your thoughts?

 

Less idle time for students to shoot someone or to get shot.

Three months off in the summer is a disaster. Last time I checked, there were no farms in Chicago - machines pick corn now, and humans play video games and vacation in the summer. Therefore, children should be in school year-round because three months is a long time to be without the reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Trib Photo: Michael Tercha

The upside of year-round schooling

Funding considerations favor multi-tracking students, which allows more students to use the same number of classrooms, instead of constructing entirely new school.

Reading scores can improve as much as 14%.

Students see life-long learning as a practice and not just a concept.

More effective and concentrated instruction, and more opportunities for student testing.

Once again, less idle time for students to shoot someone or to get shot.

Write me with your thoughts against year-round schooling. It just doesn't make sense to shut down school for a 3-month period - that's if we believe that a mind is a terrible thing to waste. "Back to School" should be replaced with "Always in School."

Garrard, Ald. Freddrenna Lyle, and Bill "Dock" Walls discuss Chicago Public School's Back to School Campaign with recording artist, Jeremih. See clips from show below.

   

How hard is it to get into a magnet school?

Very!  Especially if you don't have the scores to garner a bid or a lottery placement. As the Tribune article states, some parents beg to get their children in, offer donations, and use name dropping to gain influence.

To get into a magnet school, officials have to carefully comb through middle school scores, elementary grades, attendance and entrance exams. But principals may admit 5% of a school's students by looking at extracurricular activities, leadership, family hardship, or sibling attendance. Is this 5% a breeding ground for unfair subjective selection?

Just ask Gregory Minniefield.

 

An artist just can't get a break, until Chicago Public Schools picks singer/rapper Jeremih Felton, to walk the children back to school. If you're a 106 and Park watcher, you may have seen him in this video called "Birthday Sex."

But with CPS asking the recording artist to lead the children back to school whispering, "Birthday Sex," no wonder Dock Walls and Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell "went off." By no means do I fault the young man, but did officials listen to his discography before making the choice? Did they browse YouTube, iTunes, or B.E.T. before agreeing to make Jeremih the back to school attendance balladeer? "Jeremih, you're our man! - So get out there and be a role model. Sex them up Jeremih, and then tell the children to go to school."  See John Kass article.

I'm sure children have heard much worse than "Birthday Sex." And if they would have chosen another artist from Chicago like Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Kanye, or Malik Yusef, they would've gotten their share of "artistic" lyrics. Nevertheless, CPS officials tried to be hip - and ended up duping themselves. Jeremih will sell records and get thousands of video views. CPS will get a large number of students on day one. But what about day two, three, four...will CPS offer the students "Birthday Sex" to get perfect attendance?