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Rauner piles on Claypool

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* The two men were allies back in the day. Rauner was a big contributor to Claypool’s bid for county board president, kicking in $175,000. But the fight over Chicago school funding made them bitter enemies…

Gov. Bruce Rauner is calling the resignation of Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool a “very tragic situation,” criticizing what he sees as “unethical behavior and the failure of leadership” at the district.

Claypool announced his resignation on Friday at an unorthodox news conference, days after being accused of orchestrating a “full-blown cover-up” by the district inspector general.

“Very tragic situation, very sad when you look at the behavior and the mistakes and the things he did, very, very tragic,” Rauner said at a campaign event Monday. “I’ve worked with Claypool for years. Very disappointed to see what he’s done. And it’s a tragedy for the schoolchildren of Chicago.”

“I have worked personally for almost 30 years trying to improve the educational opportunities for the children in the city of Chicago,” Rauner added. “And it’s tragic to me to see the unethical behavior and the failure of leadership that we’ve seen in CPS so many times over the years.”

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 8:49 am

Comments

===“I have worked personally for almost 30 years trying to improve the educational opportunities for the children in the city of Chicago,” Rauner added. “And it’s tragic to me to see the unethical behavior and the failure of leadership that we’ve seen in CPS so many times over the years.”===

… says the man who called Arne Duncan to clout his denied Winnetka-living daughter over a worthy Chicago child for entrance into Payton Prep.

What a pathetic hypocrite.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 8:56 am
“failure of leadership”… Pot, meet kettle.

Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:00 am
And I know failure of leadership, trust me.

Comment by Trapped in the ‘burbs Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:15 am
All things being considered, and I mean all things, his statement on this topic is not wrong.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:19 am
One would think judging from his actions, that Rauner is thrilled CPS is completely dysfunctional.

Comment by Cheryl44 Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:21 am
==… says the man who called Arne Duncan to clout his denied Winnetka-living daughter over a worthy Chicago child for entrance into Payton Prep.==

The 2014 election already answered those allegations.

(paraphrasing Huckabee Sanders)

Comment by Henry Francis Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:24 am
” failure of leadership”
Like he could recognize that if it was biting his ankles.

Comment by Pieroge tirebiter Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:26 am
Governor Rauner could in fact do something positive about CPS. He could direct ISBE to intervene with CPS to correct special,eduction violations that were presented at the November meeting of the ISBE in the public session. Those presenting formally to ISBE were Access Living of Chicago, the CTU, Equip for Equality, the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, the Ounce of Prevention fund, the parents group Raise Your Hand, the Ounce of Prevention Fund, and still more organizations.

Willy by the way I am still looking for that worthy poor Chicago student who was denied admission to Payton Prep based on the clouted admission of Meg Rauner. The reality of the selective schools admission system in Chicago is that if a poor student was that close to admission at Payton based on academic standing and test data they were admitted to their second choice like Young Prep, Lane Tech, or Jones Prep.

There are students who are high performers who are denied admission to any Chicago selective school, but their performance in generally not in the 90th percentile where Governor Rauner’s daughter appeared to have tested at on the selective enrollment exam. As was publicly reported in the media when the story broke Meg Rauner was denied admission to Payton initially by her attendance record due to medical issues in elementary school which was also a criteria for admission back then.

The selective enrollment system in Chicago is extremely complex and as we have discussed in the past on Rich’s blog there are other children who move in from suburban areas for high school and get into our elite prep schools after taking the selective enrollment exam. Also a good number of admissions to Payton are from students who attended high end private schools in the City and who come from families with significant incomes. It is the legal right of those families as residents of City to seek admission to Payton.

Comment by Rod Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:26 am
- Tod -

I read your comment.

No one names the daughter but you, but have proven to Beca classless individual who lacks social grace, so I’m not surprised.

The seats are finite. Rauner’s denied Winnetka-lining daughter according to the inspector general was clouted by no means that were available as described by denying another worthy child that seat.

Please do not address me again. Naming the daughter shows me your lack of character and decency only deserves my time once, then I’ll leave you to your own…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:38 am
http://bit.ly/2BbPbp1

It wasn’t attendance, it wasn’t “perfect scores”

=== * But that’s not what retiring Chicago Public Schools Inspector General James Sullivan found during his own investigation. IG Sullivan was on Chicago Tonight last night and here’s what he had to say…

At the time there [was] a consent decree in place mandating racial preferences at the schools. Only up to 35 percent white students, 65 percent non-white students could be taken.

The bar was very high for white students. She tested very well, just not quite high enough to meet Payton’s standards.

Our investigation revealed that there was a phone call made to the CEO’s office by Mr. Rauner, and after that somebody in the CEO’s office called Walter Payton and his daughter was admitted to the school.===

The link above refutes the ignorance, all without naming the Rauner daughter.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 9:43 am
==The seats are finite.==

Payton enrollment for school year ending:

2012 = 885
2013 = 859
2014 = 819
2015 = 901
2016 = 979

For a finite enrollment, the number of seats sure varies a lot each year.

==Only up to 35 percent white students, 65 percent non-white students could be taken.==

In theory, her admittance should have added 2 more non-white students to the enrollment. If she didn’t, that student left out was undoubtedly white and most definitely got into equitable schools such as Young, Jones, etc.

BTW - that consent decree must have expired because Payton is 42% white now.

Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 10:56 am
Move along from Payton, please. Enough already.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 10:59 am
- City Zen -

In 2013, 400 additional seats “opened” at Payton Prep, and in 2016, the Payton Prep annex also opened.

What’s so fun about your “data”…

… it flat out ignores that;

1) Rauner’s daughter was denied on her merits.

2) A call was made to admit her, and she was, although she didn’t qualify and was already denied.

3) You claim to know more than the IG, since your focus apparently is more concerned about that seat taken.

As for finite seats, thanks for listing those members,

Why?

Why not have 1,000, 2,000, 5,000

All you did was make clear there was a cutoff, Rauner’s denied daughter was denied, and while these members are solid, since numbers are numbers, that means another child could’ve been 817 or 905 or whatever… but Rauber wanted HIS daughter to be that student… over another.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 11:04 am
Gov, have you ever heard the expression “those in glass houses?” This is pretty cynical to do while the Murashko memo issue is still fresh ink.

Comment by Boone's is Back Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 11:13 am
Apologies. I commented not reading you request, Rich.

OW

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 11:16 am
She tested in the 90th percentile very likely, in order to overcome her deficiencies on the attendance criteria within the pool of white students her scores would have needed to be even higher than she did. There was also some component relating to grades at the elementary school level, and other factors like an elementary or middle school principal’s recommendation. All of these factors formed a composite score. The racial categories used then are now banned due a Supreme Court ruling, CPS now uses census tract income data to create the pools. Most of the parents from Payton I knew prepared their children for admission by enrolling in private test prep programs in order to just get a little edge in the process, most poor families don’t have those resources so that is of course unfair. I think we paid for those program about $1,000 for prep for testing in grades 6 and 7.

I do not believe there is any problem with using the Governor’s adult daughter’s name who is now a college graduate, you and I don’t agree. Apparently Rich doesn’t see it as degrading either eslewise the post would be deleted. There was no poor white girl denied admission to Payton because of the Governor’s use of clout, more likely it was a higher income white girl who went to yet another selective school. As I indicated before my own daughter attended Payton and graduated at the end Mag’s freshman year at Payton.

Parents of children at the school really were not disturbed by the entire principals pick process, because our kids were admitted. The truth be told for most students who graduate from Payton with B or better GPAs and high ACT scores the doors of America’s most elite colleges are open to them. The current income data for Payton enrollment on its ISBE report card reflects that its enrollment is only 33% low income whereas the enrollment of the district is 83% low income. Willy the game is rigged socioeconomically and most parents here in Chicago understand that.

Comment by Rod Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 11:33 am
The same Rich

Comment by Rod Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 11:34 am
- Rod -

You’re classless. Even Rauner doesn’t name his children.

To the Post,

When Rauner lived in Chicago, it was reported he voted as a Democrat, supported Forrest Claypool.

Rauner also supported Mayors Daley and Emanuel, Rauner in a speech about tourism praised elected Democrats, for vision and making us a destination for others.

My point is Rauner, and Raunerism, and here with Claypool today is about opportunity, but also clout, leverage, and Rauner’s weight and measure of who is what, and under what pretense.

Rauner claims he’s disappointed, by his metrics, but is it disappointment or a chance to settle scores against a former ally?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 11:41 am
- Rod - and - City Zen -

You are defending the indefensible — and doing with conjecture and half-truths.

“The selective enrollment system in Chicago is extremely complex.”

Correct, unless you have clout. Then it is simple: you make a phone call to Arne Duncan, he makes a call to the principal, and your child is admitted. This is what the Inspector General’s office determined happened.

Also, the Governor’s daughter did not live in Chicago, she lived in Winnetka. That’s a fact that can’t be spun away with jibberish about the complexities of CPS selective enrollment admissions policies.

Yes, this was litigated in the ‘14 campaign and Rauner was elected…so maybe we should move on. But it is worth noting that when a CPS CEO used his muscle to take care of Bruce Rauner, it’s okay with Bruce Rauner. When a CPS CEO used his muscle to take care of someone else, it’s “very tragic.”

Comment by Roman Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 11:47 am
Rod, Rauner’s daughter did not meet the entrance requirements. He used his connections to get her in. She could have gone to New Trier, especially given that it is where she actually resided.

You can play the moral relativism games, but the facts do not support you.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Dec 12, 17 @ 4:21 pm
Rich asked that we move on so i will not respond.

Comment by Rod Wednesday, Dec 13, 17 @ 6:42 am