vallas.qxd
My responsibility is to determine the best uses of our money. This means addressing the educational needs of all children, increasing learning experiences for students, and looking for ways to reduce noneducational expenses so we can increase educational services.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Magnet schools serve an important educational need in Chicago. They give children the opportunity to receive an education that meets their special interests. Magnet schools are an acknowledgement of the diversity of academic interests in Chicago. We believe so strongly in the value of magnet schools that we are creating 32 new magnet high schools alone, which are designed to reduce the loss of students between 8th and 9th grades, now running at 4,000 students a year. These include 13 new international baccalaureate programs, 11 career academies, and 8 academic or college prep high schools (6 of which will be regional magnets). We are giving parents additional academic options and alternatives, regardless of race, income, or ethnic background.
Our other change for magnet schools is to reduce busing costs. We have been running a “Cadillac” transportation program. Some children may ride 20 miles a day to get to and from school. They are on the bus for as long as three hours a day. The cost savings from bus pairing could be used to fund educational programs.
The early schedule does require parents to make some adjustments in their daily routine. It does not require children to stand on the corner at 6 AM to get to school at 8 AM. It does not force parents to endanger their children’s safety on dark street corners. It might cause some parents to reconsider if their children are spending too much time on school buses or if they are riding long distances past perfectly good schools to reach that “special” school. It could lead parents to cooperate with one another so that children waiting for their school bus are supervised by an adult. Again, parents have choices they must make.
Chief Executive Officer
