In Switch, Chicago Principals Plan To Fight for Reforms

After long being among the most vocal opponents of the Chicago school-reform law, the city's principals last week served notice that they now intend to fight to defend the reform program.

The Chicago Principals Association held a rally in the state capital in Springfield to argue that a legislative package supported by the Chicago school board and teachers' union to solve the district's budget crisis would "turn back the clock'' on reform.

At a press conference, 40 principals charged that the Chicago Teachers Union's new contract would take away their authority to staff their schools, since the board of education could permanently assign "reserve'' teachers to schools. Reserve teachers are those who have lost their positions because of enrollment...