Second Ren-10 Shakeup, Narrow-Minded Elites, and Deseg Watchdog (Chicago IL)

Not-so good-news keeps trickling in about Renaissance 2010 with this week's Tribune editorial (Loving schools to death) and the announcement of various temporary-sounding (and unverified) arrangements to run Renaissance 2010 in the wake of the Daniels and Schneider departures:

In what one insider described as a "Rube Goldberg setup," Williams Multiplex principal Frances Oden is now supposed to provide support for non-charter Ren10 schools, with Janita Robbins doing the same for charters. According to departing New Schools Development Officer Greg Richmond (whose last day is today), Duncan chief of staffer Hosanna Mahaley is at least temporarily taking over his duties. Where that leaves Jeannie, who knows.

11 AM CORRECTION/UPDATE: I'm getting conflicting reports about the new org chart, including some that say Jeanne is now in what's left of Greg's job, which is parallel to Frances and Janita, with Hosanna overseeing it all for the time being while Arne looks for a permanent director. Yikes. If you know better, feel free to share.

And who's taking the lead on operational and budget issues related to the new schools remains unclear, as does the ongoing role of NSC, which last week conspicuously didn't fund Uplift, the teacher-led new school at Arai that had been recommended and approved by the local TAC and the Board over proposals from Perspectives and CICS and the approved proposal for Tarkington, which was reportedly dinged for being too big and having attendance boundaries though it's hard not to believe there's more there as well.

At least one reader of the site says that all of this is being overblown:

"I find it amusing that Russo’s story and the Tribune’s editorial suggest that Ren10 is “in peril” due to turnover, meeting requests, budgetary concerns, and a new "Campus Manger” requirement."

And there is at least some good news getting reported:
Little Village getting school it hungered for (Tribune)

Meanwhile, a panel took a whack at admissions policies used by the city's most selective schools: Panel says college preps should be more flexible (Chicago Sun-Times), City's selective schools urged to be more open (Tribune), Admissions game is way out of whack (Sun Times). Speaking of which: Lunch--Or Harvard? (Chicago Tribune).

And the USDOJ seems to have ended CPS hopes of dismantling the 1980 deseg consent decree: Feds want desegregation watchdog (Tribune), Chicago schools not living up to 1980 desegregation deal, says U.S. (Sun-Times).

On a related note, Ruth Moscovitch has apparently left the General Counsel's office at the Board, which she headed for the past couple of years, and has been replaced by Patrick Rocks. Phillip Hampton has been named director of community relations, whatever that means.

And more about the 24 Catholic schools slated for closure this spring, affecting over 4000 children: Archdiocese Announces Closure of 24 Schools (EW), Catholic school closings a dilemma for city parents (Sun Times), Closing schools (Tribune).

Best of the Rest:

Life through the eyes of an ESL class Tribune
DI under attack JoanneJacobs.com
Bill offers time off for parents Tribune
Groovy grammar school MSNBC
Call berates 'poor blackie' Sun Times
School board discusses racial phone call tonight Sun Times
Nat Lacour and strikes Teach and Learn
CTU Blames Former President for Budget Deficit EIA
3 high schools may alter schedules Chicago Tribune