Song Credit:
“La Brea” by Les McCann, Talkin’ Verve, 1998
According to the U.S. News and World Report: in 2019, Lane Tech ranked #3 among Illinois’ top schools, and #69 in the nation. The school graduates 98% percent of their students, many of whom have undergone rigorous curricula and innovative learning opportunities. With a student body of more than 4000 students and a staff comprised of about 200 full-time teachers, Lane Tech is one of the largest successful selective enrollment high schools in Chicago. The school also houses a 7th and 8th grade Academic Center program that accepts around 120 top-performing students a year, all of whom must demonstrate exceptional GPA and test scores. Among the diverse population of students and staff, there is also a sound-engineering room, a 3D printing and maker’s lab, an ever-evolving computer science department, a robust art, music, and drama program, robotics, and, of course, athletics - hence the motto “City of Champions.” It even has its own Memorial Garden adorned with statues and a trickling fountain right in the center of the building. It’s truly a gem in the middle of Northside Chicago.
So why did I leave? And after 13 years, why did I resign from Chicago Public Schools?