Chicago Reporter (https://www.chicagoreporter.com/author/rachel-reed/)
The Chicago Public Education Fund announced Tuesday that five schools will receive as much as $10,000 to seed projects that teams of principals and teachers came up with over the summer.
Originally considered a strategy to provide better schools in neighborhoods without them, charter schools are now being viewed as a solution to overcrowding.
As principals make tough decisions in the wake of massive budget cuts, one major casualty could be the out-of-school time programs offered by community schools.
Through the Summer of Learning, an initiative to link city and private resources and provide more summer enrichment activities for children and teens, Chicago Park District summer camps are emphasizing reading along with traditional camp activities. Every summer day camp is expected to implement 20 minutes of reading daily for each child, whether it’s reading on his or her own, or being read to by an adult.
For months, officials have said the district faced a monumental deficit of $1 billion, blaming the state’s pension crisis for the bulk of the problem. But on Wednesday, Chief Administrative Officer Tim Cawley told board members that some good fortune—in the form of reserve funds—would help make ends meet.
Students participating in Summer of Learning can earn a perk that the city and its partners hope will be an incentive: “digital badges” that can serve as a credential to show schools, potential employers and colleges that students have acquired various skills.
About 200 parents and students, members of Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and Raise Your Hand, gathered in front of Chicago Board of Education President David Vitale’s office today.