HIGHER ED INITIATIVE The Department of Postsecondary Education, CEO Arne Duncan and a group of universities have established the Higher Education Advisory Taskforce (HEAT) to develop college admission, financial aid and student support initiatives to increase the number of CPS graduates who enroll in higher education. Participating schools are: Chicago State, Illinois Institute of Technology, DePaul University, Knox College, Loyola University, Malcolm X College, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
New Broad Residents The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems has named five new Broad Residents in Urban Education to work at CPS for the next two years. Aarti Dhupelia, formerly a manager at Marakon Associaties, Jacqueline Statum, formerly a senior associate brand manager for Hershey Co., and Wendy Thompson, formerly an assistant vice president with Aon Corp., will work as project managers in the chief administrative office; Diana Matthews, a chemical engineer who worked in the pharmaceutical industry, is working on a per-pupil budgeting initiative; Kathleen Weaver, formerly a consultant, will be a senior manager in the Office of New Schools. They join 12 other Broad residents already working at CPS.
Moving on Carol Johnson, member of the Catalyst Chicago Editorial Board and formerly of the anti-violence group CeaseFire, is now director of community building for Bethel New Life.
Social Worker Award Vivian Loseth, executive director of Youth Guidance and chair of the Catalyst Chicago Editorial Board, has been named Social Worker of the Year by the Chicago district of the National Association of Social Workers-Illinois. Loseth has been with Youth Guidance, a social service agency that works with CPS, for 30 years and is also director of the Chicago Comer School Development Program, an initiative that aims to improve the educational environment for at-risk children.
At Clark Street Michael Lach, formerly director of math and science, has been named director of high school curriculum.
New home for Erikson The Erikson Institute has launched a $30 million, five-year fundraising campaign for the construction of its new home at 451 N. LaSalle St. Half of the money already has been raised—$12.1 million from the 42 trustees and the rest in grants from the Irving Harris Foundation, the Polk Bros. Foundation and LaSalle Bank. Erikson broke ground Jan. 18 and is slated to move in late summer. The new space will include a library, a clinical area for children and families and increased space for the Herr Research Center for Children and Social Policy.
CPS e-mails Starting Nov. 1, school-based staff will have new e-mail addresses ending in @cps.edu. Principals and assistant principals will have addresses ending in @cps.edu as well as an address ending in @cps.k12.il.us. Administrative staff members at the central office will keep their current addresses. CPS students eventually will have e-mail addresses as well.
Principal contracts The following interim principals have been awarded principal contracts: Sean Clayton, Marconi; Santos Gomez, N. Davis; Alberto Juarez, Gary; Leonard Kenebrew, Clemente; Macquline King, Dumas; Douglas MacLin, School of the Arts High School at South Shore; Linda Mims, Best Practices High School at Cregier Multiplex. These principals have had their contracts renewed: Frank Embil, Woodlawn; Rolland Jasper, Joplin; Marilyn LeBoy, Ebinger.
PURE Turns 20 Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE) will celebrate its 20th anniversary from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 3 at Lazo’s Restaurant, 2009 N. Western Ave. City Clerk Miguel Del Valle will speak. For more information, visit www.pureparents.org or call (312) 491-9101.
Renaissance grants The Renaissance Schools Fund, the private partner to Renaissance 2010, announced $3.9 million in grants to new schools: Bronzeville Lighthouse Charter, Catalyst Charter-Howland and Austin campuses; Providence Englewood Charter-Bunche; UNO Charter-Bartolome de las Casas, Carlos Fuentes and Donald J. Marquez campuses; Austin Business and Entrepreneurship Academy; Chicago International Charter-Ralph Ellison and Irving Park campuses; Noble Street Charter -Pritzker, Rauner and Golder college preps; Urban Prep Academy for Young Men Charter-Englewood; Polaris Charter Academy; Aspira Early College High School; Collins Academy High; Marine Military Math and Science Academy, North Lawndale College Prep Charter, Perspectives Charter-Calumet Middle School; Frazier Prep Academy; and Team Englewood Community Academy. The Fund reports it has raised $41 million since 2005.
Promoting attendance WGCI and KISS-FM will send radio personalities to eight high schools throughout the year to motivate students to come to school. Schools that will receive visits are Michele Clark, Clemente, Wells, Crane, Farragut, Washington, Phillips and Tilden.