This week, Fourth Ward Alderman Will Burns (A.B. ’95, A.M. ’98) announced that he did “not oppose” the closure of Miriam G. Canter Middle School in Kenwood, one of 54 schools in the city that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has proposed closing at the end of this year to help make up the system’s nearly $1 billion deficit. Burns, who has worked to keep other schools in his constituencies open in the past, cited Canter’s “long-term performance and population trends” as reasons behind his position. If the Board of Education approves the proposal on May 22, students from Canter will be moved to Ray Elementary and Bret Harte Elementary in Hyde Park, which will start teaching seventh- and eighth-grade classes in order to accommodate the influx of students. However, Canter’s story is more complex than numbers show—its closure and the transfer of its students to neighboring schools is not necessarily a step toward giving those students the best opportunity to succeed.
Burns is correct in noting that Canter has the lowest possible student performance rating from CPS and is underenrolled. However, in 2012, Canter was assigned the highest possible rating and designated a school “well organized for improvement” by 5Essentials, a survey developed by the University’s Urban Education Institute (UEI) that samples a school’s students and teachers. The survey also gave Canter high marks for having effective leaders, collaborative teachers, and involved families. The potential for success at Canter is significant, especially given that research from the University’s Consortium on Chicago Schools Research has found that moving students out of poorly performing schools rarely improves their academic performance...