Mayor Richard M. Daley, opened the first day of the 2008-09 school year by ringing the ceremonial bell at a new school building – the Sir Miles Davis Academy, 6740 S. Paulina Av., which is the first of 24 new neighborhood schools planned to open as part of Daley's "Modern Schools Across Chicago" program.

"The first day of school is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to provide a quality education to every child, in every school in Chicago so that they graduate prepared to achieve their dreams in life," the Mayor said in a news conference held with school officials at Miles Davis, which will offer the school district's first children's engineering program.

Through the "Modern Schools Across Chicago" program, the City and CPS are investing more than one billion dollars to build 24 new schools and renovate three major high schools in every part of the city. It will be funded with local tax dollars, not money from the state or federal governments.

"This is just one example of our commitment to providing a quality education to all students in Chicago, regardless of what neighborhood they live in," Daley said. "That is the point of Modern Schools Across Chicago. Children deserve to have great teachers, great principals and great facilities, and they shouldn't have to go out of their neighborhood to get them."

"But, we're not only investing in our children by providing new and modern facilities. We're also providing them with new education options across the city. Today, we are opening 34 new options – not new buildings – but schools that provide new and cutting edge programs that help parents find the right fit for their child," Daley said.

These include innovative charter schools, new magnet-school programs with a technology focus, replications of very successful schools, and turnaround schools that are opening with new leadership, a new culture of high expectations, and a renewed commitment to excellence, he said.

And the Mayor outlined several other initiatives that will go into effect with the new school year.

"These are the kinds of programs that are needed to ground our students in the basics of learning, to turn around underperforming schools and to bring greater accountability throughout the system," Daley said.

They include:

• 90 additional schools will participate in CPS' groundbreaking Reading Initiative, which has been instrumental in increasing test scores at elementary schools over the last six years.
• There is an expansion of the teaching of mathematics to elementary school students. Nearly 2000 more students this year will take algebra in eighth grade, giving them a head-start on advanced high school work.
• New writing standards will take effect for 8th grade promotions.
• A more thorough accountability measure will be implemented in elementary schools. They will now be using a value-added system to assess the true impact that a school is having on the student's learning—going far beyond the simple test-score analysis we've used in the past.
• 18 more schools have been added to the High School Transformation initiative, which ensures a strong, college-focused curriculum at all of our high schools, including low performing schools.
• Chinese, Arabic and Russian language programs will be expanded to serve 1,000 more students, giving them a head start in their ability to compete in the global economy.
• Next summer CPS will expand its Freshman Connection program. It was launched this summer and brought 16,000 ninth-graders into their new schools in July to give them an early start on high school success.
• Security cameras will be installed at 25 more schools.
• And, 35 more community schools will be opened. These schools serve as neighborhood anchors for our families—staying open well into the evening and on weekends to provide services and programs for the children and adults.

This is just one example of our commitment to providing a quality education to all students in Chicago, regardless of what neighborhood they live in," Daley said.

"That is the point of Modern Schools Across Chicago. Children deserve to have great teachers, great principals and great facilities, and they shouldn't have to go out of their neighborhood to get them," he said.

The "Modern Schools Across Chicago" initiative was announced two years ago as a $1 billion dollar plan that would draw on city redevelopment funds and Chicago Public Schools bond funds.

Miles Davis Magnet Academy is the first of 24new schools to be built and major renovation of three high schools scheduled to be completed through the program.

Davis is a consolidation of two nearby schools -- the old Miles Davis Academy and Vernon Johns Middle Academy -- and will be open to children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As part of the school's engineering program, children in all grades will work together on grade-appropriate engineering design challenges that require them to define problems, and research, design, construct, test, analyze and communicate solutions.

"We're very excited about this wonderful new building and the unique learning opportunities that will be available to these students here every day," said CPS Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan. "We've never done anything like this before, especially at the elementary-school level, so we're anticipating a fun and interesting and academically excellent school year for teachers and students."

In addition to Miles Davis Magnet Academy, 33 other new educational options opened across the city Tuesday. They are:

• Disney II Magnet School, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave.
• LaSalle II Magnet School, 1148 N. Honore St.
• KershawMagnet School, 6450 S. Lowe Ave.
• OscarMayerMagnet School, 2250 N. Clifton Ave.
• Coonley Regional Gifted Center, 4046 N. Leavitt
• DumasTechnologyAcademy, 6650 S. Ellis
• DvorakTechnologyAcademy, 3615 W. 16th St.
• DunneTechnologyAcademy, 10845 S. Union Ave.
• NicholsonTechnologyAcademy, 6006 S. Peoria Ave.
• SpencerTechnologyAcademy, 214 N. Lavergne Ave.
• EdisonParkElementary, 6220 N. Olcott
• The Academy for Global Citizenship, 5101 S. Keeler Ave.
• PlatoLearningAcademy, 5545 W. Harrison
• KwameNkrumahAcademy, 901 E. 95th St.
• CommunityServicesWestCareerAcademy, 1239 S. Pulaski
• NobleStreet-UIC CollegePrep, 1231 S. Damen
• NobleStreetCharterSchoolSouth Campus, 7200 S. Ingleside
• AmandlaCharterSchool, 6800 S. Stewart
• PerspectivesCharterSchoolIIT Math and ScienceAcademy, 3663 S. Wabash
• Universityof ChicagoCarter G. Woodson Middle, 4444 S. Evans
• L.E.A.R.N.CharterSchool, Excel Campus, 2401 W. Congress
• ChicagoInternationalCharterSchoolFriesse Campus, 9535 S. Loomis
• UNOCharterSchoolArcherHeightsElementary SchoolCampus I, 4248 W. 47th St.
• UNOCharterSchoolArcherHeightsElementary SchoolCampus II, 4248 W. 47th St.
• UNOCharterSchoolArcherHeightsCampusHigh School, 4248 W. 47th St.
• HenryFordAcademyPowerHouseCharterHigh School, 3333 W. Arthington
• Virtual Opportunities Inside a School Environment (VOISE) AcademyHigh School, 231 N. Pine
• OrrAcademyHigh School, 730 N. Pulaski
• HarperHigh School, 6520 S. Wood St.
• Copernicus Elementary, 6010 S. Throop St.
• Fulton Elementary, 5300 S. Hermitage Ave.
• MortonSchoolof Excellence, 431 N. Troy
• Howe Elementary, 720 N. Lorel Ave.

"There is no higher priority in the city of Chicagothan our children and our schools" Daley said. "I'm very pleased to be a part of today's celebration of the investment this school represents in the children of the Miles Davis community and I look forward to continuing to work with everyone here today to find bigger and better ways to invest in our children and keep student progress going," he said.

Also joining Mayor Daley at Miles Davis Magnet Academy Tuesday were Chicago Bear Israel Idonije, Chicago Skye basketball player Sylvia Fowles and officials of the Museum of Science and Industry.

The athletes talked with parents and students. The Museum has announced it will give every CPS student who comes to school on the first day a pass good for complimentary general admission for that student and up to two guests through November 13.

The Chicago Public Schools is the nation's third-largest school system. It includes more than 600 schools and serves about 409,000 students.