The Chicago defender features an article of a $10 million grant to Chicago Public Schools to imporve results in public education. The full article is below. From the article:
“Since taking on the challenge of raising the performance of our schools, we have definitely seen progress across the city and have become a national model for urban school reform,” Daley said Thursday at a press conference at the Sherman School of Excellence on the South Side. “But as I’ve said many times, there are still too many schools that consistently under-perform. The Academy for Urban School Leadership has shown promising results in schools under its management and this expanded partnership will enable more CPS students to receive the education they deserve.”
One of the key elements of the Academy for Urban School Leadership is teacher training and retention. The founder of AUSL said "Our mantra is attract, train [and] retain..."
$10 Million Bill Gates Grant Could Help Chicago Public Schools
From the Chicago Defender Online
by Wendell Hutson
A week after announcing sweeping changes for its troubled schools, the Chicago Public Schools hooked up with the Academy for Urban School Leadership, a Chicago non-profit, to turn things around next school year. Thursday Mayor Richard M. Daley and Arne Duncan, CEO for CPS, announced a $10.3 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that will be used to further the Gates’ cause of improving troubled schools.
“Since taking on the challenge of raising the performance of our schools, we have definitely seen progress across the city and have become a national model for urban school reform,” Daley said Thursday at a press conference at the Sherman School of Excellence on the South Side. “But as I’ve said many times, there are still too many schools that consistently under-perform. The Academy for Urban School Leadership has shown promising results in schools under its management and this expanded partnership will enable more CPS students to receive the education they deserve.”
And while the Gates were unable to attend the press conference, Steve Seleznow, program director for education at the Gates foundation, did attend. “All students, no matter where they live or what schools they attend, deserve an education that prepares them for college, career, and life success,” said Seleznow.
“By aggressively targeting struggling schools and effectively supporting students and staff, AUSL has the opportunity to become a promising solution to a national education crisis.” Duncan said AUSL is no stranger to CPS when it comes to turning around schools for the better. And among its ingredients for turning schools around is putting quality teachers in place. “Over the past four years, we have made some progress in turning around underperforming schools, but we have a ways to go before our vision is achieved,” Duncan added.
“Teacher quality and retention continues to be a challenge, particularly in low-income areas, and that is one of AUSL’s areas of expertise.” AUSL has already worked with CPS to turn around Sherman Elementary, where Illinois Standards Assessment Test scores improved, and at the Harvard School of Excellence on the South Side where attendance went up. “We know that there are many teachers who want to make a difference in highneed urban schools—and many make a valiant effort—but too few are adequately prepared for the unique challenges in these classrooms,” said Martin J. Koldyke, founder and chairman of AUSL.
“Our mantra is attract, train [and] retain. Our teacher training program is based on continual learning and support from veteran teachers as well as clinical classroom experience.” He added that over the past six years, AUSL has trained nearly 250 teachers who serve more than 5,000 Chicago Public Schools children from low-income backgrounds. The Chicago School Board will meet Feb. 27 to vote on a CP
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Posted by: tskgorjnx helifcrjz | April 28, 2008 at 01:38 PM