South Loop School: High-performing, over-enrolled

Plans to relieve overcrowding stalled

02/10/2011 1:09 PM

By MATTHEW BLAKE
Contributing Reporter

10 Comments - Add Your Comment

There was good news and bad news at the South Loop Elementary School local school council’s biannual “State of the South Loop School” update.

The good news is that students have scored impressively on an array of state math and reading standardized tests.

The bad news is that school enrollment continues to increase and Chicago Public Schools has yet to devise a long-term plan to deal with the jump in South Loop student population.

Long-discussed plans from CPS and South Loop Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd Ward) to move some students from the school, located at 1212 S. Plymouth Ct., to another facility — such as the nearby National Teacher’s Academy at 55 W. Cermak Rd. — will be tabled until next year.

“There has been a hold in the process and they are no plans for any changes in the fall,” said Leslie Recht, education liaison for Fioretti.

South Loop school council representatives expressed concern to Recht about the CPS decision-making process but were mostly positive about student progress.

Kindergarten through eighth grade students both performed better on tests than the CPS average and improved their scores at a better yearly rate.

Also, South Loop elementary has started to adopt “common core” standards, an initiative by the National Governors Association and the Obama administration to have uniform state-by-state standardized tests. The standards are more rigorous than those now measured by the Illinois Standard Achievement Tests.

“We continue moving forward with higher scores,” said School Council President Ellen Lorden in an interview following the meeting. “As we are growing in students, you would expect some deterioration in achievement but we are not seeing that.”

Principal Tara Shelton focused on student growth speech to the council.

“At this time, CPS has met and decided to give us a year to plan our future of 2012-2013,” Shelton said. “Please keep in mind, CPS is fully aware of the overcrowding issues.”

The school’s attendance boundary goes north to south from Wacker to 18th Street, and east to west from Lake Michigan to the Chicago River. This is one of the fastest growing areas in the city, according to U.S. Census data, and consequently the elementary school’s neighborhood component has skyrocketed over the last decade.

A community meeting in July will determine spacing decisions for the 2011-12. Shelton said that barring an extraordinary burst in neighborhood enrollment, students will not be transferred to another building. Instead, measures like a split classroom or changing the teacher’s lounge into a classroom may be taken.

A more long-term spacing plan will be hatched next year — one that may involve moving 6th to 8th grade students to the National Teacher’s Academy.

Whether some students will move to the academy, though, remains unclear.

Lorden told Recht from that she was “freaked out” by a flier from Fioretti that South Loop Elementary has already expanded. Recht responded that Fioretti was likely referencing a plan to move students to the academy but “nothing is final.”

Recht added that if it were up to Fioretti, action on South Loop Elementary would have already been taken.

“We’re not CPS and we don’t control CPS,” Recht said. “The alderman is responsive.”


10 Comments - Add Your Comment



By Grandma from Douglas
Posted: 02/15/2011 7:29 PM

I’m neither here nor there, neither “Republican” nor “Democrat”. A true Alderman services his/her entire Ward. An Alderman is responsible for making sure that good schools are distributed throughout the Ward, not stacked in one region. Foremost, an Alderman should be a true public servant, sincere and honorable in all of his or her doings and it should not matter if the person is White, Black, Hispanic or Asian. Do we have such a character running for Alderman in this race? I am a homeowner and my taxes increase on every installment. What kind of Aldermen would allow our taxes to support reckless spending and corruption; like Maria Pappas spending over $20,000 in improvements to her private office? I’m sure that all of us can point out something that is ridiculous going on in City Government. Do you ever get the feeling that they skipped Economics, Finance and Business Law in College? Many of our leaders seem to get beside themselves after they take office. “Elected by the People, For the People”, do they remember what this means anymore. Alderman should be wise stewards over our hard earned tax dollars. Alderman should be on one accord and stand up in City Council meetings on behalf of the tax payers. We are the one’s being strangled to death in taxes and fees, especially the middle class. Our taxes are not a piggy bank for trivial pet projects. Should dog parks take precedence over removing asbestos in schools? Are dogs more important than children? If our demands seem unrealistic, it’s because we want the Aldermen to seriously buckle down and make a larger impact on the entire Ward. Who am I for? I am for righteousness and fairness and I have not seen it in City of Chicago politics.


By Just wondering from P. Row
Posted: 02/15/2011 3:13 PM

Granny: My comment is limited to 500 characters. Are you with the Journal or something because you appear to have unlimited characters. Beyond that you raise some valid points. Who do you want to see win the 2nd ward race?


By Grandma from Douglas
Posted: 02/15/2011 11:41 AM

OH calm down! I know full well that Stem Magnet is not a Charter. I know the difference between a Magnet, Gifted, Classical, Charter or Contract School. I just wanted to get a rise out of you so that the audience would know that you do not want Charters in your communities. You know that if you put your Caucasian child in a Charter School, your children would also be in a receiving school for NCLB, which means the Smyth kids could end up going to school with your children. Minority communities are full aware that you only want our top students to apply to the schools in your communities. We hear your requests to CPS for them to scour the city for our best and brightest students, as if we do not want them to shine in our own communities. That is why it is so difficult for minority communities to get their fair share of high performing schools. Did you know that the IFF published a list of the Top 25 communities in need of high performing schools and CPS provided the data? Did you also know that University Village and Little Italy was not listed? However, CPS put the Near West request ahead of all the other communities that are waiting for high performing, highly selective schools. We do not want our children to travel across town for a high quality option any more than you do. I suppose the other communities will get the charters after their neighborhood schools are flooded with NCLB and closed. CPS wouldn’t dare do this to your communities. Only the best for you and to ..#$*@….with everyone else!! Furthermore, let’s look at Jones College Prep. The money to fund the school came from multiple TIF’s. Initially Jones wanted a gym and library. Then over the years the request ballooned into $111,000,000, then $125,000,000 or more for another new school for you. Some say even a neighborhood component will be added. How many schools will have to go without libraries or having environmental hazards removed, just to give you what you want? Prove that the money is coming from only your community. A main news source indicated that the money is really coming from multiple TIF’s. Also who ever heard of a Classical School being cloned, Skinner West & Skinner North?? That’s another conversation.


By WestLooper from West Loop
Posted: 02/15/2011 8:36 AM

STEM is a magnet, not a charter. See http://www.chicagojournal.com/News/02-03-2011/New_magnet_school_approved


By Get this done already from South Loop
Posted: 02/14/2011 2:54 AM

My associates at the CPS Headquarters indicated that the plan to address South Loop School for neighborhood compliment, and the creation of a high standard 6th - 8th grade program at a reorganized NTA would have been completed had the South Loop School Principle not gotten in the way and messed the plan, blocking it for social-political reasons. Word we got was she made a stink about giving up the 6th -8th graders. The story comment about a non relevent 'Obama standard' is fluff.


By Ctu member from local 1
Posted: 02/13/2011 6:31 PM

Then the writer made another error... There is no such thing as a magnet charter school. Magnet schools are public schools. At the presentation at S t Ignatious, CPS never mentioned the word charter. It's a public school.


By Grandma from Douglas
Posted: 02/13/2011 6:25 PM

To: CTU member: Jan 26 Article School Board President Mary Lowry asked CPS CEO Terry Mazany to have a conversation with Askew and explain his plan to make sure resources are equitably distributed. Also, before voting for STEM, Lowry asked CPS officials to clarify admissions criteria for the new charter school. General Counsel Pat Rocks told her that the other 60 percent of seats will be divided up among students from different socio-economic backgrounds, as is the policy at all magnet.....


By ctu member from local 1
Posted: 02/13/2011 4:07 PM

grandma Stem magnet is not a charter. Gets your facts right. Again.


By Grandma from Douglas
Posted: 02/13/2011 9:24 AM

I doubt that parents in University Village or Little Italy really want to attend Stem Magnet Charter. Did you know that the caucasian population in Charters right now is only 2%. This is just an FYI. I believe they would welcome the gifted center from South Loop in Smyth.


By Grandma from Douglas
Posted: 02/13/2011 9:18 AM

If South Loop School is over-enrolled with neighborhood children, then there is a simple solution to the problem. Leave the neighborhood children in their school. Do not shuffle them around. The gifted center program recruits children from across the City of Chicago. Therefore, CPS should move the gifted center to another school like Smyth. I'm sure the families in University Village would agree. What different would this make to children that are bused anyway?