Teachers academy parents meet

01/08/2010 2:44 PM

By Micah Maidenberg
Editor

8 Comments - Add Your Comment


The National Teachers Academy

Parents with children enrolled in the National Teachers Academy are rejecting the idea of creating two institutions, theirs and one operated by South Loop School, within NTA.
A Jan. 7 meeting at the academy, 55 W. Cermak, drew hundreds of students and parents concerned that shifting South Loop’s sixth through eighth grades to the NTA building would create schools on an unequal footing.
And parents worried that opening a separate campus for South Loop School within the teachers academy would signal the first step toward closure of the school, which has lost enrollment as Near South Side public housing developments like the Harold Ickes Homes declined in population.
Marilyn Ross, a South Loop resident who has two grandchildren attending NTA, said students from South Loop School were welcome to enroll into the teachers academy; parents want the building utilized, she said.
Ross criticized the language in a resolution the local school council at South Loop agreed to at a special meeting in late December.
That resolution recommends the sixth through eighth grades at South Loop, which is facing overcrowding as more students enroll from its attendance boundary, move to NTA in the 2011-2012 school year. Chicago Public Schools has made no official decision.
"The problem is not having the kids here in the building. That's fine. Let's be educated all together. It's the separate things they're asking for," Ross said, referring to the South Loop council's request for separate entrances, staggered start times and staff. "How are you separating our children like that? That also puts the kids in the frame of mind that we're separate. What are these children thinking? We're separated from them — are we better than them?"
Such requests, according to Ross, made the idea of NTA and South Loop’s upper grades sharing space different than other buildings that house multiple CPS schools.
Parents defended NTA, pointing to improving ISAT scores, parent involvement and teacher commitment.
Mary Reid, who lives in Englewood, said before she found the teachers academy her kids had enrolled in several schools. Losing the school would be a blow.
"It's too much of a fight for our kids to get educated," Reid said during a question-and-answer period.
The rebuff of a space-sharing plan at NTA was explicit — dozens signed petitions that read, in part, "I reject the proposal for South Loop Elementary School to create a separate school in the NTA building."
To boost NTA’s enrollment, principal Amy Rome told parents told parents to recommend the school to their friends and family.
"One thing every parent in this room can do, if you feel confident, if you feel safe with your kids here, really help us by recommending other families that you know to enroll," she said.
Others called on CPS to expand the teachers academy's neighborhood attendance boundary so the school could admit more students.
NTA's current boundary, on the west, stretches just east of Wentworth. Its northern edge is 18th Street, with Lake Michigan on the east. The southern border runs along Cermak before dipping south at Michigan to the Stevenson Expressway.
A number of parents at Thursday's meeting at NTA aimed their frustration at the South Loop school council but Rome tried to refocus that sentiment.
"The majority of the LSC,” Rome said of the South Loop council, "did say we want to do this a different way. Our protest is not against the South Loop parents or the South Loop LSC. Our protest is against CPS making plans for us without involving us."
Rome told parents she first received a call from CPS about the shared-space idea on Jan. 6. CPS planner Jimm Dispensa first brought up the plan with South Loop's school council and parents last month, on Dec. 9.
Rome said she was scheduled to meet with various stakeholders on Jan. 8, including a representative from CPS chief executive Ron Huberman’s office and South Loop principal Tara Shelton.
Someone from the Academy of Urban School Leadership, the organization NTA is affiliated with, and CPS's Area Nine, an administrative territory, were to attend today’s meeting as well, Rome said.


8 Comments - Add Your Comment



By SLoopMom from South Loop
Posted: 01/09/2010 10:16 PM

I have been in the NTA and am familiar with the teachers, resources and program. I do agree that test scores don't tell the whole story but I don't know how you can argue that they don't matter. If less than an average of 60% of students fail to meet state standards at one school and one school has an average of close to 90% meeting state standards I would have to say that, for whatever reasons, one is doing something better than the other - whatever the reason....


By SLoopMom from South Loop
Posted: 01/09/2010 10:04 PM

Fact is that test scores aren't everything but they are reflective on whether the school is preparing kids adequately. Do some research on test scores and you will see that NTA's average is around 59% (of kids satisfying state standards) with S. Loop's gifted (100%) and S. Loop's neighborhood/magnet 80+%. NTA may have some wonderful things going on but are kids getting what they need....?


By Hey AJC from S. Loop
Posted: 01/09/2010 8:08 PM

AJC apples to apples the numbers stay the same. Neighborhood students only score 30% or more exceed and more than 80% exceed or meet. NTA exceeds is around 10% and meets/exceeds is 60%. Yes huge improvement over 4 years but NTA doesn't even meet the standard of an average CPS school. Gifted program is not huge. It is limited to no more than 30 entry level while the K-3 (since turnaround) neigh. classes have 2 rooms of more than 30.Upper grade gifted less than 25 academic centers get them 7th


By AJC from Chicago
Posted: 01/09/2010 1:28 PM

Again, please do not compare the 2 schools using the test scores! That is just comparing apples and oranges! South Loop school has a huge gifted program that selectively enrolls gifted students from around the city. Of course their test scores are higher!


By JS from SL
Posted: 01/09/2010 1:22 PM

What are those numbers based on? Demographics? Do they show growth? Do you know? We don't judge our children merely on numbers, should we judge a school the same? A school that denies students (even those residing within its own boundaries) to accept students with already high test scores is going to APPEAR in better standing than a community school that welcomes all students. And please, take a step in NTA before you brashly judge its program, its students, its community appeal.


By South Loop Community/not parent from South Loop
Posted: 01/09/2010 12:02 PM

NTA a great school? According to the Sun Times it ranks 1977 out of 2205 elementary schools and 1202 out of 1386 middle schools. That means it is worse than 91% of all elementary schools and middle schools. South Loop ranks in the top 7% of all elementary schools. NTA has half filled lower grade classrooms while South Loop is running lower grade classrooms filled to overcapacity.


By JS from SL
Posted: 01/09/2010 1:43 AM

Look at the teaching! Look at the rise in test scores! NTA's test scores have risen enormously since the school opened. There is no problem with the program at all, and if other parents STEPPED IN A CLASSROOM to see teachers and students in action, they would see this! Don\'t rely on test scores solely to judge a school or its students or its programs. Numbers and demographics do not tell the whole story at all. WONDERFUL school and any student would be welcomed and lucky to attend.


By SLoopMom from South Loop
Posted: 01/08/2010 4:30 PM

Definitely some class "issues" going on here but not sure how it differs from how other schools share facilities. Fact is that NTA enrollment is dwindling and S. Loop enrollment is booming. Hope they can work out a resolution here. NTA has a fabulous facility and S. Loop School has a fabulous program. Parents won't want programs combined when NTA's state test scores are below 60% with S. Loop's close to 90%.