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Allegations of cheating on CPS inspections and “dehumanizing” treatment at Noble

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Illinois

* I can’t say this surprises me, but it sure does disgust me…

When parents, teachers or students have complained in recent years about dirty classrooms and lunchrooms, Chicago Public Schools officials have pointed to high “pass” rates found in audits by an independent firm that monitors the work of private companies overseeing the cleaning.

But following Chicago Sun-Times reports revealing that CPS staffers found filthy conditions at 91 of 125 schools they examined, janitors now tell the newspaper that supervisors cheated to pass those cleanliness audits.

Janitors at two Chicago schools say their bosses alerted them whenever the auditing company would be coming — sometimes several days ahead — and also tipped them about where to clean.

That allowed them to focus on areas they knew the auditors would check — and skip other parts of the schools that wouldn’t face inspection, the school janitors say.

Also, extra help would be provided in the form of “floater” custodians and additional cleaning supplies, they say.

An inspector who checks on hundreds of schools acknowledges that the way CPS set up the system was “ludicrous,” allowing schools to learn in advance of coming inspections so they could take steps to pass.

I don’t know if Lauren FitzPatrick has received any awards for her CPS reporting, but she’s definitely due.

* And as long as we’re on the topic of CPS…

The trend toward school choice has educators across the country looking at Chicago’s Noble Charter Schools — an award-winning network of mostly high schools that specializes in helping inner-city kids achieve the kind of SAT scores that propel them into four-year universities. But despite its prestigious reputation, Noble has a peculiarly high teacher turnover rate.

And some of those teachers are speaking up about policies they describe as “dehumanizing.”

Noble’s handbook lists more than 20 behaviors that can elicit demerits. The dress code, for example, requires students to wear light khakis, plain black leather belts, black leather dress shoes, and school-branded polo-style shirts that must be tucked in. Hair must be only a “natural” color, and students can’t have any designs in their hair. […]

Jane Sundius, a social psychologist who focuses on poverty, children and education, says low-income families tend not to question systems like those at Noble. She points to a study by sociologist Melvin Kohn, exploring how parenting styles vary by social class.

“What he found was that working-class parents focus very much on obedience. Off little Johnny went to school and his mom said, ‘Listen to the teacher! Be good! Be quiet!’ And upper-class parents focused on learning and creativity and having fun,” she says. “The working-class parents trained their children to be workers on an assembly line, not empowered, while the upper-class families taught their children to believe that they had a legitimate right to their opinion and their views.”

Discipline varies widely among Noble’s 17 schools, but data provided by the network shows students at five predominantly black Noble campuses (Hansberry, Johnson, Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy, Baker College Prep and DRW Trading College Prep) last year got about twice the number of demerits as students at Noble’s 10 predominantly Hispanic schools.

* Related…

* Editorial: It’s on CPS to fix the mess at filthy schools fast

* Equity Dollars Set To Go To Schools

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:23 am

Comments

Spin yourself dizzy, Emanuel. You are in charge, no one else. It’s your handpicked administration and board.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:27 am
Noble schools are terrifying. AUSL is probably even worse. If you’ve never been inside, you’ve never seen little kids treated like inmates. All they’re preparing kids for is to be obedient prisoners.

Comment by PJ Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:33 am
Ditto on Lauren Fitz, and the author of the other story you linked to deserves plenty of kudos, as well.

If you want to understand education policy and funding in Illinois, Dusty is a must listen/read.

Comment by Roman Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:34 am
Privatization at work.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:35 am
Love the dress code! Poorer students that can’t afford $300 tennis shoes don’t feel inferior the second they walk into class.

I assume parents have the option of pulling their children if they don’t like the environment.

Regarding different parenting styles it seems to me that

“one can be a parent to their child for the first 18 years of life, and they’ll have a friend for life. Alternatively, one can be a friend to their child for the first 18 years, and they’ll end up being a parent for life.”

Comment by Downstate Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:39 am
==The working-class parents trained their children to be workers on an assembly line==

The entire school system is an exercise in assembly line beha…(bell rings)

Comment by City Zen Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:41 am
Bust the janitorial union and a heads up to a politically connected firm what a shocking shocking surprise
CPS needs to be broken up somehow to a more manageable size. Charter Schools are a disaster and a clout heavy scandal waiting to happen. After Janus Katy bar the doors

Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:43 am
–The entire school system is an exercise in assembly line beha…(bell rings)–

That’s a silly and way outdated generalization, Sec. Devos.

Do you ever have meetings scheduled at different times of the day?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:45 am
Hey DuPage Saint, only one problem with your union bashing analysis. It was the janitors’ union that was the whistleblower about the conditions at CPS schools. And they are willing to strike over the issue.

Comment by UnionGuy Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:09 pm
No one is forced to attend a Charter School. If you don’t agree with the educational and social-emotional philosophy and then don’t enroll your child there. this is sad because most of the people complaining went to Noble because they didn’t like their CPS school but then, confronted with increased expectations, they bring their CPS mindset into play and try to change the system they say they wanted.

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:19 pm
I trust the duly elected members of the Chicago Public Schools will investigate this matter. /snark

Comment by RIP Bernie Epton Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:20 pm
OK, it’s not about privitization. It’s about getting the work done. Whether you do the janitorial work in-house or contract it out if there is no effective accountability component then you are at the mercy of the commitment of the person doing the job. What this continues to point to is ineffective administration of CPS. It’s too big and can’t hold people and systems accountable.

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:22 pm
CPS was a sclerotic mess prior to 1996- and then Rich Daley started listening to his big dollar check writers-And it got infinitly worse. I wish I could offer a tangible solution, but I have none.
After a decade-plus of working with and child raising in, CPS/Chicago Charters, I trust no one.

Barbara Byrd Bennett was incredibly sincere- as she lied to my face.Outside of her outright fraud, the door continues to revolve without meaningful consequences.

Comment by West Sider Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:26 pm
Breaking up CPS into smaller systems would be fantastic assuming the RE taxes from each district stayed in each district. The best school district in the state would suddenly appear in Chicago.

Comment by Ron Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:32 pm
Our children attended private schools that had the same dress code as mentioned above. I don’t see what the problem is. If you don’t want your child to follow a dress code pick a school that doesn’t have one. The dress code, and listening to your superiors was a great learning experience for our children when they went in the work force.

Comment by Wendy Wondering Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:43 pm
Yes it’s about privitization. The schools were cleaner when CPS janitors did the work. These private companies are all about the bottom line, to the detriment of the students.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:54 pm
@Downstate -

Point me toward a double-blind study that shows that students with belts perform better in school.

You. Can’t.

@Wendy -

Exactly. Private schools can do what they want. Charter schools are public schools. They are supported by tax dollars. Because of public policy, many traditional public schools are being closed in neighborhoods and supplanted by charters, so families don’t really have “a choice.”

Read the article. Especially the part about staff yelling “Hands up” at students to impose silence

Comment by Thomas Paine Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:54 pm
My kids went to a CPS (union CPS not charter) that had a dress code. We thought it was great.

Comment by Ron Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 1:00 pm
Evens the playing field, no kids can be singled out for wearing something different.

Comment by Ron Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 1:01 pm
A dress code has nothing to do with parents being “friends” with their children. You talk about $300 shoes, but at $50 an item these uniforms are hardly cheap. And the first cool morning, warm afternoon, day your child leaves his expensive uniform sweater at school. Then what? And while I appreciate putting the same thing on the child every morning makes things easy, if he is suspended, then what? I have to take off work? What if I can’t afford to take off work?

Comment by Radio Flyer Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 1:04 pm
Most uniforms are super cheap. A pair of khaki’s and white polo from Old Navy. Or something very similar.

Comment by Ron Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 1:30 pm
$8/shirt and $12/pant currently at Old Navy.

Comment by Ron Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 1:36 pm
Thomas Paine, many schools in Chicago had to be closed due to massive enrollment losses. More need to be closed.

Comment by Ron Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 1:41 pm
Thomas Paine,
Belts? My guess is the belt helps eliminate that student arriving with their pants so low their underwear is showing. The belt helps alleviate that embarrassment for the student.

My children have attended schools with and without dress codes. The dress codes are cheaper to follow, reduce arguments, and prepares the student to enter the workforce.

Other than that they are a waste of time /s/.

Comment by Downstate Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 1:43 pm
Radio,
Many of these uniforms are well made. Many parents exchange uniforms at the start of each year. I’ve often heard parents longing for uniforms for their children. I honestly can’t think of one parent that has ever wished to go back to no dress code.

Comment by Downstate Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 1:45 pm
Until we take on the teacher unions in this state taxes will never get better maybe it’s time we had this conversation

Comment by Union Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 2:15 pm
Really weird that everybody focuses on dress code. Story is about much more than dress code. Ron, these uniforms are not available at Old Navy. The shirts are “school branded.” Downstate, what workforce do these uniforms prepare students to enter? Best Buy?

Comment by itsjustme Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 2:54 pm
Union, I completely agree.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 3:04 pm
Itsjustme,

Few if any employers allow employees to come dressed as they wish. From construction sites to corporate suites, employers have an expectation of appropriate attire. Construction companies typically require safety vests, hats, glasses and hard toed shoes. Corporate suites rarely allow sagging jeans and a rap star t-shirt.

Kids and parents that hope to go through life not being told what to wear will find life to be tough sledding.

These kids aren’t forced to adopt the dress code. If a parent and child believe that freedom in attire is a priority, then by all means, head to CPS.

Comment by Downstate Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 3:37 pm
==Breaking up CPS into smaller systems would be fantastic assuming the RE taxes from each district stayed in each district. The best school district in the state would suddenly appear in Chicago.==

And like most of the best school districts in the state, it would be nearly entirely funded by property taxes.

I’m not sure how magnet/charter school would cross district borders anyway.

Comment by City Zen Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 4:00 pm
Most school uniforms consist of khaki or navy pants and a white polo. Some schools require a sweater with a school logo. None of this is expensive.

Comment by Ron Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 5:23 pm
Ron, you’ve done yeoman work on the Old Navy khaki and polo sales issue. Really, some of your best stuff.

What about the double-demerits at black schools, which I think was the main point.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 5:27 pm
I have no idea about demerits. But school uniforms are great for students and families. My kids had them at a CTU run CPS school. No branded shirts or sweaters though. So it was very inexpensive.

Comment by Ron Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 5:34 pm
Ron, your constant, robotic repetition of the same lines is an insult to robots.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 5:39 pm
Uniforms force parents to buy two sets of clothing because hopefully parents expose their children to other places that require the children to dress appropriately. So in the scheme of things its not that cheap.

Comment by Sunshyne Tuesday, Apr 10, 18 @ 5:48 am
Sunshyne, odd statement. A child needs less “regular” clothes if they were a school uniform 5 days / week

Comment by Ron Tuesday, Apr 10, 18 @ 8:14 am
Wear

Comment by Ron Tuesday, Apr 10, 18 @ 8:14 am
Many years ago, I attended a school event for parents in which uniforms were debated. Many of the same arguments, against uniforms, being presented here, were offered that night. School uniforms were eventually adopted.

Prior to uniforms, many parents complained that sending their children to school was expensive BECAUSE of the cost of trying to keep their child in the latest fashion. It’s been a huge relief for teachers and parents alike.

Parents and teachers are no longer arguing with students on what is appropriate attire. The environment is focused on education.

Sunshyne - It’s absolutely cheaper to dress in a school uniform. The child that insists on having brand name clothing can’t go to school in the same shirt, twice in one week. Hence, they have a minimum of five outfits. With a school uniform, no one ever knows, or cares. A child can wear the same shirt for two days in a row without issue.

Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Apr 10, 18 @ 8:31 am