Top Education Stories You Don’t Want to Miss: November 19 – December 2, 2022

Butler College Prep Seniors Tour HBCUs

By The Noble Schools

“If you were to walk the hallways of Butler College Prep and ask students to quote a trending phrase, they may look you in the eyes and say “ We had a time last night!” And if you were to ask anyone who went on our recent HBCU tour in October, they would tell you about the same — “We had a time last on that trip!” This October, the college team and a few chaperones embarked on a trip down south for our annual HBCU Tour with 40 seniors.”

 

Scholars, Staff, and Families at Muchin College Prep Share Gratitude

By The Noble Schools

“This is part of a series of blogs from Noble campus representatives to give a deeper look at campus life. Most people think that the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, but November at Muchin is a close second. In November, our Mountain Lion community focuses on showering ourselves, and each other, with gratitude all month long so that we can head into the holiday season and new year feeling rejuvenated.”

 

Waukegan’s LEARN 9 is Only Charter Elementary School in Illinois to Earn ‘Exemplary’ Rating

By Samantha Jacobs for LEARN 

“LEARN 9 Charter Elementary School is the only charter elementary school in Illinois, and the only non-selective school in Waukegan, to earn an ‘Exemplary’ designation from the Illinois State Board of Education. The ‘Exemplary’ designation is the highest of four designations an Illinois school can earn and indicates that the school’s performance is in the top 10% of schools statewide. While the state saw a 7.5 % and 6.2% decrease from 2019 IAR scores in reading and math respectively, LEARN 9’s reading and math scores remained flat from 2019 to 2022, indicating that they have fully recovered from pandemic learning loss.”

 

Chicago Public Schools is monitoring students’ social media for ‘worrisome behavior’

By Mila Koumpilova for Chalkbeat

“Chicago Public Schools is monitoring students’ social media posts for signs they might engage in violence on campus or harm themselves so that school staff — and in some cases police — can intervene.  A Canada-based company the district hired started scouring public posts for threats and “cries for help” last month. District leaders say the program is key in efforts to prevent violence and self-harm as the district responds to an uptick in school shootings nationally and in the number of local students expressing suicidal thoughts. The Chicago program – called “Supporting Our Students” – is part of a national trend, as more districts have started paying contractors for social media monitoring services in recent years.”

 

Chicago Public Schools’ application deadline is next week. Here’s what you need to know.

By  Becky Vevea for Chalkbeat

“The deadline to apply for a public school in Chicago for next fall is fast approaching.  Chicago Public Schools has tried to simplify the process for going to a school that’s different from your assigned neighborhood school. Since 2017, there’s been a single online application known as GoCPS.  Still, the task of researching options, preparing required documents, and finalizing school choices dominates the minds of many parents and students every fall.”