Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Aldermen to hold hearing on low minority numbers at elite North Side schools - chicagotribune.com

Aldermen to hold hearing on low minority numbers at elite North Side schools - chicagotribune.com: A growing concern about declining enrollment of minority students at Chicago Public Schools’ highest-tier schools, particularly on the city’s North Side, will fuel a public hearing this morning.

Although the City Council Education and Child Development Committee has no power to make changes, aldermen will be asking CPS officials to explain the decline at selective enrollment schools and talking about ways to reverse it.

“The problem is that we see minorities are not well represented at selective enrollment schools, particularly on the North Side,” said Ald. Will Burns, 4th, one of the aldermen who called for the hearing.

That problem arises in part because students on the South and West Sides don’t always know they can apply to schools on the North Side, where white enrollment is higher, Burns added. “How do we do a better job of making sure folks now they can avail themselves of these options?” he asked.