RYH Statement | CPS Board Vote to Turn 3 schools over to AUSL | 4.24.14

RYH is disappointed in the BOE's vote to turnaround 3 CPS schools today, firing every staff member in the building from Principal to clerk to lunch lady.

RYH has visited McNair multiple times and has met with parents at Dvorak. McNair had no librarian, no music or art teacher, no reading specialist, and a special education population of 23% when RYH visited.

In the budget cuts, McNair lost 6 positions, Gresham lost 7.5, Dvorak lost 3.

None of the three schools had any art or music specials classes.  Mobility rates at these schools range from 30% (Dvorak) to more than 40% (McNair).  1 in 4 students at Dvorak are homeless. 1 in 4 students at McNair have special needs.

Gresham and McNair, two of these "failing" schools were threatened with closure last year. They survived, and Gresham also fought a co-location.

The Board of Education continues to practice unproven methods not backed by any education research for school improvement. AUSL has a "zero tolerance" policy and suspends kids at a much higher rate than district schools (37 per 100 kids in 2012 per Catalyst).

CPS needs to dramatically reform their framework for assessing school performance. Instead of rating and ranking schools on the narrow metrics of standardized test scores and then privatizing those they deem "underperforming", they should be providing these schools with continuous supports based on truly equitable policies and research-based methods of reform.