AT CLARK STREET Maribeth Vander Weele is leaving her post as CPS inspector general to become president and partner of a consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. Vander Weele, a former Sun-Times education reporter, was appointed inspector general by Mayor Daley in 1998; previously she was director of investigations, and director of school and community relations. Daley has not named a successor. … Linda Pierzchalski, former principal of Bogan High School, was appointed Region 1 education officer. She replaces Eva Nickolich, who is now deputy chief education officer. Dr. Ronn L. Gibbs, former principal of Near North High School, replaces Pierzchalski at Bogan as interim principal. … Marietta Skyles Beverly, former principal of Michele Clark Middle School, was appointed Region 3 education officer. She replaces Hazel Steward, who retired. Annette Gurley, an assistant principal at Michele Clark, was named interim. … Lee Brown, former principal of Shoop Elementary School, was named Region 6 education officer. She replaces Sherye Garmony-Miller, who retired. Shoop Assistant Principal Judy Adams was named interim principal. … Joyce Bristow, who was responsible for academic preparatory centers, was named Region 7 education officer, replacing Michael Woods, who retired in December.
Bruce Washington was named deputy chief operating officer of the Office of Operations. Previously, Washington was deputy director of the Cook County Office of Capital Planning and Policy. He replaces David Agazzi, who is now a special assistant in the Office of Management and Budget. … Jennifer Hester, Manley High School reading coach, was named high school reading initiative manager in the Chief Education Office. … Robert Deckinga was appointed director of Critical School Support, formerly the Department of School Intervention in the Office of Accountability where he was interim director.
MOVING IN/ON Jay Rehak, former English teacher at Whitney Young, was named assistant director of the Chicago Teachers Union Quest Center, a new position effective Feb. 4.
PRINCIPAL RETIREMENTS Peter G. Hastings, Onahan; Vivian Moritz, Region 1 instructional coordinator, was named acting principal. John Gelsomino, principal at Kelly High School; Al Pretkelis, assistant principal, was named acting principal.
PRINCIPAL REMOVALS The School Board has formally removed the following four from schools that have not made sufficient academic progress since being placed on probation: Patrick Kenny, Bunche; Theodis Leonard, Paderewski; Linda Sienkiewicz, Piccolo; and Margaret Tolson, Donoghue. Most will serve out the remainder of their principal contracts at central office, receiving the same salary and benefits. Leonard decided to retire. They were replaced by the following interim principals: Annie Greenlee, interim principal at Libby, Bunche; Momma Hawk, principal of Recovering the Gifted Child, Paderewski; Deborah Edwards, principal of Fulton, Piccolo; JoAnn Roberts, former chief intervention officer, Donoghue.
PRINCIPAL CONTRACTS Phylis Hammond, acting principal at Tilden High School, is now contract principal. … June G. Shackter, Decatur Classical, and Michele L. Barton, Metcalfe, have had their contracts renewed.
BOND SALE CPS sold $217 million in general obligation bonds in December to fund several renovation and new construction projects, including new buildings for Kelvyn Park High and DePriest Elementary, and an addition to Moos Elementary. About $5 million of the bond sale proceeds will pay for land purchase and site preparation work to build new high schools in Little Village and Pilsen, and a new building for Westinghouse High.
EDUCATION BILL President George W. Bush signed into law Jan. 8 the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which mandates, among other things, statewide reading and math tests for grades 3 through 8 by 2005, and puts pressure on low performing schools. Under the new law, parents can transfer their children out of failing schools and into better performing ones. Parents can also tap a low performing school’s Title 1 money to pay for private tutoring. Schools that fail to perform adequately for two consecutive years will be eligible for extra federal help. Overall, the federal education budget was increased by $6.7 billion for the 2002 fiscal year. Title 1 funding is up, as well; CPS is slated to get $220 million a year, up from $170 million.
POLICY The Board agreed to exempt certain specialty teachers from its requirement that all employees reside in the city of Chicago. Relaxing the policy for math, science and special education teachers is expected to help fill vacant positions. Librarians, social workers, guidance counselors and speech pathologists will also be exempt from the residency rule this year.
FELLOWSHIPS Six CPS elementary school teachers have been named MetLife Fellows and will participate in a new program to include teacher input in educational policy-making. They are among 100 MetLife fellows nationwide and were selected by the Chicago Foundation for Education. Winners are: Shari Frost of Norwood Park; Margie Smagecz of Gray; Michael Flynn of Otis; Steven Taylor of Hedges; Valerie Lyons, an itinerant CPS teacher and Joy Reeves of Bright.