27 Million Reasons to Teach for CPS

By Sean Corbett on Nov 3, 2006 6:45PM

Chicagoist is keen on keeping up with the latest news at CPS, especially when it’s good news. Mayor Daley and CPS CEO Arne Duncan announced yesterday that $27.5 million in federal money came through for a program to help retain good teachers at some of the schools which need them the most. As several local papers report, the program aims to reward teachers individually and schools as a whole for jobs well done. Some of the highlights are that awards are based both on improved test scores, and a peer review process, and that experienced teachers will be given a sizable pay raise ($7,000-$15,000) to switch schools. The federal program which provided the money targets high-need, high-poverty schools. Of the 15 school districts around the country who won money, Chicago is getting the most, a full 65% of all of the first-year pot. This makes it the largest federal contested grant ever won by the Chicago Public Schools. Woot!

Chicagoist has known a few free-spirited youth who joined CPS after graduating college. Their lives have been drastically altered. We can think of no occupation more trying than keeping scores of inner-city kids in line at a pay grade that forces one to apply for food stamps and use public health care. There is something amiss when, in the richest country in the world, the most important profession to the future success of the country can’t pay people a respectable wage.

One of the strangest parts of going through CPS, from a student’s perspective, was the constantly changing list of “special programs” and new teachers. New people would show up, start up something fun, interesting, and different, but several months later the whole thing would disappear without a trace. Hopefully this money will stick around long enough to make a difference.