CPS Hotline Tackles Parents' Questions As Students Head Back To School
(CBS) -- Exactly one week from today, 400,000 Chicago public school students head back to class.
That can mean big changes for many students including new start times this year. So, for many parent the back-to-school list includes a lot of questions.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker goes behind the scenes of the CPS hotline to get some answers in this original report.
The lazy days of summer won't last much longer. As the end approaches parents have questions and CPS has set up a war room of sorts to provide answers.
Pamela Price runs the hotline and knows most of the questions and the answers. What time does school start?
"We have a list of schools with the bell schedule on it," Price says.
How do I transfer my child to a new school?
"You have to get a transfer from the school that they are in and the clerk in the office will assist them further on preparing a transfer," Price says.
Volunteers will be manning the phones late afternoons and evenings. If you leave a message someone will return your call. Parents are encouraged to ask any questions so we recorded a few for the experts.
"I would like to get Allison in CPS schools because that would save us money but I don't know how to get started," asks parent Stephannie Guzy.
They can come to 46th and Dearborn, a closed school that is now a CPS satellite office.
"Downstairs on the first flood they have early childhood and they can register for anywhere in the city," Price says.
There are some categories of questions volunteers can't answer like charter schools or curriculum, but they will refer parents to the right department where they can find answers.
The best place to start is the hotline, which is 773 553-3223.