Catalyst Covers Tyke Testing, Chicago Journal Covers Eggers & Success Story

Lots of good stuff out there that you may not have seen, including a slew of recent articles in the now-expanded Chicago Journal: Top-secret tutoring (profiling author Dave Eggers’ storefront tutoring outpost in Chicago) and Comeback kids (telling the story of one school that made it back from the brink).

The beginning of the month (or thereabouts) also means that a new issue of Catalyst is out, including a great cover package by Debra Williams on preschool testing (Taking pre-K up a notch), a Ren10 update (Renaissance Watch: Applicants face new review process), and -- admit it -- everybody’s favorite: Comings and Goings.

Happy 15th, Catalyst!

Meanwhile, there’s also a Trib story on Ren10: List of proposed schools gets pared down to 21. And the Trib dutifully reports on the official CPS news of the week: a big federal Gear Up grant announcement: Grant to help foster college ambitions in 6th, 7th graders.

Also: more momentum (and moolah) for the UofC’s Center on Urban School Improvement: Urban schools benefit from $5 million in MacArthur grant funding

Best of the Rest

Why do some public schools actually work? Tribune
Overcrowded Local Schools Are Examined Southwest News Herald
Pershing West wins magnet label without all the work SunTimes
"Gladiator Rooms” at Cook County Detention Center Metroblogging
City of the Big Gaps New York Times
Project Managers Teach and Learn
Catching bus was no easy task Tribune