It takes a village to run a school
By Sekou Robertson for The Sun-Times
“I don’t seek to be the center of attention. I think many school leaders can relate to that sentiment. We do not enter education for fame and glory; we chose this trail for the kids. Plain and simple. And we all go into this race with the knowledge that it takes a town to raise one child, let alone a whole school of students. Despite my discomfort with the spotlight, I received a recent honor: I am the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) Principal of the Year. What am I going to do with this recognition? I plan to share the rules that I have followed to navigate this role. Spoiler alert: the rules are for a team sport. The work of a director is not alone. Together, our vision is to ensure students thrive academically while providing memorable experiences beyond the classroom. As the leader of the school, I am simply in charge and work with an exceptional staff to see students live up to our name and excel. This is how we do it”.

Centering the student voice in social-emotional learning (new podcast episode)
By Noble Schools
“In the second episode of this season of the Noble Schools video podcast, “Changing the Course: Building An Antiracist Education,” we speak with Ayanna Banks and Yesenia Maldonado, Student Experience and Social Emotional Learning Leaders* at Noble Schools. In their roles, both Banks and Maldonado have a major impact on how Noble Schools listens to students and what they do with that knowledge. In this episode, they talk about how Noble Schools is incorporating social-emotional learning into classrooms, how that learning is informed by student voice, and why it’s important to building anti-racist schools.”

Noble Academy students share their thoughts on human rights
By Noble Schools
“It’s hard to put words together when describing ‘human rights’ and discussing the profound issues it covers. But some of our students here at The Noble Academy have risen to the challenge. Two members of the Student Brand Ambassador club shared their perspectives on human rights. This club is about enhancing the school experience for current and future students, as well as expressing thoughts and opinions about school rules and concerns. These two members who have different backgrounds, beliefs, and unique personal experiences shared their ideas and perspectives for this Human Rights Awareness Month.”

Mansueto athletes leave their mark in the end zone
Por Las Escuelas Nobles
“Girls can play soccer too. Here’s what Mansueto High School head football coach Anthony Leigh set out to make sure everyone knows. With that goal in mind, he launched Mansueto’s first-ever women’s flag football team in 2021. That year, Mansueto became one of 22 schools in the city to launch the Chicago Public Schools’ inaugural flag football league. ”.

Setting up bars at the Beats Club at Hansberry College Prep
By The Noble Schools
“Every Tuesday afternoon, you’ll find 15 Hansberry Bengals making music and having fun at the Beats Club. These Bengals are creating beats in every genre, from rap to pop to lo-fi and more. For two years, the club has been inviting all students who want to learn to make rhythms that express their origin, voice and culture. Take a look below for a glimpse of what’s going on at the club.”

Drama at Baker College Prep helps students express themselves
Por Las Nobles Schools
“This is part of a series of blogs from Noble campus representatives to take a deeper look at campus life. “The drama gives you something you have never felt before. It gives you a chance to be the person you want to be deep down.” – A sophomore at Baker College Prep. Trust. Creativity. Teamwork. Empathy. These are values ​​in every Baker Drama class that are explored and practiced. Bobcat Drama’s focus is to help each student grow in her own confidence and her voice and to honor her own creative selves. How can an individual be seen and see humanity through the creative arts? Each recitation and lesson is rooted in the students’ own connection and growth.”

Support DRW College Prep Small Businesses
By Noble Schools
“This is part of a series of blogs from Noble campus representatives to take a deeper look at campus life. As the holiday season approaches and businesses have huge winter sales, we wanted to take this time to promote some of the small businesses connected to DRW College Prep. Take a look at what some of our community members and students are up to.”

Chicago Public Schools won’t track COVID boosters for students, staff
By Mauricio Peña for Chalkbeat
“Chicago Public Schools is not tracking which students or staff members have received the updated omicron booster, even though district leaders and the city health commissioner are urging students to receive the booster to avoid another COVID surge. Chicago’s practice of not being aware of updated booster vaccinations by schools comes as parts of the country are experiencing a surge in COVID-19, caused, in part, by a new omicron subvariant known as XBB. .1.5. This also comes as cities and school districts have largely phased out most COVID-19 mitigations.”

New tool lets people see how much federal COVID money Illinois schools have spent
By Becky Vevea for Chalkbeat
“Illinois school districts have spent less than half of the approximately $7.8 billion the state received in federal COVID recovery funds, according to a new spending dashboard released today. The Illinois State Board of Education released the data Thursday and said it would provide “real-time updates” on how districts reported spending money meant to help students recover from the pandemic. “These funds provide an unprecedented opportunity to transform learning systems in Illinois that are more equitable, more inclusive, and more responsive to student needs,” State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala said in a news release. . Until now, federal COVID recovery money has been spent on existing staff, technology, tutoring, and transportation. Some districts in Illinois and across the country are using the influx of cash to repair old buildings. Others are using the money to expand the preschool and give jobs to high school students.”

La inscripción de estudiantes de primer año en JROTC se desploma después de la revisión de las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago
Por Alex Ruppenthal para The Sun-Times
“La inscripción de estudiantes de primer año en un controvertido programa de capacitación dirigido por militares se desplomó este año académico en algunas escuelas secundarias de Chicago después de que los líderes del distrito tomaron medidas enérgicas contra las escuelas que obligaban efectivamente a los estudiantes de primer año a participar, según un informe del organismo de control del distrito publicado el jueves. Las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago se comprometieron la primavera pasada a poner fin a la inscripción automática en el programa del Cuerpo de Entrenamiento de Oficiales de Reserva Junior, una clase diaria sobre ciencia militar y liderazgo impartida por oficiales militares retirados. La medida siguió a una investigación realizada por la Oficina del Inspector General del distrito, que descubrió que casi todos los estudiantes de primer año en algunas escuelas del sur y el oeste fueron colocados en el programa “sin ninguna opción”, a menudo como un sustituto del gimnasio. Algunos directores le dijeron a la OIG que no tenían dinero para contratar suficientes maestros de educación física para ofrecer educación física a todos los estudiantes”.

Las escuelas enmascaran el ausentismo al informar erróneamente a los estudiantes de CPS que faltan a la escuela como transferencias, abandonos, dice IG
Por Nader Issa y Sarah Karp para The Sun-Times
“Parece haber problemas generalizados con el seguimiento de los estudiantes que faltan a la escuela en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago, según un informe del inspector general publicado el jueves que dice que es probable que algunos administradores enmascaren el ausentismo crónico con el objetivo de hacer que sus escuelas se vean mejor. El informe erróneo de estudiantes ausentes como desaparecidos, desertores o transferencias salientes en muchos casos significa que las escuelas no verificaron adecuadamente el paradero de los niños e intentaron volver a involucrarlos en sus clases según lo requerido, según el informe. La investigación analizó problemas anteriores a la pandemia, pero la práctica probablemente empeoró cuando las escuelas cerraron y, según algunas estimaciones, CPS necesitaba volver a conectarse con hasta 100,000 niños que no participaban regularmente en la escuela. Hay una razón por la que los administradores podrían querer ocultar las ausencias injustificadas: el sistema de calificación escolar del distrito, actualmente suspendido y bajo reforma, ha penalizado a las escuelas por altas tasas de ausentismo y abandono escolar. Los críticos a menudo han llamado al sistema de calificación punitivo e inequitativo”.