City Schools Mull Hiring Principals From Outside Field Effort Would Help Ward Off Shortage By Ray Quintanilla Tribune education reporter March 27, 2001 Saying the Chicago Public Schools system must do more to bolster the quality of its principals, Board of Education President Gery Chico plans to ask the board to approve a $1.65 million plan to attract principals from outside the field of education. "This is as important as anything we can do," Chico said Monday during his monthly briefing. "I'm not going to tell you 100 percent of our principals are where they ought to be. I can't say that. But we must improve the quality." The effort is being spearheaded and funded, in large part, by the New York-based New Leaders for New Schools and the Chicago Public Education Fund, an organization that harnesses private-sector funds to improve public schools. Over the next two years, the groups will identify 30 or so potential candidates who will receive a year of in-school training and mentoring from the system's best principals. New Leaders for New Schools will recruit, train, and place the new school principals. Each candidate will receive a $45,000 stipend from the Chicago Public Schools for living expenses. All participants must pledge to remain in Chicago's public schools for three years. The board is scheduled to vote Wednesday on the plan, which also would help the system address a looming shortage of principals in the next decade. In four years, principals at a third of the system's 600 schools will be eligible to retire with a full pension, school officials said. But the effort will require the system to bypass a long-standing rule that principals have six years of classroom or administrative experience with the Chicago Public Schools. Chico said he didn't see any problem with making an exception because it would result in "getting us the best candidates." Candidates still must meet the state's requirement for a Type 75 certificate, which can be obtained with a master's degree and course work in required areas such as supervision, administration, budgeting, curriculum and instruction, officials said. Once candidates have been trained, their names will be placed on a list that local school councils can use when selecting new principals. Principals in the Chicago Public Schools earn $80,000 to $100,000, officials said. The plan would mark the city's first major effort to recruit public school principals from outside the field of education. The program comes just weeks after the Board of Education announced that 85 percent of the system's principals have been hired since Mayor Richard Daley's schools team took control. Janet M. Knupp, president of the Chicago Public Education Fund, said her organization will monitor the alternative-certification program carefully in the next two years to ensure each candidate gets all the training needed. The group will consider withdrawing its $600,000 financial commitment if the program does not meet expectations, she said. "We will be doing assessing along the way," she said. "We want to make sure there is a return on our investment." In other business, Chico said the board is expected to consider whether to grant schools chief Paul Vallas a pay raise when it convenes Wednesday. Though board members have talked about giving Vallas a raise of $40,000 to $50,000, the amount being discussed of late has been considerably less. That's largely because board members feel uneasy about paying Vallas more than the $192,000 Daley gets. Vallas is paid $150,000 per year. Sources said Vallas' increase likely will be about $30,000 per year, or 20 percent. There also has been discussion about whether to grant Vallas a contract for the first time, sources said. "We are going to be talking about it," Chico said. "We have to wait and see." Vallas has said he hasn't sought a raise, and none has been offered in recent years. tribune education reporter march 27, 2001 saying the chicago public schools system must do more to bolster the quality of its principals, board of education president gery chico plans to ask the board to approve a $1.65 million plan to attract principals from outside the field of education. "this is as important as anything we can do," chico said monday during his monthly briefing. "i'm not going to tell you 100 percent of our principals are where they ought to be. i can't say that. but we must improve the quality." the effort is being spearheaded and funded, in large part, by the new york-based new leaders for new schools and the chicago public education fund, an organization that harnesses private-sector funds to improve public schools. over the next two years, the groups will identify 30 or so potential candidates who will receive a year of in-school training and mentoring from the system's best principals. new leaders for new schools will recruit, train, and place the new school principals. each candidate will receive a $45,000 stipend from the chicago public schools for living expenses. all participants must pledge to remain in chicago's public schools for three years. the board is scheduled to vote wednesday on the plan, which also would help the system address a looming shortage of principals in the next decade. in four years, principals at a third of the system's 600 schools will be eligible to retire with a full pension, school officials said. but the effort will require the system to bypass a long-standing rule that principals have six years of classroom or administrative experience with the chicago public schools. chico said he didn't see any problem with making an exception because it would result in "getting us the best candidates." candidates still must meet the state's requirement for a type 75 certificate, which can be obtained with a master's degree and course work in required areas such as supervision, administration, budgeting, curriculum and instruction, officials said. once candidates have been trained, their names will be placed on a list that local school councils can use when selecting new principals. principals in the chicago public schools earn $80,000 to $100,000, officials said. the plan would mark the city's first major effort to recruit public school principals from outside the field of education. the program comes just weeks after the board of education announced that 85 percent of the system's principals have been hired since mayor richard daley's schools team took control. janet m. knupp, president of the chicago public education fund, said her organization will monitor the alternative-certification program carefully in the next two years to ensure each candidate gets all the training needed. the group will consider withdrawing its $600,000 financial commitment if the program does not meet expectations, she said. "we will be doing assessing along the way," she said. "we want to make sure there is a return on our investment." in other business, chico said the board is expected to consider whether to grant schools chief paul vallas a pay raise when it convenes wednesday. though board members have talked about giving vallas a raise of $40,000 to $50,000, the amount being discussed of late has been considerably less. that's largely because board members feel uneasy about paying vallas more than the $192,000 daley gets. vallas is paid $150,000 per year. sources said vallas' increase likely will be about $30,000 per year, or 20 percent. there also has been discussion about whether to grant vallas a contract for the first time, sources said. "we are going to be talking about it," chico said. "we have to wait and see." vallas has said he hasn't sought a raise, and none has been offered in recent years. -- This is the CPS Science Teacher List. To unsubscribe, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://home.sprintmail.com/~mikelach/subscribe.html>. To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/science%40lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/>
