Keller Regional Gifted Center news
January 26, 2010 at 12:46 pm 13 comments
Something is going on with Keller Regional Gifted Center. Thanks to several people who have sent in information. I’ll start with this post. Feel free to add to the comments section. I have a work deadline and a sick kid (allegedly sick) to contend with during the day, but I’ll try to add the other comments I’ve gotten later tonight.
Have you heard about what is going on w/ Keller Regional Gifted Center? CPS has announced the forced relocation of CPS top producing gifted school Annie Keller from the Mt. Greenwood Community. This announcement was made without any parent involvement and consent.
Here are links to two groups formed on Facebook about it:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=270971193333&v=info#/group.php?v=wall&ref=mf&gid=270971193333
&
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=270971193333&ref=mf#/group.php?gid=269418269075&ref=ts
MY UPDATES:
Here is the Sun Times coverage of the story.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/keller.cps.parents.2.1453594.html
So it appears that 2 nearby neighborhood schools are overcrowded and have set their sights on the Keller building. Man, that stinks. And as a commentrer pointed out, the same thing happened with Edison last year. Parents screamed bloody murder (sorry, that sounds cynical, I know) but CPS wouldn’t cave and the schools was moved pretty far from its original location. From what I hear, it has actually worked out OK (although that is coming from a parent who prefers the new location.)
In a financially ailing school system, from a fully tactical POV, it makes sense to ease over-crowding the cheapest way possible (I see people on facebook suggesting trailers/annexes/etc at the overcrowded schools.)
If CPS made any kind of respectable effort to provide resources for kids who work above grade level, parents probably wouldn’t be so freaked out about going into the neighborhood schools. What if CPS actually worked with the schools in question to ensure that the bright kids at Keller could attend the local schools and still be challenged? I’m sure there are other kids in those schools who could use an accelerated program as well.
Overall, it stinks for everyone. The parents who scored a gifted spot until 8th grade feel screwed over. The families who will be displaced from their current schools and moved to the Keller building if this happens will be mad about leaving.
My family experienced an over-crowding situation at the private pre-school our son attended and I know first-hand that it’s a sad, contentious, depressing, and frustrating situation. Especially when you can see that the likely outcome isn’t a good one.
Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: keller regional gifted center, keller rgc.
1. hopeful | January 26, 2010 at 1:07 pm
This was talked about on catalyst chicago. Apparently the move would relieve overcrowding much like the edison move was supposed to. I don’t have an opinion on the subject one way or the other. But I do know that parents are concerned that the rgc will be moved into an unsafe area.
2. Mom | January 26, 2010 at 1:28 pm
CPS is trying to handle one problem (overcrowding at Mt. Greenwood) by creating another (dismantling a top gifted school and moving it away from the community that has fostered its reputation and standings). Tomorrow there will be a meeting at
CPS HEADQUARTERS. 125 S. CLARK
5TH FLOOR, BOARD CHAMBERS
THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27, 2010
YOU MUST SIGN IN FOR THE MEETING AT 8:00AM
If you think they won’t be coming after your school next, you’re wrong. Stand together, CPS community!
3. Mayfair Dad | January 26, 2010 at 2:28 pm
I wish the Keller RGC folks well but if the past is any indication, the battle is already lost. A VERY organized and determined effort by the Edison RGC parent group could not overturn the CPS decision to relocate their program. Alderman Brian Doherty became the hero to his constituents by re-opening Edison as a neighborhood school. Same thing going on in Mt. Greenwood. Where are they proposing the Keller RGC relocate to? There might be a silver lining in all this, hard to see right now. Maybe a larger, newer facility so more kids could benefit? Keep an open mind, it might be a positive outcome.
4. cpsobsessed | January 28, 2010 at 11:14 am
If what the Sun Times says is true that the public schools are overcrowded because people are leaving Catholic schools, why not rent out space from those Catholic schools?
I suspect that overcrowding is going to be an growing problem in the next few year. I really wish that CPS would think of some options ahead of time instead of just uprooting entire schools.
5. KCK | January 28, 2010 at 1:53 pm
If I remember correctly (from CBS news), the new location is going to be 51st & Princeton, 11 miles away from the current location.
6. SW Side Mom | January 28, 2010 at 3:14 pm
The CPS hasn’t shared any potential alternative locations officially with Keller parents yet. From what I understand there are just a lot of rumored locations, including those shared through the news media. Supposedly our alderwoman is determined to keep the school in the 19th ward, if not in its current location. There is a meeting for parents tonight at Keller, where all of this is going to hopefully be addressed by CPS officials.
Please consider signing this petition, if you haven’t already:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/sos
Thank you!
7. kugler | January 31, 2010 at 5:21 am
Is this process legal in accordance to Public Act 096-0803(105 ILCS 5/34-18.37 new) Establishing an equitable and effective school facility development process.
Section (a) (5) In order to minimize the negative impact of school facility decisions on the community, these decisions should be implemented according to a clear system-wide criterion and with the significant involvement of local school councils, parents, educators, and the community in decision-making.
Section (b) In order to ensure that school facility-related decisions are made with the input of the community and reflect educationally sound and fiscally responsible criteria, a Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force shall be established within 15 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=096-0803
8. kugler | January 31, 2010 at 5:24 am
here is the correct link
Public Act 096-0434
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=096-0803&GA=96
Sec. 34-18.37. Establishing an equitable and effective
school facility development process.
9. hopeful | February 11, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Wow, I just read that Keller parents won the fight to stay in the current building. I am impressed. I’ve rarely seen Chicago parents be able to change or affect a decision by the board. Congratulations.
10. Adele | February 18, 2010 at 3:51 pm
The proposed move of Keller students to 51st and Princeton would have dissolved the second-highest scoring school in Illinois.
Because parents wouldn’t send their children an hour-plus on a school bus 11 miles away.
And because in the past year, more than 1,400 violent and property crimes were committed within one square mile of 51st and Princeton.
Ruining Keller would have been a huge embarrassment to CPS.
The 19th ward is always referred to as clout-heavy, for good reason, and nothing goes on in 19th ward schools without the alderman’s prior knowledge and consent.
Alderman Ginger Rugai changed her mind about evicting Keller kids only after she was informedby senior people just how big a mistake she was making with an election coming in February.
CPS officials and staff who initially went along with her recently came from the CTA. The old CPS hands wouldn’t make this kind of mistake. . .
11. Adele | February 18, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Dear SW Side Mom #6
What we didn’t know at the time was that CPS had told the Keller administration and LSC on Friday, Jan 26, exactly where Keller kids would be moved.
But the Keller folks were warned of serious legal consequences if they revealed this information or organized a protest. Principals have been fired by CPS for similar transgressions. So they could say nothing.
It took some Keller parents working very hard behind the scene, to find out that address, 51st and Princeton.
Having that piece of the puzzle meant that senior city officials would take Keller parents’ complaint very seriously and act on it immediately.
That’s behind the alderman’s about-face.
12. Adele | February 19, 2010 at 12:06 am
Good point — “What if CPS actually worked with the schools in question to ensure that the bright kids at Keller could attend the local schools and still be challenged? I’m sure there are other kids in those schools who could use an accelerated program as well.”
Well, there is one. CPS has an in-house comprehensive gifted program available for neighborhood schools that would like to add this to their curriculum. I know it’s at Westcott Elementary and others as well.
Contact the Gifted Office for more information.
13. b tle | November 8, 2010 at 10:09 pm
listen to you guys! relocation is to far! no longer in your backyard!new location has x amount of vilolent and property crimes! this is funny/sad, sounds liek mr daley selling out the parking meters and to some foreign ownership, later to realize to amount of revenue that could have been produced- some schools claim to only follow cps guidelines –
why cant all schools follow accelerated learning guidelines — are teachers UNDERQUALIFIED– IS THAT THE WHOLE PROBLEM? ELIMINATION OF NON PERFORMING TEACHERS MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A GOOD IDEA !
MAYBE THE UNIONS AND THE TEN YR PROTECTION NEEDS TO GO- IF AMERICA CAN HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT– COME ON PARENTS I AM SCREAMIING HERE ! THIS AMERICA IS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A COUNTRY OF BUYOUTS-SELLOUTS-DROP OUTS, ETC… I CAN GO ON AND ON- SOMEBODY RAISE HELL- PLEASE PARENTS WITH A CAUSE AND CONCERN EXPRESS YOUR REAL EMOTIONS AND BE HEARD-