AT CLARK STREET Connie Bridge, former executive director of the Council on Teacher Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has been appointed to the vacant position of chief officer of reading at CPS… Betty Cittadine, College Bridge program director for CPS, has been elected chair of the Illinois ACT Council. The 15-member council serves as a liaison between the high school and college communities, and the regional and national offices of ACT. Cittadine has been a member of the council for three years … Genita C. Robinson, former associate director for accountability at Leadership for Quality Education, is the new director of the charter schools office at CPS. She will report to Greg Richmond, director of new school creation.
MOVING IN/ON Peter Mich, education program officer at The Joyce Foundation, has been named executive director of the McDougal Family Foundation. He will take over from Randi Starr … Allen Schwartz, former executive director of the Chicago Metro History Fair, has been replaced by Crystal Johnson, former Iowa state coordinator for National History Day. Schwartz relocated to Ohio and is working on several projects as a consultant … Warren Chapman, president of the Bank One Foundation, has joined the Board of Trustees of Columbia College Chicago … Susan Kerr, former director of Ronald McDonald House Charities, is the first president of the new Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation … Marcia Lipetz, former senior vice president of The Philanthropy Group, has been appointed president and CEO of the Executive Service Corps of Chicago. She replaces Dennis A. Zavac, who retired in December.
NEW NAMES FOR NONPROFITS Whirlwind, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides interactive literacy programs for at-risk children, has changed its name to Reading In Motion. … The Day Care Action Council of Illinois, an organization that works toward ensuring quality day care in the state, will change its name in March to Action for Children.
PRINCIPAL RETIREMENT Joanne H. Davis, Armour School; Assistant Principal Shelley Cordova replaces her.
TEACHER PENSION FUND ELECTIONS In a December election for the annuitant’s seats on the pension board, the following were elected to two-year terms: Carole R. Nolan, Walter E. Pilditch and James F. Ward.
ATTENDANCE RECOGNITION AWARDS Twenty-three high schools that either maintained attendance rates of at least 90 percent or posted attendance gains of at least 4 percent over a four-year period, will each receive $5,000 through the CPS Attendance Improvement Initiative. The schools are: Gwendolyn Brooks, Chicago Agricultural, Chicago Military Academy, Hubbard, Jones, Lane Tech, Northside College Prep, Prosser, Von Steuben, Whitney Young, Crane, Farragut, Hancock, Manley, Robeson, Carver Military Academy, Corliss, Julian, Kelly, Phillips, Senn, Sullivan and Tilden.
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS Columbia College Chicago plans to offer a new scholarship for CPS graduates in fall 2004, providing 45 renewable scholarships totaling roughly $720,000 over four years. … An expanded initiative from The Posse Foundation will provide 48 scholarships averaging $100,000 each to CPS students. Information on these and other scholarship opportunities can be obtained through the CPS scholarship database at http://scholarships.cps.k12.il.us.
TEACHER AWARD High school students may nominate a teacher who has given extra time and effort to help students succeed, for the Suave Performance Plus Award. Nominations must be received by Feb. 13, and nomination forms are available in schools. Students will select 30 finalists. The six award winners will be announced May 6; the teacher and their school will each receive $5,000.