What’s behind the epidemic of inappropriate testing? I once shared a very interesting bus ride to the airport with the president of Riverside Publishing, who write the Iowa Tests, back when Paul Vallas was using the test as a grade promotion barrier. Shortly after our visit, Riverside decided to stop providing CPS with grade-equivalent … Read more
Presented at the Illinois Senate Education Committee Subject Matter Hearing on Student Testing April 25, 2014 SB 2156 and SB 3460 (Cunningham) Good afternoon. My name is Julie Woestehoff and I am the Executive Director of Parents United for Responsible Education, or PURE, a 26 year old parent-based public school advocacy organization. For more than … Read more
Today’s story by Chicago Sun-Times Watchdog reporters Tim Novak and Chris Fusco exposes the imbalance of white students in Chicago’s four north side selective enrollment high schools, and the fact that the disproportionate number of white students has become even more lopsided since the courts ended the Desegregation Consent Decree in 2009. Sun-Times figures show … Read more
Tuesday night’s More Than a Score Forum was great. CPS parents Julie Fain, Chris Ball, and Sherise McDaniel, and teachers Michelle Strater Gunderson (CPS) and Paul Horton (U of Chicago Lab School), powerfully covered topics including testing and school closings, alternative assessment, opting out, and Common Core. Thanks also to Carolyn Brown who emceed. Chris’s … Read more
As the weather warms up, so does the desire to get outside and enjoy some fun in the sun. And what better way to cool off than with a dip in your very own kiddie pool? But not just any old inflatable pool will do – you want one that comes with a pump so … Read more
Alexa, can you play musical chairs? I’m not sure if that’s possible. Let me check. According to this article, Alexa can’t play musical chairs. It says here that Amazon’s Echo devices don’t support the game. However, there are some other games that you can ask Alexa to play. Yes, Alexa can play musical chairs. This … Read more
It’s your child’s birthday party and you want to make sure it’s extra special. You’ve hired a clown, magician or other professional entertainer to come perform for the kids. But when the party is over, do you tip them? It’s a common question with no easy answer. Let’s look at some of the factors to … Read more
A goody bag is a small bag or container filled with treats, given to children at birthday parties or other events. Goody bags can range in price from a few dollars to over $100. So, how much should you spend on goody bags? There are a few factors to consider when deciding how much to … Read more
With busy schedules and hectic lives, it’s not always possible for both parents to attend their child’s birthday party. In some cases, one parent may have to work or take care of other obligations. If you’re the parent who can’t be there, don’t worry – your child will still have a great time. Here are … Read more
Sure, you can face paint on paper, but why would you want to? Face painting is all about the fun of getting messy and having a good time. If you’re just looking to create a pretty picture, then painting on paper is probably your best bet. But if you’re looking to have some fun and … Read more