Comments on: My God, the world’s gone crazy! Magnet school changes…

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:17:05 +0000

You’re welcome, GGG. Our area is so densely populated (I live right near LaSalle as well but dd attends Lincoln) and when there are 70 to 75 kids enrolled in your child’s grade at Lincoln (all of whom living in the enrollment boundaries since virtually no exceptions are made any more), there are bound to be many who live within blocks of your house with whom you weren’t even acquainted until grade school begins. It’s a great school with a lot going for it.

By: ggg

ggg — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:40:03 +0000

Jan, thank you so much for putting it into perspective. I thought that in the past only 45% or so could be from proximity and if they had already filled those spots, there would be no proximity lottery. So, I thought this might be a “drastic” change as far as the feeling of the school being a “neighborhood” school.

I really appreciate your doing the math for me!

Regardless, though, it’s looking more and more like Lincoln, even if we do get one of the few proximity spots. You are right. I want to walk through the neighborhood, waving to all the parents and kids from school. It’s hard enough as it is here, as so many go to the private schools nearby. I know that’s not what everyone is looking for in a school, but for some reason, it is important to me. And Lincoln is an excellent school, too.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help!

By: Jan

Jan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:23:08 +0000

GGG — LaSalle will have the same # of kids from the neighborhood as before for many years to come, given that the siblings get first and guaranteed priority, and then 50 percent of remaining slots go to proximity. Each year, about half the LaSalle K class will be siblings, 25 percent proximity (15 kids), and 25 percent open lottery.

Even with the proximity admissions, keep in mind that they could live up to 1.5 miles away, so they’re not really neighborhood kids, as they might live in River North, East Bucktown, Lakeview, etc. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! Just not conducive to walking to playdates after school, if that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for. Lincoln is definitely the neighborhood school.

By: cps meeting

cps meeting — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:41:30 +0000

did anyone attend the meeting on saturday at Andrew Jackson?

By: Mayfair Dad

Mayfair Dad — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:36:43 +0000

From the CPS calendar:

Admissions policy community meeting

November 19, 2009
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Amundsen High School
5110 N. Damen Ave.

Participate in a community meeting about our new admissions policies. Visit CPS website for more details.

By: ggg

ggg — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:59:52 +0000

It’s actually a dilemma for us in the Lincoln/LaSalle area. I actually want my child to go to a neighborhood school, and NOT a magnet, as I am happy to support what I think is a great neighborhood school. My issue is now it seems like LaSalle may be more and more a neighborhood school. It’s an issue, because I don’t want to be the only parent in the neighborhood going to Lincoln when all of my children’s friends go to LaSalle. Even though I live far closer to LaSalle, I don’t even think it’s fair. Is it a magnet or a neighborhood school? Lincoln is overcrowded. When are they going to deal with the fact that there ARE parents who believe in a public school education? And a lot of them live in the same area! where our local school is overcrowded! I don’t see how this is helping diversity … and people in poorer neighborhoods. I wish we had a FIVE year plan and beyond. A “one year plan” with option to revise is not acceptable after they’ve had YEARS to prepare for this. I would have like a 5-10 year plan. They knew this was coming. They have no excuses for not having had a plan in place sooner. A long term plan.

By: chicago parent

chicago parent — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:56:30 +0000

Richard K who designed this system to promote socio-economic diversity lives in Betheseda, Maryland — one of the richest, least economically diverse areas in the entire country. I wonder if he would be so hot on the idea if he lived in Washington & there were only 4 decent high schools in the entire city? Would he favor a program that would give 3/8s of the spots to kids who scored lower and there were no viable alternatives to get a good education? I think his 4 kids should be bussed to DC because we all know that the presence of more middle class kids would help the learning of the other children in the classroom. Like that is going to happen. Why are the kids who happen to live in a city subject to social experiments like lab rats by people who have no idea of what it is like — yet pay all the taxes.

By: Y

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:05:22 +0000

@ChicagoMom2 – Thanks for the link. The list is missing how many total slots each school has at the specific grade. It’s been a couple of years since I toured Hawthorne but I thought they have two KG classrooms.

By: 2 cents

2 cents — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:35:29 +0000

Hello? I think that gifted should mean GIFTED. Hence, the top 30 scores get in, regardless of whatever.

By: dave4118

dave4118 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:08:52 +0000

I have good friends that didn’t make the lottery for hawthorne for their oldest daughter, so they sent her and her younger sisters to st andrews. now they have no entree with the sibling preference and they live in the immediate area…i mean like three blocks away.