Rumors of the Demise of Options

[Kristin]

Has anyone heard the rumor that the Options Program is about to be destroyed by the mayor, in a really stupid cost-cutting move?

[RL Julia]

Haven't heard this rumor. Highly doubt if this would happen. That doesn't mean they won't rename the program as something else though.

[Christine Whitley]

I heard this rumor last year. What I heard was the Mayor and Brizzard really want everyone invested in their neighborhood school. At least that's how it was presented to the person who told me. But absolutely not first hand info. So, who knows? Why would closing SEES save the district money?

Christine Whitley (http://www.christinewhitley.com/)

[Paul]

Bad idea. I could see rethinking magnet schools because they don't seem to make sense since the desegregation order was lifted. But, school districts must have options for their gifted students.

[Chicago Mama]

Bad idea. I could see rethinking magnet schools because they don't seem to make sense since the desegregation order was lifted. But, school districts must have options for their gifted students.

Meh. At the risk of a barrage of pitchforks, I think that only a very small percentage of students in SEES schools are truly academically gifted. And with the exception of that 2-3 percent of students, most of the students enrolled in SEES could have their needs met within a pullout program at their local (neighborhood) schools.

I feel like an argument could be made for magnet schools and why they are important.

[kikiholiday]

Meh. At the risk of a barrage of pitchforks, I think that only a very small percentage of students in SEES schools are truly academically gifted. And with the exception of that 2-3 percent of students, most of the students enrolled in SEES could have their needs met within a pullout program at their local (neighborhood) schools.

I feel like an argument could be made for magnet schools and why they are important.

I very much agree with the bolded. In both my kids' gifted classes, there were maybe a small, small handful that probably couldn't get their needs met in a regular school. All the kids were pushed through at the same rate, whether or not it made sense for the students as individuals. Most of the kids were just normal, bright kids. (My own included.:)) The magnets are interesting because the mixed student abilities force the teacher to be very responsive to the needs of each student.

[CPSObsessed]

I agree, probably not really needed and while my son is in a gifted program, I don't know that I can fully justify having the separate program.
But it would surprise me if they ditch it.
At the very least, it creates schools with impressive test scores that make the city look good....

[bloom]

While I don't call our child gifted, he would be bored to tears in a neighborhood classroom where some of the kids were exposed to English language for the first time and many others have no interest in learning. He read the neighborhood paper and chapter books in K. There is no pull out program at our neighborhood school. He is very happy in a classical school, where the kids are on a similar level and most of them very eager to learn. What do you with kids like that? I think it makes more sense to take the RGC out of neighborhood schools and create more schools dedicated just to the kids that test in. Like Edison, Decatur, Skinners etc.