For instance, they ve started reading Romeo and Juliet, which is required for CPS freshmen. And just last period, in social studies, they had to rewrite the Declaration of Independence in their own words. But strict doesn t mean boring. Carnegie teachers keep things interesting, especially in the after-school program, the children say. There, a teacher might have them act out a story to improve their reading comprehension.
Students also get tutoring, they point out.
The nearby University of Chicago pays 15 of its undergraduates to work at Carnegie during school hours. Another 15 University of Chicago law students tutor after school. If something is happening at home, the teacher will say, Whatever you say, it will stay in these four walls, explains Tavaris Grandison, 13. The principal takes a personal interest in them, too, according to the 8th-graders. At one point, Avery sat him down for a nice long talk about a boy just like him who got shot by a gang.