Emanuel calls for another all-girls charter school, glosses over academic stats
By Sam HudzikEmanuel calls for another all-girls charter school, glosses over academic stats
By Sam HudzikRahm Emanuel said that he wants an all-girls charter school to add another campus in Chicago. The mayor-elect praised the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School of Chicago, while glossing over parts of its record.
Emanuel attended a luncheon on Monday hosted by the charter school. He said some parents may not want their kids to go to a single-sex school, but he said they should have the option.
“You have three hundred applicants for 50 openings in class,” Emanuel told the crowd of the school’s supporters at a downtown hotel. “Let’s give them another choice in the city of Chicago. Another charter.”
Emanuel called the school’s results “quite impressive,” though state records show only 15-percent of high schoolers there met state standards.
The mayor-elect twice on Monday cited a “hundred percent graduation rate” at the charter school. But that number does not take into account students who dropped out before their senior year.
A spokeswoman for the Young Women’s Leadership school noted that its overall graduation rate is still well above the district average.
Emanuel has made charter schools a key part of his education plan.
WBEZ’s Linda Lutton contributed to this report.