CPS To Discuss New Charter School Plans
CHICAGO (WBBM/CBS) -- Chicago school officials will hear from the public over the next few days on whether there should be seven new charter school campuses in the city.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports, officials at the Chicago Public Schools were originally going to decide last month whether to add the proposed new charter schools, and additional campuses for current charter operators.
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But community opposition was so strong that the decision was put on hold.
Now, community forums are scheduled for Saturday morning and next Tuesday evening. An official School Board public hearing is set to follow the Tuesday evening forum.
Two charter school operators are proposing four additional sites, and three new charter schools are being proposed.
One, the Legal Prep Charter School, would be a high school offering college preparatory curriculum incorporating legal affairs. It would open in the West Town neighborhood, the education news source Catalyst said.
The school day at Legal Prep would be longer, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and an earlier end to the day on Friday. No student would be allowed to graduate without being admitted to college, Catalyst reported.
Legal Prep Charter Academies is its own private company, and the Northwestern, Loyola, DePaul and John Marshall law schools are offering support, Catalyst reported.
Another, the Montessori School of Englewood, would be the sixth Montessori school to open in the CPS system. Stagg Elementary School, 7424 S. Morgan St., already has a Montessori program, but not enough to meet the needs of parents in the neighborhood, Catalyst reported.
The third, Kwame Nkrumah Academy, is currently a contract school in the Pullman neighborhood with an Afro-centric curriculum, and wants to become a charter school, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The Saturday forum on charter schools will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Doolittle Parent Resource Center, 521 E. 35th St. The Tuesday forum will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the CPS Board Chambers, 125 S. Clark St., and the public hearing will follow immediately, the Tribune reported.
