CPS Flexes Its Muscle at Senn High School (Chicago IL)

Enough about Chicago already (see previous posts below). Except to say that was pretty interesting that the Board of Education ignored a fairly well-organized protest and went ahead with its plans to add a new Navy program at Senn High School: Student walkout doesn't stop naval academy (Chicago Sun Times), Navy school OKd for Senn (Chicago Tribune), Teens protest N. Side naval academy.

It's not like the Board hasn't backed down on things like this before -- holding off on closing charters, never following through with a promised second wave of school closings, and promising a school to hunger striking moms in Little Village, among other examples. So either this Daley-esque defiance thing is really taking hold on Clark Street, or there's an inside fix that I don't know about, or CPS folks simply couldn't figure a third way that wouldn't endanger all the future school closing and re-opening plans that are in the works (aka Ren 10).

In the meantime, the on-again, off-again approval of the next round of charters is parsed by Teach and Learn: New CPS Charters…or Not.

The rest of the week's best on Chicago:
Court Orders Integration of Chicago Public Schools NPR
Chicago Progam Enlists Parents to Help Failing Kids NPR
A pillar of West Garfield Park to retire Chicago Tribune
Cost of Little Village High School up to $63 million Chicago Sun Times
State academic watch list in big jump to 541 schools Chicago Tribune
Tardy test results leave schools scrambling to help students
Chicago Daily Herald
Archdiocese calls on alumni to help keep schools open
Chicago Daily Southtown,
Catholic school rebirth Crain's Chicago Business
Schools soar to new heights Chicago Sun Times
Pepper spray released in school; 5 youths hurt
Chicago Tribune