The hotline will let them anonymously report information to police about any problems that could turn violent.

“When they hear about a potential matter of violence, or when they know something about a violent incident, we don’t want people to take a vow of silence. We want to stop the violence and stop the silence,” Quinn said.

The hotline will be up and running on Jan. 1.

More information will be posted in every Chicago public school.

Originally reported by FOX News Chicago. Read the original article here.

CPS Hotline Created to Report Violence | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

But FOX Chicago News discovered billions of dollars worth of good food gets thrown away by schools each year — food that is never opened, never cooked and perfectly edible.

Our cameras found some of those lunches in the garbage at Chicago-area schools. Lunches paid for with your tax dollars.

Sources told FOX Chicago News the most food is thrown away on days when kids don’t like what’s on the menu.

Studies estimate kids all across the us waste about $2 billion in taxpayer money through the national school lunch program.

At $2.40 a meal that adds up to a lot of wasted lunches.

Federal studies show girls waste more than boys, and younger kids waste more than older ones. The foods they throw away most often are predictable — salad, fruit and vegetables.

Studies also found the length of the lunch period also plays into how much food is wasted. If lunch periods are too short, too early, or too late, kids waste more food.

But if school kids can’t or won’t eat those subsidized lunches, soup kitchens say they are happy to take the unwanted food off the schools’ hands.

Still, many schools hesitate to donate their unwanted food even though the federal government encourages them to donate.

Some schools are concerned about liability issues if someone becomes sick from eating donated food, even though a federal law protects food donors from lawsuits.

There is one catch to donating school lunches to food pantries — leftover food must be kept refrigerated when it’s picked up and delivered. And recipients must be a bonafide non-profit like a soup kitchen.

Read the original article from FOX Chicago News.

Chicago schools throw away taxpayer-funded lunches | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Keller parents learned Tuesday that CPS had abandoned a plan to look into the possibility of moving the school to another location in the city.

“We want Keller to remain an important part of the Mount Greenwood community and to continue to forge relationships with its community partners,” CPS chief Ron Huberman wrote in a letter to Keller Principal LaTanya McDade.

“CPS is proud of Keller’s students and teachers and their wonderful accomplishments, most notably Keller’s distinction as the second-highest-scoring elementary school in the state,” he wrote.

Parents were outraged after learning last month that CPS was studying a potential relocation of Keller to help relieve overcrowding at Mount Greenwood School, 10841 S. Homan Ave.

Christine McGovern, a parent of a Keller student, said she did not expect CPS to make a decision on Keller’s future so quickly.

“I am extremely satisfied. The outcome was unexpected,” she said. “I believe we had our politicians on our side.”

At a Jan. 28 rally at the school, Ald. Ginger Rugai (19th), state Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago) and state Sen. Ed Maloney (D-Chicago) said that moving Keller, 3020 W. 108th St., would be harmful to the community.

More than 200 parents attended the rally. A smaller group attended a CPS board meeting the previous day.

“I think (CPS) was overwhelmed by our support,” McGovern said. “I don’t think they were expecting such a rally coming from us.”

McGovern said Huberman’s letter is somewhat vague because it does not promise Keller never will be relocated.

She said she plans to attend CPS’s Feb. 24 meeting to ask, “How long is this letter good for?”

Mount Greenwood Elementary School, with more than 800 students, has been overcrowded for several years. Rugai said she has lobbied CPS for years to do something about overcrowding at Mount Greenwood and another 19th Ward school, Cassell.

CPS has agreed to add four modular units to Mount Greenwood next year to provide temporary relief from the overcrowding, Rugai said.

McDade could not be reached for comment.

Chicago Public Schools won’t move Keller Gifted Elementary School | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The customized reports analyze how freshmen at each school performed on crucial academic measures and how that performance has changed over time.

Previous CCSR research has shown than freshman year performance predicts whether students will graduate from high school.

The reports allow educators to identify those students most at risk of dropping out and to evaluate whether past intervention efforts have been successful.

The freshman reports are the first product produced by CCSR’s Data Practice Collaborative, which brings intensive research and data support and improvement assistance to school reform networks throughout Chicago.

To access an individual school’s report, visit ccsr.uchicago.edu/web_reports/freshman.

Freshman Year Reports Reveal Crucial Information for Tackling Chicago Public Schools Dropout Problem | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chicago Public Schools Announce New Policy for Admission to Selective Enrollment and Magnet Schools | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Essays centered on the topic: “What event or person in Hispanic history has most influenced or inspired you or modern society and why?”

Winners were recognized at a banquet Thursday at North-Grand High School, 4338 W. Wabansia Ave., which was emceed by NBC 5 television newscaster Alex Perez and featured Chicago Board of Education Member Alberto Carrero Jr. as keynote speaker.

The essay competition was open to all CPS 9^th-through-12^th graders; students from 27 high schools submitted more than 1,400 essays.

Judging for the selection of grand and second place prize winners was performed by judges from Roosevelt University, the American Bottling Company and officials from Chicago Public Schools.

Grand prize winners included:

• 9th grade, Estefanía, Whitney Young Magnet High School
• 10th grade, Kashif, Northside College Prep High School
• 11th grade, Karen, Curie Metropolitan High School
• 12th grade, Brenda, Spry Community Links High School

Grand prize winners were each awarded a laptop computer and printer, plus a $5,000 scholarship to Roosevelt University.

Second place winners included:

• 9th grade, Ashley, Perspectives Charter High School-Joslin Campus
• 10th grade, Joshua, Marine Military Academy High School
• 11th grade, Carlos, Taft High School
• 12th grade, Jasmine, Whitney Young Magnet High School

Second place winners each received a digital camera and printer.

Additionally, $500 cash prizes for teacher/staff professional development were won by Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, Carl Schurz, John Hancock College Prep and Spry Community Links High Schools for submitting the highest percentage of essays in the competition.

Teachers who monitored the prize-winning students each received a $100 gift card.

A specially themed ethnic meal was served at the banquet, at which grand prize winners read their essays. Special entertainment included a tango performance by the American Tango Institute.

The Hispanic Heritage Month Essay competition creates awareness of noteworthy events and persons in Hispanic history and offers exciting prizes for the winning students and their schools.

A similar essay competition will be held in February 2010 in honor of Black History Month.

About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools serves 417,855 students in 675 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

Chicago Public Schools Students Win Hispanic Heritage Month Essay Competition | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Since its launch three years ago, the Arabic language program has grown to serve 2000 CPS students in 10 schools citywide.

The three-year Foreign Language Assistance Grant (FLAP) will fund expansion of the program to three additional schools, professional development for teachers and technology-based instruction using SAFARI-Blackboard technologies.

“Our vision is to give all of our students the kind of education that prepares them to compete in tomorrow’s global workforce,” Daley said at Durkin Park Elementary School, 8445 S. Kolin Av., where kindergarten through fifth-grade students are taught Arabic daily.

“We all know the economic future of our city depends on our willingness to seek opportunities in the Arab world, the Americas, Asia, Europe and around the globe,” Daley added.

Daley noted that with this grant, the school system has received state, federal and other funds totaling $1.6 million for building Arabic language instruction.

Among the other grants CPS has received is the U.S. State Department’s Startalk Arabic Summer Language Institute grant each of the last three years.

It provides funding to send 30 CPS high school students to the University of Chicago to study Arabic language and culture for four weeks during the summer break.

Students also take field trips to Chicago area businesses, cultural organizations and community resources, to apply the languages in real life.

CPS also invested $1 million in its Critical Languages Program in 2008 to help build up a K-12 pipeline of students studying Arabic, Chinese or Russian.

CPS officials said they had not yet selected which schools will get the expanded Critical Languages opportunities. The goal is to expand opportunities to schools that wish to grow their critical language options.

The following Chicago public high schools offer Arabic:

• Lincoln Park High School
• Roosevelt High School
• Lindblom High School

The following Chicago public elementary schools offer Arabic:

• Agassiz Elementary
• Belding Elementary
• Durkin Park Elementary
• LaSalle Language Academy II
• Marquette Elementary
• Peck Elementary
• Volta Elementary

Daley said the key to building a strong and secure economic future for Chicago is providing every public school student with a quality education that allows them to fulfill their potential in life.

And additions to the curriculum such as the teaching of Arabic, Chinese and Russian recognize the need to better engage with other nations and businesses around the globe, he said.

“Without an educated workforce capable of filling the jobs of the global economy, Chicago won’t succeed in this century,” the Mayor said.

“We must remember that although we’re in a recession now, it’s our responsibility to position Chicago to reap the benefits of the better times to come,” he said.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mayor’s Press Office, 312-744-3334

Mayor Daley, Chicago Public School Officials Announce Expansion Of Arabic Language Program | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The new high school, which is located at 1301 W. 14^th St., currently has 127 freshman student-cadets. AFAHS will add one new class per year until it has a full roster of freshmen through seniors.

AFAHS is CPS’s sixth, and newest, military academy high school, and will offer a college preparatory curriculum by placing a strong emphasis on aerospace science, engineering, reading and writing.

In line with the Air Force JROTC program, student-cadets will also develop their leadership skills in an environment that promotes citizenship, community service, responsibility, character and self-discipline.

The opening ceremony included addresses by school leaders and special guests, a video presentation to attendees and the recitation by student-cadets of the Air Force JROTC Guiding Principles.

AFAHS has a partnership with the Adler Planetarium that promotes its science and engineering curriculum. Every five weeks, the school’s entire student body, along with staff, will spend an instructional day at the planetarium conducting experiments and participating in presentations and hands-on experiences presented by the Adler and AFAHS staffs.

“This unique partnership will benefit all of our students, and our visits to the Adler are a far cry from your average school field trip,” said CPT Yashika Tippett-Eggleston, AFAHS Superintendent/Principal. “These experiences will augment our other science and engineering offerings and help prepare our students to achieve their full potential.”

The high school will employ Air Force JROTC instruction, which is conducted by U.S. Air Force-certified retired commissioned and non-commissioned officers. Student-cadets will have daily formations, wear Air Force JROTC uniforms and be presented with a variety of leadership opportunities.

For coursework offered around aerospace science, freshmen will learn about frontiers in aviation history; sophomores will study the science of flights; juniors will examine space exploration; and seniors will investigate aerospace careers and manage the cadet corps.

Leadership instruction, by year, includes: for freshmen, customs and courtesies; for sophomores, effective communications skills; for juniors, management and ethics; and for seniors, college preparation.

Chicago Public Schools’ Air Force Academy High School Marks Ceremonial Opening; New Military High School Opens | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chicago Public Schools will be a major beneficiary of almost $45 million in Teacher Quality Partnership grants announced recently by the U.S. Department of Education.

The grants will allow the colleges and universities with which CPS partners to transform and improve traditional teacher preparation and residency programs in high-needs CPS schools.

Chicago Public Schools works with the grant recipients in the training, hiring and placement of teaching staff throughout the nation’s third-largest school district.

CPS’s institutional partners won three of 28 grants from the federal Education Department. Those grants represent about 18 percent of the total grant dollars awarded nationwide this year.

The awards and partnerships include:

• Almost $16.4 million over five years has been designated for the Chicago Teacher Pipeline Partnership, which includes CPS and four Chicago-based universities: Loyola, National-Louis, Northeastern Illinois and University of Illinois at Chicago. The grant aims to transform candidate recruitment and selection, teacher preparation, and teacher development and support. The CTPP universities are largest suppliers of CPS elementary school teachers; together, they awarded about 27 percent of bachelor’s degrees earned by CPS elementary school teachers in 2007. The CTPP partnership is expected to have a great influence on the quality of new teachers District-wide.
• Almost $11.9 million over five years to Illinois State University’s Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline Programs and Partnerships, which together with CPS and seven community partners engages in the TEACHER + PLUS project. This initiative responds to the pressing need in Chicago in such instructional areas as Bilingual/English Language Learners, special education, math and science. The TEACHER + PLUS project will enable at least 322 teachers who receive their degrees from ISU to provide high-quality, inquiry-based forms of instruction at high-needs schools. All of the clinical and course work in the initiative will be conducted at CPS schools in three targeted African-American and Hispanic communities. Courses will be redesigned so they are aligned with and responsive to the needs of urban schools.
• Almost $16.6 million over five years was awarded to National-Louis University’s Institute for Urban Education and the Academy for Urban School Leadership for their Urban Teacher Residency training program. Under that program, National-Louis and AUSL partner with Chicago Public Schools. The grant will expand and improve the teacher residency program, an intensive, full-year apprenticeship with a mentor teacher at a Chicago public school, in which graduates earn their Illinois teaching certification and a master’s degree through National-Louis. Through this grant, National-Louis and AUSL aim to improve student achievement in Chicago by expanding the number of well-qualified and diverse teachers this program can provide to CPS, and by improving the residency program to better prepare teachers for their challenging work in chronically failing schools.

Staff from the CPS Department of External Resources worked with National-Louis University’s Advancement Office, AUSL and the Council of Chicago Area Deans of Education, which will advise the Chicago Teacher Pipeline Partnership project.

Staff from the CPS Department of Human Resources worked with Illinois State University on that proposal.

The grants are in addition to formula funding states receive to improve teacher quality.  Another round of the federal grants will be announced next year.

About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools serves approximately 407,000 students in 666 schools.

It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

Education Department Grants to Benefit Chicago Public Schools Teacher Recruitment, Training | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Bank of America and Nike today announced a $100,000 joint commitment in support of youth running in Chicago, advancing the philanthropic heritage of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

Those efforts will begin immediately with the refurbishment of the Chicago Public Schools’ Hanson Stadium which plays host to track & field and football events at both the elementary and high school levels.

The announcement was made at a press conference today with City of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

“I want to thank Bank of America for its contributions and efforts not only on the marathon but also on many other initiatives that help improve the quality of life for residents of Chicago. Bank of America and Nike set an example for other organizations about the importance of the public and private sectors working together to benefit our city,” Mayor Richard M. Daley said.

In addition to the track refurbishment, the companies announced a Reuse-A-Shoe Drive, and are encouraging Chicagoans to drop off their used shoes to be recycled. The collected shoes will be transformed into Nike Grind, a material used in sports surfaces and playgrounds.

“Bank of America is thrilled to team-up with Nike to support youth running programs throughout the city and advance the positive impact the Marathon has on the community,” said Tim Maloney, Illinois State and Chicago Market President for Bank of America. “Chicago has been and will always be a training ground for some of the world’s greatest athletes and Olympians, and we are committed to helping provide our local student athletes with the resources and opportunities to develop their talents.”

The track refurbishment project will restore the eight-lane track at Hanson Stadium by summer 2010. The facility plays host to some of Chicago’s most prestigious events such as the city championship and Illinois High School Association sectionals.

“Leading the pack of marathon runners to our Reuse-A-Shoe program is a natural extension of our ongoing efforts to support Chicago’s running community,” said Reg Hamlett, general manager of Nike’s central territory. “By continuing that commitment through our partnership with this world-class event to improve a track, we are paving the way for the next generation of athletes.”

Starting today through Oct. 16, all Chicagoans, runners and visitors are invited to drop off their used athletic shoes at select Bank of America banking center locations and Nike retail stores, which accept shoes year-round, in the Chicago area.

Drop-off bins will also be on-site at the Chicago Marathon Health & Fitness Expo at McCormick Place on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10 and at the 27th Mile Post-Race Party at Grant Park’s Butler Field on race day, Sunday, Oct. 11.

Thirty-three local Bank of America banking centers in the downtown and surrounding areas will also collect shoes.

For a full list of banking centers, please visit chicagomarathon.com.

To find a map detailing the closest Nike Retail location and to learn more about Nike Reuse-A-Shoe, visit nikereuseashoe.com.

About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon

In its 32nd year and a member of the World Marathon Majors, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon annually attracts 45,000 runners including a world class elite field and 1.5 million spectators.

As a result of its national and international draw, the iconic race assists in raising $10 million for a variety of charitable causes while generating an estimated $143 million economic impact to its host city.

To extend that impact, the 2009 race has invited all participants and fans to get involved through a first-ever online fundraising campaign going on now through Oct. 9.

By customizing a shoeprint at chicagomarathon.com/footprint, visitors select one of 22 charities to receive a dollar donation from Bank of America. The charity with the most submissions will also be granted an additional $10,000 donation in an announcement at the 27th Mile Post-Race Party on race day.

About Nike Reuse-A-Shoe

Nike Reuse-A-Shoe is an integral part of Nike Corporate Responsibility and is a unique recycling program that turns worn-out athletic shoes of all brands into Nike Grind, a material used in sports and playground surfaces.

Since its inception Reuse-A-Shoe has helped reduce millions of athletic shoes from ending up in landfills each year and has recycled more than 24 million pairs of shoes.

The recycled shoes are given new life, and are reborn into sports and playground surfaces around the world.

For more information on Nike Grind and Nike Reuse-A-Shoe, visit: nikegrind.com

Individuals wanting to take part in a collection set up by one of the organizations participating in the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program can find a list of drop off locations on the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe Web site: nikereuseashoe.com.

Bank of America and Nike Donate $100,000 to Chicago Public Schools’ Hanson Stadium Refurbishment Efforts | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Real Men Read is entering its fourth season in CPS schools. Under the initiative, volunteer MENtors go to assigned schools and classrooms once a month to read to and/or discuss pre-selected books with children.

In addition to encouraging literacy, Real Men Read seeks to demonstrate to children in kindergarten, second, fifth and seventh grades that “real men value learning and knowledge, and that real men love to read,” according to Scott.

“This program is so valuable on so many levels,” Scott said. “Real Men Read is about literacy. But it is also about engaging children in a setting where our MENtors can talk about who they are and how they have achieved their position in life.”

Real Men Read MENtors come from all walks of life, Scott said. Doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, public safety workers and tradesmen have all volunteered their time since the program was begun several years ago.

Real Men Read first was launched in January 2007 with 39 schools serving 8,000 students, mostly in Lawndale and Engelwood. About 300 MENtors were involved at the time.

This year, the program will serve some 24,000 youths in 106 schools, More than 750 MENtors are expected to participate.

“That one hour per month is so valuable in so many ways,” Scott said. “Your mere presence as a reader and role model will provide testimony to children that a life of knowledge and achievement is the proper path to pursue, not the life of the streets,” Scott said.

The program relies heavily on partnerships and sponsors to help support its work. The Chicago Yacht Club, which also sponsored the reception, is donating the book “Solo Sailing” for all 6,000 fifth graders in Real Men Read.

Pearson Foundation is a supporter of Real Men Read and will be providing books for all MENtors and the 24,000 students in program for the month of November.

The Pearson Foundation extends Pearson’s commitment to education by partnering with leading nonprofit, civic and business organizations to provide financial, organizational and publishing assistance across the globe.

The Foundation aims to make a difference by sponsoring innovative educational programs and extending its educational expertise to help in classrooms and in local communities.

Volunteer opportunities for men willing to participate in Real Men Read are still available. Further information is available by calling (773) 553-1592.

About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools serves approximately 407,000 students in 666 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

Board of Education President Kicks Off New Year of Reading, Chicago Public Schools Launch “Real Men Read” Mentoring Program | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

On Sept. 24, 2009, the federal court vacated the CPS desegregation consent decree. As a result of that ruling, the race-based criteria referenced in the Options for Knowledge Guide, applications, and other materials related to the 2010-2011 application process will not be used to make admission decisions.

Alternate admission procedures are currently being developed and will be available for public comment in the near future.

“While this recent decision changes our application procedures slightly, the school district and the Board of Education remain committed to creating high-quality, diverse learning environments for our students,” said CPS Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman. “Our magnet, gifted and selective enrollment programs will continue to challenge our students, provide them with the opportunity to excel in the classroom, and allow them the chance to further their education.”

The application period for magnet, selective enrollment and gifted schools and programs began Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009, and ends Friday, Dec. 18, 2009.

Standard applications and Gifted and Enriched Academic Programs (GEAP) applications can be found in the district’s Options for Knowledge Guide, maintained by the Office of Academic Enhancement.

The Options for Knowledge Guide contains information on the magnet, selective enrollment and gifted schools and programs, as well as how to apply to these schools and programs.

The guide also identifies the schools and programs by type, includes helpful tips for applying, and outlines the new application submission procedures for GEAP schools and selective enrollment high schools.

However, since the Options for Knowledge Guide was printed before the federal court decision was made, it still contains language referencing the use of race in the selection process. All information regarding racial and ethnic selection guidelines or minority transfer programs that were governed by the consent decree is now obsolete and should be disregarded.

Parents, guardians and general members of the public will have an opportunity to give input on the new application procedures to be determined by the Board of Education. While race will no longer be a factor in these procedures, it is likely that sibling and proximity considerations will be maintained.

Parents can obtain the Options for Knowledge Guide and applications for magnet and gifted schools and programs at the CPS Elementary School Fair, Saturday, Oct. 3, at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Van Buren St., and applications for selective enrollment schools at the CPS High School Fair, Saturday, Oct. 10, at McCormick Place.

In addition, the Options guide and all applications can be obtained by mail, upon request, from Academic Enhancement by calling (773) 553-2060 or online.

Chicago Public Schools Announce Application Period for Magnet, Gifted and Selective Enrollment Programs Underway | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Young, located at 211 S. Laflin St., is the only Chicago school to receive the Blue Ribbon honor this year and one of only three high schools from the state of Illinois – New Trier and Deerfield high schools being the others – to receive the coveted designation in 2009.

In addition to the three high schools, 12 elementary schools from the state of Illinois are being honored as Blue Ribbon Schools.

Young is among a total of 314 schools nationwide – 264 public and 50 private schools – that will be honored at an awards ceremony on Nov. 3 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or have made dramatic gains in student achievement, and helped close gaps in achievement among minority and disadvantaged students.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools program honors schools based on one of two criteria:

• Schools whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests or, in the case of private schools, in the top 10 percent of the nation on nationally normed tests.
• Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that demonstrate dramatic improvement of student performance to high levels on state tests or nationally normed tests.

Over the past 27 years, more than 6,150 of America’s schools have received the coveted Blue Ribbon award.

Young also is among the few schools that have been chosen to present a “best practice” curriculum at the event. Dr. Joyce Kenner, Young’s principal, will attend the event along with Social Science department chairperson Brian Tennison, who will make the presentation.

Learn more about the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools program.

About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools serves approximately 407,000 students in 666 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

U.S. Department of Education Awards Whitney M. Young High School “Blue Ribbon” Status, First Chicago Public School to Receive National Award | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CST’s landmark education program, CPS Shakespeare! brings together students and their teachers from across the city in a collaborative process that provides training with a team of theater professionals including the director, designers, text coaches and a fight choreographer.

The program concludes with two public performances of CPS Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, adapted and directed by Kirsten Kelly, and performed in CST’s Elizabethan-style Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier. Public performances of CPS Shakespeare!

A Midsummer Night’s Dream are Friday, Oct. 23 at 4:30pm and Saturday, Oct. 24 at 11am. The one-hour performances are followed by a 30-minute post-show discussion with the entire ensemble. Tickets are $5.00 and may be purchased by calling Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312-595-5600 or visiting chicagoshakes.com.

CPS Shakespeare! is a central component of CST’s commitment to serving the community through its far-reaching arts-in-education programs. Many of the participating educators have graduated from CST’s year-long professional development seminar, Bard Core Curriculum: Reading into Shakespeare, which mentors English teachers from some of the most challenged Chicago public schools with drama-based reading strategies that have been documented to improve the basic skills of struggling and reluctant readers.

“Each year, we discover anew the transformative power of ‘conquering’ Shakespeare,” says CST Director of Education Marilyn Halperin. “In this ensemble of teachers and students working side by side, we learn first-hand the enormous power of Shakespeare’s language as we explore the story and creative process in an active, personal, and fully engaged way through the weeks of rehearsal together.”

Ten schools from across the Chicago Public School system, represented by 24 students and eight English teachers, will collaborate in this year’s production. Participating schools include: Chicago International Charter School – Ralph Ellison Campus, Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Curie Metropolitan High School, Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep, Julian High School, Kenwood Academy High School, Phillips Academy High School, Prosser Career Academy, Roosevelt High School and Taft High School.

Sandra Shimon, a Prosser Career Academy teacher who has participated in the program for the past two years, returns this year to serve as Assistant Director under the mentorship of Director Kirsten Kelly. “CPS Shakespeare! is a unique opportunity for students to learn, and have the experience of performing Shakespeare on the stage of a nationally recognized theater working alongside other students and teachers from across the city and under the tutelage of theater professionals,” says Shimon. “This exploration through theater is extraordinary. The very real understanding and appreciation the students develop for William Shakespeare, the experience they gain both as collaborators and leaders, and the friendships they develop with students from such diverse backgrounds all make this program a powerful educational tool. As a teacher, it is a pleasure to watch the students who have been part of the program mature, and witness them, often bringing their leadership skills back to the classroom and their day-to-day lives.”

Directing the production and leading the creative team is Kirsten Kelly, returning to CST for a fourth year to stage the CPS production. An award-winning film and theater director currently residing in New York, Ms. Kelly is a co-creator of the CPS! Shakespeare program and has directed past productions of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. She recently directed Daniel Talbott’s Slipping at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and Crash, an ensemble created piece based on the Great Depression and the current economic crisis with Roots & Branches Theater Company.

Other credits include: the Midwest premiere of David Mamet’s Boston Marriage for which she won an After Dark Award for Best Director; Rebecca Gillman’s Boy Meets Girl for Theatre Alliance for which she was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Best Direction and Sam Shepard’s Savage Love/Tongues with the Julliard Percussion Ensemble at Lincoln Center.

The creative team for CPS Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream includes: costume design by Rachel Healy; lighting design by Joel Moritz; sound design by James Savage; wig and make-up design by Mary Patchell; and fight choreography by David Chrzanowski.

Ensuring the future of CPS Shakespeare!, Eric’s Tazmanian Angel Fund has made a generous commitment to support Chicago Shakespeare’s arts-in-education program. This fund will also provide for the Eric Curtis Skowronski Spirit Award. The award, given to eight teachers, provides a monetary gift for their support of the arts, literature or library programs.

Now in its fourth year, CPS Shakespeare! is an important element of Chicago Shakespeare’s array of arts-in-education initiatives. CST’s flagship education program, Team Shakespeare, is in its 18th year serving students and their teachers through classroom activities and an extensive professional performance series for students–both at CST’s home on Navy Pier and on tour to area schools.

Performances of CPS Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream are scheduled on Friday, Oct. 23 at 4:30pm and Saturday, Oct. 24 at 11am. The one-hour performance will be followed by a 30-minute post-show discussion with the entire ensemble.

Tickets are $5 and may be purchased by calling Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312-595-5600 or visiting chicagoshakes.com.

Chicago Public Schools Students and Teachers Perform Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Fourteen Chicago Public Schools hosted Congressional Medal of Honor winners today, as the city welcomes 59 of the 95 living recipients of the nation’s highest military award for valor in combat.

Chicago is host to the 2009 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention this week. Today is the convention’s Outreach Day, and Medal of Honor winners were scheduled to appear at the CPS schools and address students at special assemblies in their honor. Through the efforts of its JROTC program, CPS has been an active participant in the preparation for the convention week.

The 14 CPS schools participated in an essay contest sponsored by Boeing at the end of the 2008-2009 school year, and the contest winners will be honored as part of the convention’s scheduled events.

Recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor are members of a select organization — the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Each year these national heroes travel around the country and abroad, individually and in groups, for outreach activities to veterans groups, schools and military organizations.

Medal of Honor winners were scheduled to appear at the following CPS schools on Wednesday: Frank W. Reilly, Bouchet Academy, Arthur Dixon, Paul Revere, Harold Washington, Lane Tech High School, Taft High School, Farragut Career Academy, Curie Metropolitan High School, Carver Military Academy, Chicago Military Academy, Rickover Naval Academy, Phoenix Military Academy and Marine Military Academy.

Since its creation in the Civil War, only 3,447 veterans have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor – out of the millions who have served in uniform.

About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools serves approximately 407,000 students in 666 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

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That number surpassed last year’s total of 93.7 percent and follows an aggressive campaign waged throughout the city over the past six weeks to remind students and their families of the importance of coming to school on the first day.

“We spent most of the summer months emphasizing the message that attending school from the very first day is critical to what follows throughout the year,” said CPS Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman.

“We partnered with community groups, parents, teachers, principals, faith leaders and corporate leaders to underscore the important message of going to school on the first day and staying in school everyday. Collectively, their support in this effort was critical and we are pleased to know that our outreach efforts produced such positive results.”

Huberman also pointed to the tremendous efforts led by the Board Office in organizing volunteers and neighborhood rallies through a well-coordinated back to school campaign.

“School attendance is critical to classroom performance and long-term academic success,” said Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott. “Attendance also has a direct impact on our level of state funding and quality of programs we are able to offer, which is why our entire CPS family makes every effort to ensure that everyone understands the importance of being in school on the first day.

The 94.1 percent figure marks another year in which first-day attendance for CPS students has increased. In 2004, first-day attendance was below 92 percent district-wide.

During this period, district officials have consistently emphasized “first-day, every-day” as important to student orientation and for getting the academic year off to a fast start.

The traditional CPS school calendar began last Tuesday with a ceremonial bell-ringing by Mayor Richard M. Daley at the new George Westinghouse High School on the West Side. The District this fall also opened four other newly constructed schools as part of the Mayor’s Modern Schools Across Chicago program: Prieto on the Northwest Side, Skinner in the West Loop, Hernandez Middle School on the Southwest Side and Langston Hughes on the Far South Side.

About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools serves approximately 407,000 students in 666 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

First-day Preliminary Attendance for Chicago Public Schools Hits New High With 94.1 Percent, Surpassing Last Year | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Hernandez, a neighborhood school located at 3510 W. 55^th St., serves students in grades six through eight and is part of a developing linear campus along St. Louis Avenue on Chicago Southwest Side. Just south, across 55^th Street, is Sandoval School, which serves kindergarten-through-fifth grade students; under construction to the north is a new high school that is projected to open in 2010.

“Modern Schools Across Chicago is funded entirely with city money,” Daley said in a news conference at the school.

“Until very recently, state and federal money to support school construction has been very scarce and we knew it was our responsibility to create schools in every neighborhood of the city that we can be proud of and that our children can thrive in,” the Mayor said.

After the ribbon cutting, the Mayor and Chicago Public Schools officials were given a demonstration of the school district’s innovative “Parent Portal,” an interactive tool designed to allow parents and guardians a way of keeping track of student grades, attendance, homework assignments and other aspects of student performance.

Hernandez was developed to address enrollment challenges caused by the rapid growth in student population on the Southwest Side. The 126,748-square-foot three-story building has a planned capacity of more than 1,000 students and cost $29.4 million to construct.

“Our goal is to make every neighborhood school a high quality school that a parent wants to send their child to because it offers our students a great opportunity for a solid education,” Daley said.

It boasts 37 standard academic classrooms, two multipurpose rooms, two computer labs (one featuring Macs, the other PCs), five science labs, music and art classrooms, a gymnasium with stage, library/media center and many other features.

Named for Irene Hernandez, the first Latina Cook County commissioner, the school was designed to achieve a silver rating under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Schools Rating System.

“Hernandez is outstanding example of the partnership between the city, local aldermen, Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Public Building Commission in providing state-of-the-art facilities to our students,” said CPS Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman.

“During a period in which capital funds for new school construction are scarce, we appreciate the leadership Mayor Daley has shown in creating the MSAC program that allows our District to meet our needs with both upgraded buildings and equipment and in managing local surges in enrollment,” he said.

The interactive “Parent Portal” program has been expanded this fall to include a Spanish-language version.

“Parent Portal” was introduced during the last school year, first as a three-month pilot project in 37 schools and then later District-wide. Implemented by the CPS Information and Technology Services department, the Parent Portal contains information about a student’s class descriptions and assignments, progress reports and classroom performance, as well as notes and comments from teachers.

Parents and guardians can create accounts once they have obtained a secure PIN from their child’s school. Parent Portal can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection. The online tool also allows parents with more than one child at more than one CPS school – elementary, middle or high school – to view and manage student information with a single account.

“Parent Portal” provides a simple and convenient way for parents and guardians to do what they are supposed do – take responsibility for and be involved with their child’s education every day of the year. And it represents yet another step we are taking to increase accountability and transparency in the school system,” Daley said.

Families without computers or who do not have internet service can access Parent Portal at any Chicago Public Library. Each library location offers internet on its computers, as well as free wireless internet service for visitors with laptops.

Parents who create an account can customize it for their specific needs. For example, parents can request that they be notified when their child is marked absent from school or if grades in a particular subject drop below a certain level. Notification can be sent to either an email account or a cell phone via text message. The tool also allows for direct messaging between parents and teachers.

“A great volume of information is available via a few mouse clicks. Yet, at the same time, the intent of Parent Portal is not to become the be-all and end-all in a parent-teacher relationship,” Huberman said.

“We urge parents to go to their child’s school’s open house; to make a point of meeting with teachers on report card pickup day. There is no substitute for building a relationship with your child’s teachers. Parent Portal is an important way to enhance the in-person face-to-face interaction between parents and teachers that is crucial to a child’s academic success,” he said.

Last year, more than 30,000 parents signed up for Parent Portal accounts. District officials expect that number to grow substantially this year as more parents find out about the tool, as well as implementing a Spanish-language version of Parent Portal.

Learn more about Parent Portal. Links to Parent Portal tutorials in both English and Spanish are also available.

About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools serves approximately 407,000 students in 666 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

Mayor Daley, Chicago Public Schools Dedicate New Hernandez Middle School, Announce Spanish-language Portal | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman and Chief Education Officer Barbara Eason Watkins today announced a sweeping overhaul aimed at creating a more efficient and performance-oriented structure for management of schools across the city.

Twenty-three Area Instructional Officers (AIO) positions, which formerly provided support for geographic clusters or specific types of schools within CPS, are being eliminated and will be replaced with 22 Chief Area Officer (CAO) positions.

The changes are effective with the upcoming start of the 2009-10 school year.

“We are streamlining the first-line management structure of our school system and instituting strategies that focus on developing leadership and accountability to improve student outcomes,” Huberman said. “This new management focus will enable principals and teachers to focus on the priorities of instructional learning, a strong academic climate and more positive student-teacher relationships which can create better student outcomes for CPS students in schools throughout Chicago.”

In addition to one area for special education, the former AIO offices were reorganized into 15 elementary areas and six high school areas. The elementary areas remain essentially the same with geographic boundaries (albeit with the elimination of two areas), while the high school groupings will be determined by geography and curriculum choice.

The core task of the new CAOs is clear, Huberman said: “Dr. Barbara Eason Watkins and I have set very clear expectations for performance standards and results. The Chief Area Officers will be charged with driving improvement in the schools that comprise their areas and they will be given resources and autonomy with specific expected outcomes,” he said.

“For example, each CAO will meet weekly with senior CPS leadership to review performance measures and help identify strategies for improvement. Once those strategies are identified, CAOs will be tasked to ensure that they are fully communicated and executed at the local school level.”

The District is placing more focus on the CAO to better support school environments to improve student outcomes while reducing the focus on ensuring compliance, compiling log reports and paperwork.

Funds have been shifted from Central Office budgets to the area offices to provide the Chief Area Officers with the available resources and flexibility to target and enhance their school programs. As part of the District’s continuing streamlining and efficiency efforts, some positions were eliminated from the old Area Instructional Offices. A new position – a senior data analyst – is being added to all of the new area offices.

“This analyst will be charged with providing data-driven assistance to each CAO to identify school-by-school opportunities for improvement,” Huberman said, “They will also help run performance management sessions between the CAO and individual schools.”

Overall, the plan is for budgets in area offices to increase, but exact figures are not yet available as the District’s budget has not yet been approved by the Chicago Board of Education.

CPS has been engaged in a rigorous, nationwide search for CAO candidates, he said. At least half of the CAOs have been recruited from within the District and from the ranks for existing AIOs, who had to apply for the new positions. More than 500 candidates applied for the Chief Area Officer positions, he said. Of this number, 60 were interviewed – more than half of them external to Chicago Public Schools.

“The demonstrated interest we saw from candidates applying for these positions is a clear indication that there is no shortage of innovative educators who see an opportunity in what we are trying to do as a District,” Huberman said. “We will continue to analyze what is working and what is not and we will support success but make changes where performance and analysis shows us change is necessary.”

Each of the new CAOs will oversee either a group of elementary or high schools. Autonomously Managed Performance Schools, turnarounds and charter schools will not fall under the Chief Area Officers. A separate CAO will oversee special education schools.

About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools serves approximately 407,000 students in 666 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

Chicago Public Schools Announces Major Reorganization in Area School Management | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Next Tuesday, we want – no, we expect – everyone to be in school,” said Board VP Clare Munana.

Board Vice President Clare Munana and Board Member Alberto Carrero Jr. addressed parents, students and community members at John Marsh Elementary School, 9822 S. Exchange, then went door to door to distribute backpacks and school supplies to children in the neighborhood.

Joining in the effort to deliver the back to school message were CPS Chief Education Officer Barbara Eason-Watkins, 10^th Ward Alderman John Pope, Marsh School Principal Gerald V. Dugan Jr., and representatives of the Chicago Fire, including defender Daniel Woolard and Mather High School alum Frank Klopas, the team’s technical director, and Univision. The Fire and Univision are partnering with CPS to provide and support an incentive for up to 500 students who attend school on Sept. 8, the first day of the District’s traditional calendar.

“These are the last days of summer for most of our District’s 408,000 students. Next Tuesday, we want – no, we expect – everyone to be in school,” said Munana. “We work very hard every year to deliver this message, and today I am here with my colleague Alberto Carrero Jr. to make sure everyone on the Southeast Side clearly understands the importance of being in school on the first day.”

“We are excited about the upcoming school year, and we want this community to share in that excitement,” said Carrero. “We came to Marsh today because it is a school that has great leadership and serves an important community. Marsh is a school on the move; one that is a model for our whole system.”

The two Board of Education members, along with Eason-Watkins, noted key points that underline the importance of school attendance:

• The first day is a day of instruction. If you miss the first day of school, you start the year behind.
• The first day is the day you reconnect with your classmates and meet your teacher.
• If you miss the first day, we know from experience it is too easy to miss the second or third or other days.
• Statistically, poor attendance too often translates directly into poor academic performance.

“The student who misses first day is immediately in the position of having to play catch-up,” Eason-Watkins said. “We have to give our children every opportunity for success, and that starts with attending school on the first day.”

The CPS officials also emphasized the safety aspect of ensuring that children are in school.

Marsh School, which educates close to 900 pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students, boasts an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. The school has wireless technology throughout and an award-winning dual language program that offers instruction in both French and Spanish.

The Chicago Fire is offering 500 tickets to an upcoming game to students who text a specific message, “CPS Go Fire”, in response to ads being run on Univision. In addition, the Fire has been posting back to school reminders in English, Spanish and Polish at its home games.

“We applaud the Chicago Fire’s commitment to support our back to school efforts by encouraging students to go to school and stay in school,” said Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott. “We have collaborated with our faith and business community leadership on spreading the back to school message, and we are excited about The Fire’s new partnership to encourage our students about the importance of education.”

Univision has also played a key role in helping to publicize the CPS back to school message to Chicago’s diverse school communities.

“The Chicago Fire is proud to partner with the Chicago Public Schools in getting kids back to school on September 8,” said Klopas. “My dream of playing soccer as a child and representing my country in the Olympics started in a CPS classroom. I know that every child can achieve their own dream as I did, but it all starts by attending school on Day 1.”

About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools serves approximately 407,000 students in 666 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

Chicago Board of Education Emphasizes the Importance of First-Day Attendance in Chicago Public Schools | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Approximately 80,000 students attend the Track E schools which are scattered throughout the city, but are predominantly located on the South and West Sides. A complete list of schools is attached to this press release.

The list is also available in our back-to-school section.

“We began our Back-to-School campaign several weeks ago with a rally at Brian Piccolo School, one of our new year-round schools,” said CPS Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman. “Along with this event, we have been running an active door-to-door campaign in Track E communities.

“We have also engaged community members to do phone banking and sent automated calls to homes served by Track E schools. We published ads in a number of community newspapers that have strong penetration in Track E neighborhoods.

“We realize that the move to a year-round school calendar is new for many people, and we will work through the weekend to continue to get the word out, including at today’s Bud Billiken parade.”

Huberman also pointed out that a number of Track E schools have been doing outreach on their own.

The Track E calendar has the same number of instructional days as the traditional school calendar but it broken up with several two- or three-week intersessions scattered throughout the year.

Transition to the Track E calendar begins with the principal at the local school level, and involves engagement with staff and the community. A school then petitions CPS to make the change; final approval rests with the Chicago Board of Education.

This year, the district is increasing the number of year-round schools from 41 to 132. More than a quarter of the district’s elementary schools are now on a Track E calendar.

Benefits of going year-round include more consistent engagement between student and teacher, eliminating the summer learning loss, better opportunity for teacher planning and collaboration, minimizing teacher and student “burnout,” and keeping children in a safe and productive classroom environment.

“Our message as Monday approaches is please make sure you are informed about whether your school is on this special calendar,” Huberman said. “If you are uncertain, you can call your local school or go to our Web site. Information is also available at our general number, 553-1000, or from 311.”

The “traditional” calendar for the 2009-10 school year begins Sept. 8.

Chicago Public Schools Year-Round School Starts This Week, Huberman Reminds Families to Make Sure Students Are Ready For New School Year | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.