Gang: Here is the latest update on Chicago's public schools (Part 3 of 3)

Gang:This is The NY Times editorial for 2/13/2018 that I mentioned earlier about...Chicago’s schools.


David Leonhardt ‘s essay is, in my opinion, the more balanced review of the situation in Chicago's Public schools.Some others say school closings are a disaster. I think when something just repeatedly fails, then it is time to re-evaluate and make progress:


 “Chicago school progress. Some of the most impressive educational gains in the country have been happening in Chicago. Students — of all races — have made striking progress in reading and math. They’re spending more time studying the arts. High-school graduation rates are up. Chicago still has a long way to go. Its math and reading scores remain below the national average, for example. But its recent progress is exciting, especially given the city’s diverse population and relatively high poverty rate.


The city’s students 'appear to be learning faster than those in almost every other school system in the country, according to new data from researchers at Stanford,' Emily Badger and Kevin Quealy of The Times recently wrote.


In The Washington Post last week, Karin Chenoweth wrote, 'If we as a country are really serious about wanting to improve schools and education, we should be studying Chicago.'


The gains haven’t come easily, though. They have involved, among other things, greater accountability for school leaders and the closure of some underperforming schools. In a Times op-ed today, Tamar Manasseh makes the case against the next round of Chicago’s school closures, calling previous ones 'a fiasco.'


I disagree. For too long, school systems have been unwilling to crack down on failing schools. As traumatic as closures can be, they can lead to real progress, as has happened in Chicago. In most other parts of society, after all, institutions aren’t allowed to fail year after year, without consequence.


For more on Chicago, I wrote about its schools last year, focusing on the role that principals have played. You can also read the Stanford University study. And The Chicago Tribune explained the latest development yesterday: a three-year phaseout, rather than a 2018 closing, for three high schools.




As usual, I encourage you to read both sides of the debate.”

I concur!