Richmond Rehash (Chicago IL)

A revised and expanded version of last week's posting about the internal turmoil surrounding who will run Renaissance 2010 is now out in my monthly column in the Chicago Journal.

Renaissance 2010 loses its muscle (Chicago Journal)

The new piece includes some but not all of the things I've learned since last week about why Richmond is leaving. Perhaps most importantly, the column raises questions about why it seems so important to some Ren10 supporters that the initiative be kept "safe" from educators and the CPS bureaucracy, as if charter schools in Chicago were all that radical:

"Many of those pushing hard to make sure that Renaissance 2010 didn’t get absorbed by the education bureaucracy ignored the fact that charter schools in Chicago are much less autonomous, and less radically different, from public schools than they are in many other places...Creating more charter schools under current law and calling it a major change is somewhat akin to a college kid wearing long sideburns and an earring and calling himself a rebel."

As always, if you think I missed something or got it wrong, let me know.

See also:
Chicago School Official to Head Up Authorizers’ Group EW
A Sudden Resignation February 4
CPS New Schools Development Head Departs WBEZ (audio)
Mid-Renaissance Move February 2