Becoming Principal in the Midst of a Pandemic

By the Noble Network of Charter Schools

“This is part of a series of blogs from Noble campus representatives to give a deeper look at campus life.  Why did you choose to work for Noble at DRW? I had the great fortune of being principal at Rowe Elementary for four years. Over my time there, we had dozens of our 8th graders graduate and go to Noble for high school. At Rowe, we championed college as an important benchmark for our scholars to lead choice-filled lives. As I was looking for a new professional opportunity, Noble stood out because of the alignment with respect to the role of college in our scholars living choice-filled lives. Additionally, over the course of my time here in the Chicago education community, I’ve had a number of interactions with various Noble staff members and felt a sense of purpose, humility, ownership, and love for kids that is aligned with my views and perspectives as well. Lastly, when I visited DRW in January, it felt right. It felt like home. I was born here in Chicago and lived in N. Lawndale before my mom moved us to Maywood. My family has been on the West Side since the 1970s so having an opportunity to work with the families and students of N. Lawndale felt like this is exactly where I need to be.”

 

CPS, CTU reach tentative agreement to reopen high schools; union members to vote

By Nader Issa for The Sun-Times

“Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union have landed a tentative agreement to reopen high schools, setting the stage for thousands of teenage students to return to classrooms Monday for the first time in more than a year. The deal will still need to be approved by the union’s 25,000 teachers and staff. The CTU’s House of Delegates — its 600-member governing body — is set to convene Thursday afternoon to review the terms of the agreement and potentially set up a ratification vote by the full membership this weekend. A CTU committee of rank-and-file teachers and staff who have been involved in bargaining has recommended approval of the agreement, the union said.”

 

Hybrid or elected school board? Lightfoot proposal stirs debate in Springfield

By Samantha Smylie for Chalkbeat Chicago

“Mayor Lori Lightfoot found a carrier for her bill to create a partially-elected Chicago school board — a state senator who on Wednesday voted for a rival effort to mandate a fully elected board. Sen. Kimberly Lightford said she will sponsor the mayor’s bill for a partly elected and partly appointed “hybrid” board. On Wednesday, Lightford criticized a bill in the legislature to create a 21-person fully elected board, then promptly voted for the legislation. She backed a bill by Sen. Robert Martwick, SB 2497, in the works for more than six years. It drew 1,102 comments in support and 242 opponents. Even while criticizing Martwick’s bill, Lightford voted to send the bill out of committee and to the Senate floor, where there will be another opportunity for the bill to undergo more debate. Lightford has not yet introduced the hybrid-board bill.”