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Lane Tech College Prep High School

Coordinates: 41°56′43″N 87°41′27″W / 41.9454°N 87.6907°W / 41.9454; -87.6907
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Albert Grannis Lane Technical College Preparatory High School
The clock tower at Lane Tech
Address
Map

,
60618

United States
Coordinates41°56′43″N 87°41′27″W / 41.9454°N 87.6907°W / 41.9454; -87.6907
Information
School typePublic Secondary Magnet
MottoWherever you go, whatever you do, remember the honor of Lane
Opened1908; 116 years ago (1908)
School districtChicago Public Schools
CEEB code140640[1]
PrincipalEdwina Thompson [2]
Teaching staff259.50 (on an FTE basis)[3]
Grades7th12th[3]
GenderCoed
Enrollment4,496[3] (2022–2023)
Student to teacher ratio17.33[3]
Campus size33 acres (13 ha)
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)  Myrtle
  Old Gold[4]
Fight songGo, Lane, Go[5]
Athletics conferenceChicago Public League
NicknameChampions[6]
AccreditationAdvancED Higher Learning Commission[7]
NewspaperThe Lane Tech Champion
YearbookGolden Years
Websitewww.lanetech.org

Lane Tech College Prep High School (often shortened to Lane Tech, full name Albert Grannis Lane Technical College Preparatory High School), is a public four-year selective enrollment magnet high school located in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on the north side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is a part of the Chicago Public Schools district. Lane is one of the oldest schools in the city and has an enrollment of over four thousand students, making it the largest high school in Chicago.[8] Lane is a selective-enrollment-based school in which students must take a test and pass a certain benchmark in order to be offered admission.[8] Lane is one of eleven selective enrollment schools in Chicago. It is a diverse school with many of its students coming from different ethnicities and economic backgrounds.[9] In 2019, Lane Tech was rated the 3rd best public high school in Illinois and 69th in the nation.[10]

School history

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Original school designed by Dwight H. Perkins, in use from 1908 to 1934.

Founding

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The school is named after Albert G. Lane, a former principal and superintendent of Chicago Public Schools from 1891 until 1898. It was founded in 1908 and dedicated on Washington's Birthday in 1909, as the Albert Grannis Lane Manual Training High School.[11] This building, designed by Board of Education Architect Dwight H. Perkins, stood at Sedgwick Avenue and Division Street.[12][13] During the early years of the school's operation, the school was a manual training school for boys, where students could take advantage of a wide array of technical classes. Freshmen were offered carpentry, cabinet making, and wood turning. Sophomores received training in foundry, forge, welding, coremaking, and molding. Juniors could take classes in the machine shop. Seniors were able to take electric shop which was the most advanced shop course.[5]

By the 1930s, Lane had a student population of over 7,000 boys. Since the school's building was not originally planned for such a huge student population, a new site for the school was chosen, and the building was designed by Board of Education architect John C. Christensen. On its dedication day, September 17, 1934,[5] the student body—over 9,000 boys—and faculty gathered at Wrigley Field and from there walked en masse several miles west to the new campus. (In 1983 and 2008, to celebrate the 75th and 100th anniversaries of the school, a march was held from the school to Wrigley Field.)[14] Lane's huge student body necessitated that classes be held in three shifts.[5] That year (1934), the school name was changed to the Albert Grannis Lane Technical High School to reflect the school's expanding curriculum, but was known to all simply as "Lane Tech." In 2004, the school name was changed to Lane Technical College Prep High School to reflect a college preparatory mandate.

Student admission during the Cold War

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Lane adopted a closed admission policy in 1958 on the school's 50th anniversary. All remedial classes were eliminated and only top tier students were admitted to the school. This coincided with the beginning of the space race between the United States and the USSR. Lane changed its educational policy to help ensure that the United States would not fall behind the Soviets in science and technology.[5]

Admission of female students

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In 1971, changes were made to the admission policy due to a drop in enrollment and lack of technical schools for girls. To solve the issue, Superintendent James Redmond recommended that girls be admitted to Lane Tech. The Chicago Board of Education concurred and girls were admitted as students for the first time. Due to a fear of having a drop in academic achievement, 1,500 male students protested the admission but the decision was not changed.[5]

Campus

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The west and rear of the school. The clock tower is visible to the right of center, and to the left of the taller smokestack.

Lane Tech is located on a 33-acre (13 ha) campus at the intersection of Addison Street and Western Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The campus includes: the main school building, Lane Stadium, Kerry Wood Cubs Field, a turf soccer field, and the parking lot.

Lane Stadium

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During the spring 2007 season, Chicago city building inspectors declared Lane Stadium unsafe and condemned the eastern half of the stadium. The age of the stadium and the fact it was built on landfill raised concerns that using the stadium to full capacity would cause a structural collapse. Events affected were the 2007–2014 graduating class ceremonies (moved to the UIC Pavilion located at the University of Illinois at Chicago), the annual Letterman versus Faculty Softball game, the annual Memorial Day assembly, and the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Pep Rally.[15] Lane Stadium reopened September 7, 2007, with a new turf field. The stadium also features a new IHSA regulation track.

Memorial Garden

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At the west end of the Memorial Garden is the Ramo I. Zenkich Memorial, consisting of a flag pole and granite monument inscribed with the names of the students from Lane Tech who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. The Memorial Garden was rededicated in 1995. During the school's 90th anniversary celebration in 1998, a commemorative plaque was placed near the "Shooting the Stars" statue. It explains the significance of the Memorial Garden to Lane Tech and its students.

Academics

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Honor level courses are offered to qualified students. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are available in English, history, math, science, art, music, computer science, and world languages. Students can also replace their normal physical education classes with a class in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC). The program sponsors the Proctors Club, Color Guard, Honor Guard, Drill Platoon, Drum & Bugle Corps, and Raiders of Lane.[16] As of 2018, Lane has a 94% graduation rate.[17]

As of 2018, 94% of Lane students take at least one AP class throughout their time at Lane.[17]

Lane offers courses in Aquaponics and is the only Chicago Public School to do so.[18]

Lane Tech has the most graduates who complete PhD's in the nation as of 2018.[19]

Lane Tech has the biggest computer science program in Chicago Public Schools, and is considered one of the best schools in computer science in the United States.[20]

Lane Tech College Prep is rated a 8 out of 10 by GreatSchools.org, a national school quality information site. [21] GreatSchools’ Summary Rating is based on four of the school’s themed ratings: the Test Score Rating, Student or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, and Equity Rating and flags for discipline and attendance disparities at a school.

Athletics

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Lane offers many sports including, but not limited to baseball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross-country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, wrestling, women's rugby,[22] and water polo.[23] Lane garners, on average, 7–10 city-championships per year and has won 16 state championships since 1908. Numerous Lane Tech athletes have competed beyond the high school level and achieved success at the college level and beyond.[5]

In 1934 the NFL-champion Chicago Bears held their practices for the Chicago College All-Star Game at Lane Tech.[24]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "Code search". directory. College Board. 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  2. ^ "Administration". Lane Tech High School. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Lane Technical High School". Common Core of Data. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  4. ^ "Chicago (Lane)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "School History". Lane Tech High School. Archived from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  6. ^ Burstein, Alex. "BREAKING: Lane announces "Champions" as new symbol". The Lane Tech Champion. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  7. ^ "Institution Summary for Lane Tech High School". AdvancED profile. North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Lane Tech College Preparatory High School Information Sheet". CPS. Archived from the original on October 24, 2005. Retrieved May 23, 2007.
  9. ^ "Chicago Public Schools". CPS. Archived from the original on January 11, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
  10. ^ "Lane Technical High School in Chicago, IL". US News. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  11. ^ Lane Tech Student Manual (2006 ed.). p. 5.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Lane Tech at 100: Despite Makeovers, The Iconic City High School Remains A Melting Pot", Chicago Tribune, November 30, 2008, retrieved November 22, 2010
  13. ^ Terry, Andrea; Patterson, Elizabeth; Tuffy, Eiliesh; Hahn, Kandalyn; Sylvester, Jeanne M.; Crawford, Matt (2011). Chicago Public School Buildings, Pre-1940 Context Statement (PDF) (Report). City of Chicago: Department of Planning and Development.
  14. ^ "Lane Tech Wrigley March". Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  15. ^ "Graduates Lose Fight For Stadium Ceremony". NBC. Retrieved March 8, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "Curriculum Options" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2008. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  17. ^ a b "Lane Tech High School in Chicago, IL: Test Scores". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  18. ^ "Lane Tech College Prep: Mayor Rahm Emanuel Visits Lane Tech To Tour Aquaponics & Stem Labs". Daily Herald. November 19, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  19. ^ "Apple Unveils New Lower Cost iPad for Schools at Lane Tech". CBS Chicago. March 27, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  20. ^ "Course Catalog – Computer Science". Lane Tech College Prep. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  21. ^ "Best High Schools in Chicago, IL | GreatSchools". GreatSchools.org. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  22. ^ "Schedule for Lane Tech Girls – Rugby Illinois". rugbyillinois.org. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  23. ^ "Sports Directory". Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  24. ^ Schmidt, Raymond (2001). Football's Stars of Summer: A History of the College All-Star Football Game Series of 1934–1976. Lanham, Maryland; London, England: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810840270. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Lane Tech :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: High School of the Week". Suntimes. May 16, 2007. Archived from the original on August 24, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  26. ^ "Franz Benteler, 1925 -2010 Ambassador of Music for Chicago". Chicago Tribune. March 15, 2010. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Lane, Albert G. Lane Technical High School Honor Roll". Chicago Public Schools Alumni.org. Archived from the original on May 28, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  28. ^ Washington, Robin (December 16, 2008), "A true story about Rod Blagojevich", The Daily Voice, archived from the original on April 23, 2011, retrieved November 21, 2010, It was spring 1972, and Rod Blagojevich and I were swimming naked in the Lane Tech High School pool when – All right, a clarification: The Illinois governor accused of attempting to auction off President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat was in my Chicago high school class, though he transferred after two years.
  29. ^ "Cyron Brown". statistical and biographic sketch. Dallas Desperados. 2007. Archived from the original on May 3, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2010. PERSONAL: Brown was a standout performer at Albert G. Lane Tech High School in Chicago, Ill.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "High Schools That Produced Most Major League Players". Baseball Digest. 58 (2). Evanston, Illinois, USA: Century Publishing: 76. February 1999. ISSN 0005-609X.
  31. ^ "INTERVIEW WITH BILL DAILY, JUNE 2003". interview transcript. The Jeannie Sisters Website. June 2003. Retrieved November 23, 2010. Bill Daily was interviewed for a television legends show. Here are some of the fine points made on this 2 hour long interview ... He went to Lane Tech High School in Chicago.
  32. ^ "Frank Dasso". statistical and biographic info. Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved November 21, 2010. High School: Lane Technical (Chicago, IL)
  33. ^ a b c Selch, Emily (January 7, 2010), "Lane Tech", The Mash (Chicago Tribune), retrieved November 22, 2010, Famous alumni: Steve Wilkos, host of "The Steve Wilkos Show" and a former security guard on "The Jerry Springer Show;" Rachel Barton Pine, a violinist; and news anchor Anna Davlantes of Fox-owned WFLD-Ch. 32.
  34. ^ "Colette". biographic sketch & discography. Apple, Inc. (iTunes). 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010. House music innovator DJ Colette was born Colette Marino in Chicago in 1975 — at the age of nine, she began studying classical vocal performance, later studying painting and music at the Windy City institution Lane Tech.
  35. ^ "Theaster Gates's Biography".
  36. ^ "Union League drafts exceptional artist in Theaster Gates". Chicago Tribune. February 14, 2014.
  37. ^ Jim Dey (February 12, 2005). "'College Gangster' is UI's not-so-funny Valentine" (PDF). The News-Gazette. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 31, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  38. ^ "Wildcats remember a program pioneer". Northwestern University. Archived from the original on March 16, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  39. ^ "Now You See Him, Now you Don't," Sports Illustrated, vol. 65, no. 26 (Dec. 15, 1986), p. 88.
  40. ^ "Maxwell Jenkins — Producer, Writer, Director". Screen Dollars. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  41. ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1929–1930,' Biographical Sketch of John T. Joyce, pg. 244–245
  42. ^ "Wirtschaftsgeschichte John Komlos". Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
  43. ^ "Frankie Laine", The Telegraph, London, UK, February 8, 2007, retrieved November 22, 2010, At 15, while attending Lane Technical School, he sang in front of a crowd at the Merry Garden Ballroom in Chicago and also did weekly performances for a radio station, where the programme director suggested he should change his name to Frankie Laine.
  44. ^ Parrish, James Robert; Pitts, Michael R. (2003), Hollywood Songsters: Singers who Act and Actors who Sing, vol. 2 (2nd ed.), New York, USA: Routledge, ISBN 0-415-94333-7, (p. 469) Frankie Laine was born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio ... in Chicago's Little Italy ... He later attended Lane Technical School, from which he was to derive his stage name.
  45. ^ "Cook County Board 6th District Democratic candidate: Donna Miller". Chicago Sun-Times. October 4, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  46. ^ "Ken Nordine: Biography". biographic sketch. Amazon.com. Retrieved November 22, 2010. ... Ken Nordine was born in Cherokee, Iowa. The family later moved to Chicago, where he attended Lane Technical College Prep High School and the University of Chicago.
  47. ^ Smith, Courtney A. "Frank Piatek," Art in Chicago 1945–1995. Museum of Contemporary Art, ed. Lynne Warren, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1996, p. 275. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  48. ^ "Lane Technical College Prep High School". CPS. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  49. ^ "About Fritz Pollard". Brown University Library. Retrieved January 15, 2009.
  50. ^ "Fritz Pollard | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
  51. ^ Isaacs, Deanna (February 26, 2004).“Postiglione's Women”. Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 11, 2018
  52. ^ "New Seahawks Guard Laken Tomlinson: 'The Culture Here Is Awesome'". www.seahawks.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  53. ^ "Rising Chicago rapper Towkio can free your mind". April 27, 2015.
  54. ^ "Dick Triptow". biographic sketch and statistics. Basketball Reference.com. 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010. High School: Lane Tech in Chicago, Illinois
  55. ^ "IHSA – Illinois H.S.toric: IHSA Boys Swimmers Made a Splash in the 20th Century". IHSA. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  56. ^ "THE WINIARSKI WAY / In 1976, Warren Winiarski's Cabernet bested Bordeaux, and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars became famous. At age 76, he's still in control". April 2004.
  57. ^ "Adrian Zmed". TV.com. Retrieved August 3, 2008.

Further reading

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