Stats that Stick: February 22, 2012

Number of public schools in Chicago that are in danger of closing: 17

Community activists, parents, students and union leaders all across the Midwestern city are gathering at the headquarters of Chicago Public Schools to object to a reform package that includes closing or overhauling 17 struggling schools. They hope to pressure the board to reject the measure.

Number of public schools in New York that are in danger of closing: 33

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is seeking to close of 33 of the city’s struggling schools. In addition, city officials have called off plans to head to Albany, the state capitol, to petition the New York State Department of Education to restore federal funding for the schools.

Amount of dollars (in millions) given to New York City Principals in Bonuses: 5.7

New York City has distributed $5.7 million in performance bonuses to principals and assistant principals this year. This is due in part to the rankings of their students' test scores and graduation rates. This is the same criteria used to assign letter grades to schools. The maximum bonus for one principal was $25,000.