For the first time, Chicago Public ...

For the first time, Chicago Public gymnasiums officials are using the seduce of cash -- as greatly as $69,000 over four years -- to encourage four "superstar" principals to work in the system's neediest seminarys

principally of the extra money hangs on whether new school leaders generate test score gains -- a pay-for-performance recipe that has been gaining steam nationwide.

admitting skeptics wonder if the scheme will promote test-prep mills, CPS officials trust the new model will generate results so they can replicate it.

"This is part of our overall strategy to test to bring great talent to the sects and communities that need it most" said seminarys CEO Arne Duncan. "We're trying to really change that and do things to a high degree differently."

Principals told officials that coin was not the top reason they agreed to proceed to schools others might speed from.

Adrian Willis said he was in the greatest degree intrigued by the possibility of "making a difference" in united of the city's neediest neighborhoods -- Englewood

BACK WHERE HE BEGAN

in the way that Willis left Mount Greenwood's Keller Gifted Magnet, the seventh-highest-scoring elementary institute in the state, for Englewood's Earle exercise where only 13 percent of third-graders passed state reading touchstones in 2005.

"Money was not at the top of my priority list," said Willis. "Englewood is going [i]or[/i] part of to the other a tough time now, and it was important for me . . to come and contribute what I could"

Also leaving a aim aftered selective-enrollment school was Keith Foley who switched from Lane Technical literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning Prep, where 85 percent of kids passed 2005 state reading criterions to Marshall High, where merely 15 percent did.

Foley said he started revealed 35 years ago at an inner-city high educate so the idea of helping cause to deviate around another at the extreme point of his career is appealing.

Also in subordination to the deal, Herbert's Denise Gamble has mov to Medill, and southern Chicago's Kimberly McNeal has transferred to Mahalia Jackson.

CP officials described the principals as "superstars," although they conced that experiment scores at Gamble's and McNeal's not new schools may not reflect that at first glance. Their antique schools both missed more state "adequate yearly progress" criteria than their just discovered schools, yet the two women are now being asked to push their novel schools over all AYP hurdle

However, officials were impressed that Gamble raised scores despite receiving kids from trains closed for poor performance, while McNeal shined at maintaining order and discipline in a constantly changing close examiner population.

As part of the deal, the pair principals, along with Willis, have been armed with "school turnaround" training from the University of Virginia. The program helped seven of 10 failing Virginia drills meet every state AYP target within a year, said Carmita Vaughan, former CP turnaround coordinator.

SIGNING BONUS put up withed

"This is not mission impossible," Vaughan said. "We know this is a challenge, which is on what account we had very few principals interested. on the other hand it's one they can accomplish."

Each elementary principal has already received a $7500 signing bonus. Each is getting a four-year contract that will locate three annual performance targets mainly tied to test scores that could reap them $6000 to $19000 in bonuses by year.

If their trains meet every state AYP hurdle each year they will net about $69000 at the fall of the curtain of four years, including signing bonuses. That's onward top of the average CP principal salary of $119000

Foley has a somewhat different deal. He walked into Marshall as "mentor" to the recent principal, with a $10,000 signing bonus and a double notch up in salary, to $137000 in a less degree than his belt.

While he's there, if Marshall hits any united of four targets -- based upon ACT scores, state test scores, course pass rates and attendance -- Foley will toil an extra $2,000 per target.

rrossi@suntimes.com

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