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APR
28
'99
55AM
file
Innovation Comes to Chicago Public Schools
4,28.99
By JULIA VITULLO-MARTIN
school system to end "social promotion,"
ting a crime even while not at school, "If
Educating poor public school children
the practice of sending students to the next
you're dangerous on Saturday. you'll be
seems an intractable problem in most big
grade whether or not they are performing
dangerous on Monday," says Mr. Vallas.
U.S. cities. But the Chicago public school
at grade level. Mr. Vallas says that when
Administrators and teachers are also
system-once among the worst in the coun-
the Daley team took over in 1995, they
held accountable. No administrator except
try-has set itself on a promising path.
found that 9,700 of 1994's 27,000 high school
the inspector general has a contract guar
Combining hands-on management from
graduates were reading at the sixth-grade
anteeing employment. Principals no
City Hall, back-to-basics teaching methods
level or below. Starting with eighth-grade
longer have tenure; Mr. Vallas removed 36
and tough disciplinary policies. Chicago
students in 1996. the system required that
principals last year and estimates that he
has had three years of rising test scores in
students score above a cutoff on the Iowa
will remove another five or six this year.
every category and every grade level. Tru-
Test of Basic Skills to be promoted. Those
Although teachers have tenure and some
ancy is down. And parents are responding.
who scored low had to go to summer
state job protections, any good principal
Following 13 years of decline. enrollment
school: those who still didn't pass had to re-
can move an ineffective teacher out of the
has climbed 30,000 to 427,000 over the past
peat the grade. In 1997 the third and the
system within a year, says Mr. Vallas, The
three years.
sixth grades likewise became "promo-
system used to get rid of two or three bad
Mayor Richard M. Daley is central to
tional gates."
teachers a year, he says: this year, it will
Chicago's success. In 1995 the Illinois Leg-
To help close the academic deficit.
dismiss 50 to 60.
islature gave him sweeping managerial
Chicago has expanded after-school and
Unlike most public-school heads, Mr.
control over the schools, their unions and
summer-school pro-
Vallas isn't afraid of private educational
their S3 billion-plus budget. In no other big
grams. The schools
institutions. "We don't limit ourselves to
city does the mayor have so much authority
are open and working
just one way," he says. "On any given day
over education.
into the evening
we pay tuition for 2,000 pupils enrolled at
Some of Mr. Daley's aides and many of
year-round.
Some
corporate training academies, colleges
his enemies thought the schools were $0
40% of the students
and private institutes. We buy honor space
hopeless he was bound to fail. But he seized
attend the extended
in 13 universities, including the University
on the opportunity to make radical
school-day program
of Chicago and Northwestern, for our best
changes. First, he took management of the
called Lighthouse,
students." And unlike many superinten-
schools away from professional educators
which offers evening
dents, Mr. Vallas supports charter schools.
and gave it to trusted aides from City Hall.
academic and recre-
Under state legislation, Chicago is allowed
Former chief of staff Gery Chico became
ational programs as
15 charter schools. It has 14 in operation;
president of the board and former budget
well as dinner. About
Mr. Vallas closed one for poor perfor-
director Paul Vallas chief executive offi-
Richard M. Daley
40% attend. summer
mance.
ceΓ. Responsibility begins. and ends with
school. "A 185-day
Mr. Vallas. who went to a parochial
the mayor, says Mr. Vallas-and every
year is just not enough," says Mr. Vallas.
school in a working-class neighborhood.
city agency knows it. "We don't have prob-
Is it working? Of the 7,756 eighth-
has urged the Archdiocese of Chicago.
lems with cops working in schools, or get-
graders held back in June 1998, 61% were
whose own schools suffer from declining
ting drug houses [near schools] closed, or
promoted after summer school, and an-
enrollment, to apply for a charter. "They
having rapid-response teams assigned."
other 10% made it after an additional se-
can propose as many schools-we'll call
he says. "Nor do we have a board circum-
mester of help. And removing failing stu-
them campuses-as they like under one
venting the CEO."
dents has a-beneficial effect on the class-
charter," he says. "Our city is slowly los-
Second, even as Mayor Daley made
room. "We've seen important changes in
ing the people and their knowledge and
peace with the teachers union, he dis-
the culture of low-performing high schools,
abilities as they close their schools. We'd
missed the 17 unions in charge of school re-
particularly among freshmen and sopho-
rather not have the city lose that kind of re-
pairs. He authorized the central board and
mores." says Alfred G. Hess, director of
source."
individual schools to contract with private
the Center for Urban School Policy at
Because the schools had been so bad,
firms.
Northwestern University. "Because the
rising test scores do not mean Chicago stu-
Third. he balanced the budget, elimi-
kids who did not make it through the gates
dents are now where they should be. Just
nating a $1.3 billion deficit, and cut 13% of
are not present, you don't have anyone
35% of elementary school students and 29%
the central administrative staff without
saying it's dumb to work hard and get good
of high school students test at or above the
laying off a single classroom teacher.
grades."
national average in reading. Despite many
But as Mr. Vallas has said repeatedly,
Under the new regime, Chicago schools-
successes and innovations, the struggle
balancing the budget is easy; improving
also have far less tolerance for misbehav-
has just begun.
things in the classroom is the real chal-
ior. A student can be exiled to an alterna-
lenge. The triumvirate stress high stan-
tive school for bringing a weapon to school
Ms. Vitullo-Martin edited "Breaking
dards and discipline.
or for being absent for more than 20 days.
Away: The Future of Cities" (Twentieth Cen-
Chicago has become the only big-city
A student can also be expelled for commit-
tury Fund Press, 1996).