Ren-10 ReFi; Science Program Under the Microscope; Altgeld Gardens (Chicago Illinois)

The big news this week is that the folks at CPS finally figured out a way not to botch Ren10 with funding levels that no one in their right mind would agree to: Charter schools get more funds (Chicago Tribune), Renaissance 2010 small schools get extra cash (Chicago Sun-Times).

Still, there's another protest against R10 planned for Friday 11/12, organized by CTU. And not everyone is happy about one possible new school option: Parents, Students Upset By Plan To Make Catholic School Public NBC5.com

Meanwhile, Catalyst's cover package for November features science: CPS Pushes New Science Curriculum, to which CPS science director Mike Lach summarizes and critiques here. Lach calls the Catalyst coverage "generally positive, even by Catalyst's standards." Hmm.

There's also a great Neighborhoods piece hidden in the back of the issue, this one featuring Altgeld Gardens: No Transformation. I love learning more about Chicago's neighborhoods, even when the news is not all good. But I sorely miss the great neighborhood maps that Catalyst usually includes. Bring back the maps!

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