[Al Skierkiewicz]

The Chicago school system is getting a bad rep based on the variety of neighborhoods, schools and the students and families. You are not hearing about the magnet schools needing to evaluate bad teachers. You are hearing (in an off handed way) that there is a distinct difference in test scores, quality of education and percentage of students moving to higher education. It is difficult to teach students that have so much outside influences against learning. One of the things that talking about economic differences doesn't address is the malnutrition some of these students have lived with for their whole lives. It is impossible to use the same teaching skills with these students that work well with well nourished brains and bodies. There are a number of FRC teams in Chicago schools and I talk regularly with the teachers on those teams. They have a really difficult time working against these outside pressures. But what is really never discussed is that some of those teachers choose to teach in those schools in attempt to make it better for everyone. To evaluate one of those teachers on test scores and reading level alone does nothing for the students they help through life each day.