We Can’t Stop Now – Season Two of Noble Schools’ Video Podcast Launches

By The Noble Schools

“Changing the Course: Building An Antiracist Education” is back for season two to continue following our journey in building antiracist classrooms. In this first episode, we talk with Jennifer Reid Davis and D Nigel Green, leaders of Noble’s Equity team. They recap our equity and anti-racism work up to now and talk about the things that have and have not worked at our schools and how we’re adjusting. Most of all, they hit one point over and over again: We can’t stop now. We have to keep doing the work.”

Why Families Should Care About Parent Advisory Councils

By The Noble Schools

“This is part of a series of blogs from Noble campus representatives to give a deeper look at campus life. In the fall of every school year, we welcome people into the Catamount family at Gary Comer Middle School (GCMS). We welcome not only our students and staff but also the adults in our students’ lives – the parents and guardians who support our scholars and serve as an important part of our community. At GCMS, we truly believe that it takes a village. The stronger support our young people get from the adults in their lives, the more success they will see in their academics and personal growth. One of the most powerful ways we have seen parents support their students is by being involved at their school’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC).”

Chicago’s public charter schools have learned a few lessons about violence reduction

By Andrew Broy for Crain’s Chicago

“At the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, or INCS, we’ve seen up close the devastating impact gun violence has on students and school communities. Chicago’s charter public schools are disproportionately located in parts of the city that are most affected by gun violence. For instance, in the 15 neighborhoods with the highest gun-crime rates in Chicago, there are 18,666 charter students across 46 schools—32.7% of total charter enrollment. That is why INCS recently released an issue brief on promising practices from charter public schools to combat the scourge of gun violence. This issue brief highlights the innovative practices of four charter schools that are leveraging their autonomy to address gun violence in Chicago. North Lawndale College Prep, Perspectives Charter Schools, Urban Prep Academies, and Noble Schools exemplify the possibilities of charter school innovation to reduce the impact of gun violence on students.”

Illinois student test scores are in. They remain far below pre-pandemic levels in reading and math.

By Susie An for WBEZ

“Illinois students continue to perform far below pre-pandemic levels on state reading and math exams for a second year, test results released Thursday show, offering another sign of the ongoing toll of COVID-19 and remote learning. Students performed at roughly the same level as last year, which is well below the last round of testing before the pandemic in 2019. Students in all racial and ethnic groups saw their scores drop since 2019, exacerbating historic achievement gaps between white and Asian students and students of color.”

Chicago Public Schools graduation rate hits record high

By Sarah Karp for The Chicago Sun-Times

“Chicago Public Schools officials are celebrating a record high four-year high school graduation rate of 82.9% for the Class of 2022, up from 80.2% last year and 77% five years ago. CPS leaders also said that nearly 89% of last year’s freshmen are on track to graduate, returning to pre-pandemic levels, after dipping last year. This measure reflects how many freshmen are passing their core classes. The graduation and freshmen on-track announcement is welcome news in a week where disappointing state and national test score results were announced.”