Archive for December, 2009
Funding in CPS and pension issues
A comment in the Skinner post reminded me that I’ve been meaning to post about the allegedly dire situation of funding for our schools. (For once, I use the phrase “allegdly” withouth sarcasm — I only say it because I don’t know the true situation of the funding and much of which I’ve heard has come from politicians which in Illinois I mean really… not a whole lot of trust there.)
I’ve been to 2 meetings in the past few months where a politician (someone familiar with the state budget) has alluded to funding cuts getting even more extreme next year. They say the truth is that Illinois is in dire circumstances in terms of money overall and that CPS will be significantly affected in the upcoming year.
Having served on a Local School Council for almost 2 terms now, it’s sickening to hear this given some of the crazy things I’ve learned about how a principal operates their school budget. For example:
-A growing neighborhood school (mine, for example) is adding one classroom a year as the school grows. CPS doesn’t pay for funding for furniture for the new classroom. That has to come out of the school’s own budget (much of which CPS provides, but it’s slim and hey, shouldn’t CPS be footing the bill for desks for new students?)
-Schools that are sending teachers for Professional Development for new textbooks/curriculum need to find a way to cover the cost of the substitute the day a teacher is out.
-CPS does not actually provide a teacher for each classroom. They give less than the full amount needed and the school needs to figure out how to fund the extra spots from their internal accounts. Growing schools are often in the position of begging for extra teaching spots at the begining of each year which is usually a fight with CPS.
For a little background, one of the problems that is frequently mentioned about CPS budgets is the “pension problem.” Back in the “good old days” (meaning 30+ years ago) CPS teachers were promised a pension if they stuck it out in the system for something like 34 years. (I know, you’d think plenty of people would have lost their minds facing a room full of 28 beasties year after year.) The pension provides something like 80% of their salary (calculated at retirement) and health benefits for life. If you start teaching in your mid twenties, you can retire in your late 50′s and you’re pretty well set. The problem is that 30+ years ago, nobody expected many of these teachers to live past, oh 76 or so. And we all know how that has changed. So the state is paying 80% salary for many people (women) who may live well to 100. I believe the “problem” applies to all city employees, but teachers happen to be the biggest single group.
CPS has tried to get the teachers’ union to allow a change to this which is a no go (I wouldn’t be too happy either if I’d busted my butt for 34 years only to have the city propose ripping me off as I’m set to schedule my Alaskan cruise.) However some of the city’s frustration is based on the teachers’ union’s refusal to revise the pension plan for new, incoming teachers. My personal opinion is that the world is different now and nobody else in the US is being promised such a generous pension. Plus we know that lifespan is making the plan virtually impossible to fund.
So…. I’m not trying to rile anyone up (especially the teachers who read the site and who make great contributions to the comments!) Just passing on what I hear out there in case people hear the term “pension problem” and are curious to know the background.
Mainly I just worry about what next year holds. I see these schools operating on such a miminal budget and things that are considered basics in the suburbs are being or have been cut. I can’t imagine what else there is to chop and I hate that it makes me question whether we’re doing our son a disservice by sticking it out in CPS.
What’s going on with the Skinners
Just wondering if anyone has news on how the new Skinner split schools are working out. I know a lot of new parents are curious about it (as am I) and CPS’ website is lacking. If you have any experience or have heard anything, feel free to post…..
Introducing the new admission criteria for Gifted/Classical schools
I called the GEAP office this morning to confirm the “ranking” process for the Gifted and Classical schools for the 2010/2011 school year.
As many have figure out, for each class 40% of the kids (11 kids) will get in based on test scores alone (no consideration of race or socioeconomic level.)
The remaning 60% (17 kids) will be selected based on the 4 socioeconomic levels derived from census tract. So about 4 kids per socioeconomic group.
Not sure what I think about it yet. I guess it will please the people who think admission should be totally merit-based and also please the people who think race/socio should be taken into account.
Mainly I think I got lucky applying in the year we did (2 years) ago because it sounds like my son would have had a much slimmer chance of qualifying under the new system.
New magnet admission policies
Thanks to Hopeful for posting the following news from today’s CPS board meeting.
“It appears from the website that the board has approved the proposal with one small change. Instead of 50% of remaining spots going to proximity kids, after siblings get as many as are available, only 40% will. The other 60% goes into the general lottery.”
So the new changes in the magnet schools for this year will be:
-Siblings get priority
-40% of remaining spots will go to neighborhood kids (how do we even know what the boundaries are for magnet schools?)
-The remaining 60% of spots will be given out by general lottery which no longer is divided on race, but on 4 socioeconomic groups based on your Census tract.
This system will be in place for one year.
So, I totally get the sibling thing. I pretty much get the socio-economic thing instead of race.
What I DON’T get is the neighborhood preference for the magnet schools. I just have not read one thing that explains what CPS is trying to do with this policy. Is it to reduce bussing? I truly don’t see any other point in making these hybrid schools. Does CPS want to slowly phase out (or slim down) the current magnet school system? I’m not totally opposed to that since it would force families to stay in their neighborhood schools and work for improvement.
I just want to know the motivation because I need to know what’s up their sleeve. Or if nothing is up their sleeve, why is this change happening?
Yes, I’m a little resentful of families who happen to live close to the magnet school and have suddenly lucked out. And I guess if I knew that CPS had a bigger plan I could take the “unfairness” of it right now. But I can’t process it because I just don’t get it.
Does that mean that some families have 2 neighborhood schools now? They must, right? So you might buy a house in the Stone district, but you can’t count on getting in, so you need a backup. Will parents move into the magnet areas in hopes of getting an edge?
I’m curious to see what’s going to happen. And I really don’t envy the parents who get to be the guinnea pigs this year.
Some resources for gifted/classical test “prep”
This is some information from Helen at www.thinktonight.com which sells some books that could help your child feel comfortable taking the gifted or classical test. I’m not calling it test prep per se (because then we’d be like freaky new yorkers) but hey, what can it hurt to have your child practice answering some questions in advance so they know what they’re doing that day? At the very least I’ve found them fun to do with my son since they’re more like brain teasers than actual school work. Use your best judgement to see what makes sense for your own child. Unfortunely none of us know what actual test is used, nor are true test-prep materials actually available for sale.
From Helen:
My top picks for testing before Kindergarten are
Building Thinking Skills Primary and the interlocking cubes that are used
with it (attribute blocks are used too but they can be made out of colored
cardboard) for verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Done with a parent scribe
who talks the exercises through with a child this really builds vocabulary.
There is an easier level of this called Building Thinking Skills Beginning
but most Pre K children being tested are ready for the Primary level so long
as the parent remembers that they’re not expected to be reading the
questions or writing the answers. It’s a read aloud for preschoolers.
http://www.thinktonight.com/Building_Thinking_Skills_Primary_p/05231pbn.htm
http://www.thinktonight.com/Building_Thinking_Skills_Beginning_p/05233pbn.ht
m
BambinoLUK system (books can be purchased in two or three book sets if the
entire set looks like too much. Controller is needed). In addition to the
cognitive skills this was developed to teach the design encourages
concentration, perseverance and independence. Unlike my other suggestions a
child can use this completely independently after they’ve been introduced to
the system.
http://www.thinktonight.com/bambinoLUK_s/283.htm – the product
http://www.thinktonight.com/How_to_Play_LUK_s/288.htm – how it works
Can You Find Me? Pre K and Can You Find Me? Pre K for logic riddles
requiring listening and identification of a picture solution (a common way
that pre school tests are presented). Even if the Pre K looks simple it’s
worth doing because many of the questions during testing will be simple and
it’s important for a child to understand that they need to give the correct
answer – the one that most children who answer correctly will choose -
rather than a “smart” answer that they could justify. That’s a fun thing to
do with a parent but not during testing.
http://www.thinktonight.com/Can_You_Find_Me_s/55.htm
For Preschool readiness (and some tests) a math book is also a good idea.
The Beginning 2 or Level A are the most likely to be suitable. Beginning 2
develops understanding of numbers up to 20. Level A corresponds to a
typical kindergarten curriulum.
http://www.thinktonight.com/Mathematical_Reasoning_s/46.htm
Helen
What to look for in a gifted or classical program
Well, now that I am working I am going to have to rely on the writings of other to make posts. Today I offer up a great new comment from a reader who has made suggestions on what to look for in a gifted program but I think many of these are great guidance for assessing any school.
Of course the issue is that you’d need to do a lot of this homework before you even find out if your child has a remote chance of getting placed! And to do everything on this list could make even the most obsessed parent crazy. Finding people to talk to who attend the school is always your best bet since they can give you real insight into a lot of this stuff (and sometimes what you read on paper doesn’t reflect that feel/vibe of the school.)
I’ve put a few of my own notes with ** by them.
Thanks to reader CM for the great advice to parents!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SCHOOL:
A friend went to the school on a normal school day to observe; she didn’t make her decision only by attending their Open House.
Visit a few schools so you have something to compare it against. Ask a lot of questions:
-Is the school a happy, buzzy place?
-Are there parents around doing work in the office or library or lunchroom?
-IS THERE RECESS EVERY DAY, inside in inclement weather and outside otherwise?
-By how many years is the curriculum accelerated? Don’t be surprised but this varies a good deal among gifted regional centers.
-What language do they teach? Native speaker?
-How much homework does the principal and asst. principal think is typical for the primary grades and for the upper levels?
-Ask if they differentiate in their upper level math curriculum, i.e. do they test students for entry into either Algebra 1 or Pre-Algebra in 7th grade? Or must the entire class move on to taking Algebra in 7th grade? The latter approach happens when the school only has one math teacher for the upper levels, and they simply can’t differentiate. It’s obviously bad for a gifted student to be pushed into Algebra in 7th grade if s/he is not ready. So differentiation of the math curriculum is important. (** For neighborhood schools, I am guessing that many do not have their middle school curriculum totally buttoned up yet. This will be one of the next frontiers to conquer for new CPS parents.)
-Does the administration allow parents in the school to do meaningful volunteering? Ask for examples. How many social gatherings does the school offer? Is there a PTA and Athletic Association? Are there subcommittees on the LSC? How many? How often does the LSC meet? -Check out the extracuriculars offered at all grade levels…. don’t assume if they mention tennis that it is available for all grades.
-Is there an after school program?
-You can ask the principal for the School Improvement Plan (SIPAA) to see what the administration and LSC have deterined are the important areas to improve. (** The SIPAA plan is on the cps website if you look up the school. SIPAAs are done every 2 years so the current version may be out of date, especially if there is a new administration.)
-Compare the schools’ plans and budgets. (**CPS budgets can be a nightmare to decipher.)
-Check out the motility rate on each school for the past 5 years — that’s the number of students who have left. It should be on the CPS website or you can send in a FOIA request. Parents are dying to get their kids in these schools, but if one has a much higher rate, it should be a concern. (**For neighborhood schools, mobility can be impacted by specific populations. If a ‘hood is gentrifying quickly, unfortunately there can be high mobility if lower-income families are squeezed out of the local housing.)
I’m now a CPS working parent
Goods news and bad news – I’ve finally landed a full time job.
Now begins the trials and tribulations of combining a new work schedule with getting a 6-year-old boy to school each mornings, dealing with the multitude of CPS days off, and generally entrusting my son’s school to “raise” him about 9 hours a day.
I’m lucky in that our school allows you to drop your child off at 8 am (schools starts at 9am) for no extra cost and we have an very cheap after-school program that runs until 6pm. However to utilize the before-school “care” (I use the term somewhat loosely) you need to put aside concerns about child abductions, wild-dog-on-playground attacks, and kids who get locked out of school buildings because they hid in bushes or chase squirrels off the school grounds. The kids can be dropped off in the cafeteria at 8am and they hang out until about 8:30, mostly socializing which is great for most kids. But my kid is an anti-social loner so he’s often sitting and staring or playing his Nintendo DS. The good thing is that he can get the help with the DS that I cannot provide him with at home. In a lucky world, he might even make a new buddy during this morning time.
At 8:30 am the kids are allowed to go out on the playground, where I *think* there is one school-designated adult who keeps an eye on things. But truth be told, there’s no way every kid can be accounted for. I often would lose my son on the playground there when I watched him… just so many places to duck away. I’ve reviewed the procedure for getting locked out of the school with my son (go to front door, ring bell – I’ve showed it to him several times.) I’d heard a story about a Kindergartener at another school getting locked out and wandering around outside for a long time, unable to get in.
I feel OK about it in general given that he’s in 1st grade now. Not sure last year would have felt right. Now he seems to think he could kick anyone’s ass with his ninja moves so I’m trusting that this is true.
The weirdest thing about working is just the lack of time I’m around the school. Last year I saw the teachers, parents, PTO people, principals, etc all the time. This year I see the before-school ladies every morning and that is it. I feel very disconnected from the place but luckily comfortable knowing that I trust the administration and teachers and staff to take decent care of him without my eagle eye on everything.
So as you’re out there looking at schools, keep in mind this intangible element – the general vibe you get at a school from the people you meet there. There’s definitely more to a school than just academics.
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