by
Bill Smith
Pope John XXIII School in Evanston has been named a Blue Ribbon School by the federal Department of Education.
The school is one of 21 in Illinois named in the program. Six of the 21 are schools operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.
The awards honor academically strong schools or schools that have achieved dramatic academic gains.
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Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now. More by Bill Smith
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Hey District 65 — any of your schools on this blue ribbon list?
“The awards [from the federal Department of Education] honor academically strong schools or schools that have achieved dramatic academic gains.”
Are any District 65 schools on this blue ribbon list? My guess: the answer is no.
A parents’ organization just filed a discrimination charge against District 65 yesterday based on the District’s treatment of special education students at Haven School. I’ve heard that more such legal proceedings are on the way.
Teachers apparently can’t be paid enough. Relations are so bad between District 65 (management) and the rank-and-file teachers (union members) that the package negotiated with the union leaders and the District was voted down by the members. What a tremendous red flag concerning teacher dissatisfaction.
Several schools are sagging under the weight of years of neglect. They can’t keep their test scores where they need to be for more than one year.
The District is spending more than $17,000 per student — more than many, many other school districts on the North Shore and around the Chicago area. Yet, despite this enormous expenditure per student, families continue to leave the District due to dissatisfaction with their children’s educational experience there.
Meanwhile, the School Board members think that the Emporer’s new clothes certainly look nice. The Superintendent can do no wrong, according to them. I would like to buy each one of them an alarm clock so that they can wake up and see what’s really happening in District 65. Maybe if they are awake, they can do something about the many problems in the District. Now, they are asleep at the switch while the train known as District 65 is teetering on the tracks.
if public schools
were able to chose their students you might have a point. Since they don’t, you’re comparing apples to watermelon.
Evanston Blue Ribbon School
Dear Fed Up,
An Evanston school has made the Blue Ribbon list. It is Pope John XXIII and it is more diverse than D65. Tuition is probably 1/4 of D65’s per pupil costs.
Vouchers are the way to go
Again, I think vouchers are a way to go.
Rather than use the $17,000 per student at D65 why not allow parents to use some of that money and choose a school for their children? Why can’t parents have more choices? Why not bring more competition to edudation.
Instead, each year property owners are hit with tax increases that are related in a large part to administrator and teacher pay hikes that seem beyond the median in the private sector.
This week, for example, D65 union members REJECTED an agreed contract with union leaders and D65 officials. WOW.
What now? Will D65 teachers threaten a strike? If there is a strike how will that affect our kids or will D65 officals capitulate? Who’s in charge?
In the private sector, a strike or a threat of one would never happen. Private school owners can’t raise taxes every time they need money, and unions can’t hustle them for more money, less work and a bureuacratic process that makes it difficult to fire inept teachers. Private schools either make it or they go out of business, which after three decades now that’s what CPS should have done.
Oh, now CPS is paying their students to make good grades. Good grief.
vouchers only if…
… private schools are required to admit students without regard to special needs or disability, parents participation level or any real or percieved discipline problems.
Exactly why Evanston and Illinois need vouchers
In response to the anonymous post who says that since public schools don’t choose their students, then you can’t compare them to private schools – it’s like a choice between “apples to watermelon” (odd fruit for an analogy).
You see there’s the rub – who gets to choose? Just because public schools are mandated to take anyone who applies then your argument goes parents should not have the choice of using their hard earned tax money to use it for a private school of their choice.
That’s misleading because in the few states that do allow vouchers, private schools who accept public funds must follow certain mandates.
What you forget also is that if a parent has say, $17,000, (D65 per student rate) to spend on their child’s education, regardless of that child’s discipline problems, learning disabilities or whatever, there will be schools competing to get that business.
You know why? $17,000 per student is a lot of money and much more than what many local private schools charge. And these schools are healthy and growing despite a cost that is far lower than $17,000 per student.
Pope John XXIII in Evanston is a shining example.
you wrote … That’s
you wrote …
That’s misleading because in the few states that do allow vouchers, private schools who accept public funds must follow certain mandates.
what, exactly are these mandates?
And by the way, $17,000 will not buy a moderately to severely disabled child’s education at ANY private school.
strike?
My Haven student informed me he wouldn’t have school next week…one of his teachers was wearing a “strike now” button??!
Anyone know anything?