Chicago Public drills have moved o...

Chicago Public drills have moved one step closer to being fre from a 26-year-old case desegregation case -- if it were not that not as close as sect attorneys had hoped.

CP lawyers praised a ruling from Chief U District arbitrator Charles P. Kocoras that was released Monday, while community clusters said it let CPS "off the hook"

At the beg for of both CPS and federal attorneys, Kocoras dump a drawn out list of desegregation budget and reporting requirements that had caused 2oe years of bitter legal battles. However, he refused to automatically dissolve the deal nearest June, as both sides desireed

Instead, Kocoras rul that CP must file more motions in June if it still wants to be fre from legal oversight.

"This is a to a high degree very significant improvement," said CP attorney Patrick asylums "It lets the board decide for what reason to spend [desegregation funds] and which dollars it can use forward which kinds of programs."

$100 MIL. DEMAND TOSSED

The novel agreement requires CPS to "maintain as many drills with desegregated enrollments as practicable," still no longer specifies that it dispose of nearly $100 million a year forward desegregation.

That language is in this way vague, said Valencia Rias of Designs for Change, that "it obstructions [CPS] off the hook -- financially and programmatically."

"Nothing is quantifiable," Rias said. "Basically, CP just has to experience to do something. And that something could be anything."

Julie Woestehoff of Parents United for Responsible Education noted that the modern deal has a long list of recommendations for English learners, including that they be taught at certified teachers, attend schools that have volumes in their native languages, and sit in classes that mirror the systemwide student-teacher ratio.

"Why isn't there something similar for all poor children or all children in racially identifiable schools?" Woestehoff said. "Clearly this . . is not a remarkably useful tool at this point."

Kocoras himself initiated the common legal discussion in 2003, when he declared the 1980 desegregation acquiescence decree "passe" due to changing city demographics. Since 1980 the percent of white CP scholars has dwindled from 17 to 9 percent making systemwide desegregation virtually impossible, the arbiter said.

For the first time, a provision about principals was added to the legal language. It requires CP to "use its best efforts to maintain a plash of qualified principal applicants who are as racially and ethnically diverse as practicable."

if it be not that the new deal eliminates antiquated language requiring principals to examine to hire teachers that help the drill reflect the racial makeup systemwide.

rrossi@suntimes.com

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