TresSugar

Chicago High School Has 115 Teen Moms

TresSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:15:33 -0700

There's a serious teen pregnancy crisis at Robeson High School in Chicago. Out of 800 female students, 115 are either pregnant or already moms. That's about one out of seven girls. School officials say a number of factors are to blame. When discussing the problem, the principal pointed to issues at home, such as absent fathers or financial trouble. He said: "It can be a lot of things that are happening in the home or not happening in the home."

The school hopes that setting up a day care center will help mothers graduate. Since this is such a widespread problem at Robeson, perhaps it's time the school steps up its prevention efforts by figuring out how it can better address sex education and help these girls think more critically about their futures. Maybe they should try that program in North Carolina that contributes $1 to a girl's college scholarship fund for every day she remains not-pregnant.

Front Page: Barack and Michelle Go For the Gold in Denmark

TresSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:45 -0700

Michelle Obama promises "take no prisoners" when she and Barack go to Denmark Thursday with hopes of nabbing the 2016 Olympics for Chicago. - CNN
The US plans to economically isolate Iran if the country does not allow international inspectors in to examine its nuclear program. - Washington Post
At least 240 people have died in the Philippines as a result of severe flooding. - Wall Street Journal
An overreach by Roman Polanski's lawyer may have been behind the director's arrest. - NY Daily News
Predictably, abortion is complicating the healthcare debate. - New York Times
Things are looking good for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after she won re-election over the weekend. - New York Times

Sorority President Commissions $900K Wax Statue of Herself

TresSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

It might have been OK to waste funds when former Chicago Housing Authority comptroller Barbara McKinzie worked in government, but her sorority sisters at Alpha Kappa Alpha are not having it! McKinzie, who is the current national president of the oldest predominantly black sorority, is being sued by AKA members for misusing funds. One of the alleged offenses? Spending $900,000 on a wax statue of herself.

Moving from the bizarre to the blatant, McKinzie is also accused of racking up $400,000 in personal expenses and setting up a $4,000 a month pension for herself for after she leaves office.

McKinzie denies the allegations, saying: "The malicious allegations leveled against AKA by former leaders are based on mischaracterizations and fabrications not befitting our ideals of sisterhood, ethics and service."

If the allegations are true, perhaps McKinzie thought she had to live up to the lifestyle enjoyed by some of the sorority's famous alumnae. That list includes: Alicia Keys, Jada Pinkett Smith, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, Gladys Knight, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King.

The Sears Tower Has a Sky High Identity Crisis

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:01:46 -0700

The New York based owner for a Chicago based tower has signed a naming-rights deal with a London based insurance broker. Confused? OK here's all you need to know: the Sears Tower will soon be renamed to the Willis Tower.

Willis Group Holdings got the naming rights to America's tallest building after it decided to move 500 employees to the location. The rent is $14.50 a square foot, and naming rights for the iconic tower came included. Experts are wondering why the building gave the rights to a tenant who will only occupy 3.5 percent of the space.

The skyscraper has always been named Sears Tower, since it opened in 1973 as the headquarters for Sears Roebuck & Co, whose rights expired a few years ago.

Do you think the owners should have kept the name for tradition's (and visibility's) sake?

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Obama's Education Secretary Supports Gay High Schools

CitizenSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:30:20 -0800

Yesterday Obama announced Arne Duncan, head of the Chicago school system, as education secretary. With the reputation of a tough, results-gettin' reformer and an agenda to make schools so competitive you'll think you're in a Korean prep school, his appointment on paper sounds like an A. Minus.

He chilled his reputation in the Windy City this Fall with the proposal of a gay-friendly school. Not surprisingly, it was met with resistance. After a few edits - ~~sexual orientation~~ - he reproposed it as a safe haven for all bullied students. But at the last minute he withdrew the plan, promising a revised version next year.

Opposition came not only from social conservatives but also from liberals and, let's be inclusive, moderate conservatives who called it segregation. And right, I get it. At first light, it does sound like a plan to hoard gay teens in a separate school lined with rainbow-colored lockers; however, after reading about New York City's gay high school, I decided it's not. To find out why, read more.

Not every, or even close to every, gay teen will attend a gay-friendly school. They are for teens who are ostracized by families and peers, often homeless, and more likely to drop out. More Rickie from My So-Called Life and less (OK way less) Eric van der Woodsen from Gossip Girl. It's nothing more than a niche school for at-risk students, like schools for pregnant teens and young mothers, as a part of the increasing trend to break large schools down to small, specialized ones that better serve communities.

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Election Parties: Chicago Obamafest, McCain on Hotel Lawn?

LibertySugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:00:16 -0700

The Mayor of Chicago estimates that the Obama election night party could cost the city as much as $2 million. The free and open-to-the-public lakefront party at Grant Park will require the city to beef up security; but the Obama campaign has agreed to reimburse seriously cash-strapped Chicago.

Down in Arizona, rumor has it that McCain might not even show up to his soiree. Supporters will be gathering at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, but McCain plans to deliver remarks to a small group of reporters and guests on the hotel lawn, while the speech is broadcast to the party inside. Aides haven't ruled out a McCain cameo inside.

After Obama's impressive acceptance speech before almost 80,000 in Denver, I'm not surprised by his election night plans for himself and the public. What do you have planned for election night?

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Pencils Down! Third-World Math Scores in Chicago

LibertySugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:00:24 -0700

A new study comparing US urban school districts and foreign countries found that math scores in Chicago are on par with other countries - Third World countries. Only 13 percent of eighth graders in the city's public schools are proficient in math.

One education expert thinks the scores make a persuasive case against creating magnet schools for gifted students, arguing that students need the few top students as role models, and examples of "normal kids who perform well."

Thankfully Chicago is instituting a Math and Science Initiative to help boost learning. Does the state of American schools have to fall to third world achievement levels before people get serious about public education?

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School Pride: Chicago Considers Gay High School

LibertySugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:00:08 -0700

Questioning the notion that segregation is bad for students, Chicago's school district is considering opening a high school for gay, lesbian, and transgender students. The school is among a group of recommended specialized schools, another example being a technology-focused campus.

Schools targeting gay students - a group more likely to drop out, abusing drugs, and committing suicide - exist in other cities.

Learning in an environment where they're not automatically "different" may help youth flourish. Even so, some gay students may feel that attending a gay-focused school would limit their identity to their sexual orientation. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to give students a chance to choose a targeted environment, while working to make mainstream schools more accepting, too.

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Chicago's Murder Rate Double American Soldiers Killed in Iraq

LibertySugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:00:43 -0700

Chicago residents have faced an exceptionally deadly Summer this year - 123 people were shot and killed, twice the amount of US soldier casualties in Iraq over the same period.

Throughout 2008, murder rates in Chicago have risen. In July Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich said he was prepared to call in the National Guard to help restore order to the "out of control" city.

Police officials note that the pace still keeps the rate at historical lows; however, there's a real possibility that Chicago could finish the year with more than 500 murders, for the first time since 2003. Most murders are related to gang activity, and a high number of offenders and victims have a criminal history.

While some compare the American soldier casualties in Iraq and Chicago to depict the dire condition of Chicago, ignoring civilian and Iraqi deaths in Iraq could paint an inaccurate picture.

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Pencils Sharpened, but Back to School Boycott on in Chicago

CitizenSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:57:07 -0700

It's back to school day for everyone from Belgian princesses to my mom (Princess Laetitia of Belgium, pictured) but not for hundreds of Chicago public school students expected to skip classes today. They're protesting the financial divide in the Illinois public school system.

Packed classrooms, old textbooks, and a dearth of technology tips the scale between schools who have and schools who ain't got it. Up to 2,000 city students are expected to try to enroll in the tonier schools in the suburbs, distinguished for their wealth and academics, even though residency in the area is required to attend. One mom says, "I don't want to send my kids to any second-class school anymore. If I have to keep my kids out for a whole month, I'm willing to do that."

The plan might do more harm than good. To see how, read more.

The Board of Education President Rufus Williams is urging a "boycott of the boycott," saying that the first day of school sets the tone for the year and could hinder the Chicago district's funding from the state as average daily attendance helps determine money allocated. State Sen. James Meeks, the architect of the boycott is pushing for a three-year $120 million program to bridge the gap between affluent and poor schools. In Chicago schools, $11,300 was spent per student last year compared to $17,500 in the more affluent schools.

Is a walk-out the right way to make a point? Should residency be required for school attendance, or does a pulling a student body from only one area ensure homogeneity and imbalance?

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