Month: August 2016

DEAR MAYOR EMANUEL: I RESIGN MY POSITION AS PRINCIPAL OF THE #1 RATED NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL IN CHICAGO

What happens when the principal of the #1 neighborhood school in Chicago resigns? He writes a very detailed blog explaining his decision. Former principal of Blaine Elementary School, Troy LaRaviere, wrote a long explanation addressed to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Here’s what LaRaviere had to say: Dear Mayor Emanuel: In 2010 Chicago Magazine ranked Blaine Elementary School as the 16th best elementary…

The Power Of Unschooling: Why My Daughters Don’t Go To School

How does a 10-year-old Atlanta-based black girl with Jamaican parents, shoulder-length locs, and zero interest in school become deeply immersed in the studies of Finno-Ugric language groups and Eurasian migration? It started with flags. And the Internet, of course. Sage would come across an image of a flag, then search online to find its related country. Then, she’d see the…

Donald Trump, Please Come to Chicago

Donald Trump has had plenty to say about the Windy City lately, which is strange, because this is the same city that shut down his rally in March. The presidential candidate confidently said he could cure violence in Chicago in one week. He also went on to say African Americans will vote for him after the fatal shooting of Chicago…

‘Empire’ Filming Forced Teens Into Lockdown At Detention Center: Lawsuit

CHICAGO — Teens and children at a Chicago juvenile detention center were confined to their rooms and banned from family visits for days so “Empire” could film at the facility, according to a new class-action lawsuit. The Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center on the Near West Side was placed on lockdown three times last summer so “Empire,” a popular TV…

These Chicago Teachers Do NOT Want a Strike

While CPS threatens to go on strike in the upcoming weeks, these teachers are trying to regularly prepare for the 2016-17 school year despite tensions that continue to thicken. We’re waking up during the night thinking about how we’ll get to know our new kids and build a community that makes them feel safe and ready to work hard. Don’t get…

Chicago : A Tale of Two Cities

I don’t know how many times I’ve taken a ride down Lake Shore Drive and just had to take the same picture of the skyline or the sun rising/setting over the lake.  Still rolling along, the extravagant high-rises, vibrancy of downtown and visions of people enjoying what Chicago has to offer makes you feel like you are really a part…

Rahm Promises Schools Will Open on Time, Dismisses CPS Strike Talk

SOUTH SHORE — Insisting Chicago Public Schools “are going to open up on time,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel dismissed strike threats Monday and defended a $250 million property-tax increase as “what’s right” to fund education. Speaking in South Shore, where he touted the completion of a district-wide air-conditioning program this school year, Emanuel assured parents the fall term would start as scheduled…

Your High School Students Still Need Your Attendance And Participation

Your high school students still need your attendance and participation. Most adults tend to believe once their children attend high school they are home free.  We tend to spend less time at school meetings and report card conferences. We no longer check homework or ask how their day went. There are times when you may feel like your child is…