Paw Print Editor Will Foster is 17 years old and a member of the Walter Payton College Prep Class of 2020. In addition to his newspaper work, he writes about legal matters for the High School SCOTUS blog. In 2015-16 he was a Kid Reporter for Sports Illustrated Kids magazine and website. Additionally, he was the editor-in-chief of his middle school newspaper for two years. You can find his work for Sports Illustrated Kids at http://bit.ly/2mcsRDJ (the page may take a little bit to load as it is an archived page). When clicking on individual articles from that page, it is advised that you right click and click "open link in new tab" for faster loading times.
When Principal Tim Devine announced on February 11 that he would be leaving Payton at the end of this school year, citing a desire to return to teaching, few could have expected that the coronavirus pandemic would upend nearly every facet of daily life in the coming months.
With the most recent update to its remote learning grading policy, CPS has demonstrated its failure to adequately take students’ situation into account.
Chicago Public Schools on Thursday announced major changes in its grading system for the remainder of the school year, causing confusion and dismay among Payton students who had hoped that the current system — in which assignments can help, but never hurt, a student’s letter grade — would continue.
Today, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered all Illinois schools closed to in-person learning for the remainder of the academic year. But we wish the state would at least wait and see what conditions are in May before making a definitive decision.
The College Board on Friday announced dramatic changes to the administration of Advanced Placement course exams this spring, implementing online at-home exams and excising portions of course material in an effort to accommodate students kept out from school by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.
In Chicago, it’s time for decisive action before it’s too late.
Payton called off all spring foreign exchanges and trips Friday evening, a dramatic but expected move in the wake of the worldwide coronavirus outbreak.
Two Wednesdays ago, few in this city would have imagined that by the time students returned to school there would be snow on the ground. Yet here Lightfoot was at City Hall, early on Halloween afternoon, saying the strike was finally over as snow fell faster and faster outside.
CPS cross-country runners (including Payton’s) won’t be allowed to compete in the IHSA Regional competitions tomorrow after a judge rejected a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) allowing them to compete while the CTU strike continues. “I greatly respect Judge Reilly’s (and the IHSA’s) desire for caution in order to protect student safety,” Will Foster writes. “Nevertheless, I am at least a bit skeptical of the ruling for the reasons heretofore stated. In particular, some of the factual assumptions upon which the equitable balancing rests seem dubious.”
Chicago attorney Kevin A. Sterling has filed a Complaint and Emergency Motion for Temporary Restraining Order in Cook County Circuit Court, requesting injunctive relief allowing CPS student-athletes to participate in Saturday’s IHSA Regional Cross-Country Meet despite the ongoing teacher strike.
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