Catalyst Chicago
When district leaders laid out their plans to close a record number of elementary schools, they promised that the new schools would be better academically than the ones being shuttered and rolled out plans to launch specialty programs in many of the welcoming schools.
To that end, over the summer CPS poured money into the schools, for decked-out science labs and carts loaded with iPads and laptops. Old schools got major renovations, and even relatively new schools got paint jobs and other touch-ups...