Usually I hate the whole high school admissions process in Chicago Public Schools–it puts 7th-graders under undue stress and reminds us forcefully of the system’s baked-in inequity of opportunity. However, last night it was a pleasant relief to see parents on my Facebook feed celebrating their children’s high school acceptances. So, in hopes that talking about high school admissions is…
Tag: International Baccalaureate
“We Keep Moving:” How Faraday Elementary Went from Probation to Top-Rated
Principal Tawana Williams knows how people in the East Garfield Park community used to perceive Faraday Elementary School. “They felt that Faraday was the dumping school,” she said. “They thought, for a very long time, that this was a ‘bad’ school.” For many years, Faraday was on academic probation. The school struggled to deal with student fights and gang involvement.…
What Can NYC’s Specialized Schools Learn From Chicago? Getting Beyond SHSAT Prep.
While New Yorkers debate the merits of scrapping the long-used SHSAT as the gatekeeper for entry to the crown jewels of the city’s high schools, there’s another way to get at the root problem of too many underprepared elementary students, especially in Black and Latinx communities. It’s working in Chicago. I am well aware that transplanting a bright idea that…