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Call, write or email State Representative Golar and tell her THANK YOU for sponsoring legislation that will ensure that our students in Chicago are in classes with highly qualified teachers on day 1.  HB4686 amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that there shall be no reduction in teachers because of a decrease in student membership or a change in subject requirements within the attendance center organization after the first day (instead of the 20th day following the first day) of the school year, except under certain circumstances.Call, write or email State Senator Iris Martinez and tell her THANK YOU for sponsoring SB3394: Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that there shall be no reduction in teachers because of a decrease in student membership or a change in subject requirements within the attendance center organization after the first day (instead of the 20th day following the first day) of the school year, except under certain circumstances.

 

Background:

(105 ILCS 5/34-84)

(from Ch. 122, par.34-84)

Sec. 34-84.

Appointments and promotions of teachers

“…There shall be no reduction in teachers because of a decrease in student membership or a change in subject requirements within the attendance center organization after the 20th day following the first day of the school year, except that: (1.) this provision shall not apply to desegregation positions, special education positions, or any other positions funded by State or there may be a second reduction in teachers on the first day of the second semester of the regular school term because of a decrease in student membership or a change in subject requirements within the attendance center organization…”

 

Summary

The Illinois School Code mandates that there cannot be a reduction in teachers due to a decrease in the number of students at a school after the 20th day of the school year which is a full month into the school year.  To avoid overstaffing, CPS uses the entire first month of the school year as a “wait and see” period.  Every year, CPS predicts how many students will show up at its neighborhood high schools and every year they get some schools wrong.  In some places, students start class without teachers because there are too many students.  In others, fewer students than expected fail to attend and teachers are laid off.

 

Impact

  • Bad enrollment projections are typically found in neighborhood high schools while magnet and selective enrollment and charter schools do not experience this issue because of their selection process.
  • In 2009 the Chicago Public Schools underestimated enrollment by at least 50 students in 19 of its 116 high schools.
  • Bad enrollment projection derails efforts to improve struggling high schools.  In overenrolled schools, students are assigned to overcrowded classrooms or given substitute teachers for weeks.
  • This standard sends the message to some of the city’s neediest schools that school does not “count” until October—after the 20th day.
  • In 2009, instead of hiring highly qualified teachers to teach our students from day 1, CPS sent 124 substitute teachers to 35 high schools to stand in until CPS gave principals the power to hire the highly qualified teachers needed to properly instruct those classes.
  • New York City, which has hundreds more high schools than Chicago, has students choose up to a dozen schools they’d like to attend.  The district matches them to a school.  These students receive an assignment letter 5 months before the first day of school.
  • This issue will continue as new high schools open every year in Chicago.