Tags
charter schools, chicago teachers union, early childhood education, education, karen lewis, pre-kindergarten, privatization, rahm emanuel, standardized testing
This article was published in the September/October edition of Chicago Union Teacher, the Union’s official magazine.
On August 3, Rahm Emanuel announced plans to reform Chicago’s pre-Kindergarten education system. Like other “reforms,” this one is likely to lead to privatization, lower-paid teachers, and test-driven pre-Kindergarten programs. The mayor’s plan fundamentally alters the funding structure for all early childhood education programs in Chicago, including Head Start (3-5 years old), Early Head Start (0-3), Preschool for All (3-5), and Prevention Initiative (0-3). His announcement was independent of CTU contract negotiations, and CTU was not consulted about this program.
By November 2, 2012, at 4:30pm, all CPS principals who wish to provide their neighborhood with pre-Kindergarten classes for the 2013-2014 school year must submit proposals. All schools wishing to provide these programs must apply, even if the institution currently receives funding for early childhood. Program administrators can find the applications, instructions, and evaluation rubrics on Chicago’s Ready to Learn! website.