Ariel Cheung

Author
Chicago has lost a quarter of its black teaching force in six years — when its student body is increasingly non-white. How can the district retain more teachers of color?
Chicago is recruiting more substitute teachers with pay bumps at hard-to-fill schools and relaxed restrictions on retirees.
History professor and Chicago school board member Elizabeth Todd-Breland discusses efforts to increase teacher diversity in public schools.
As it sprinkles academic programs citywide to spread opportunity more equitably, Chicago has found that half the schools with expanded offerings gained enrollment.
The issues with the technology portal, shared with wry despair on social media, capped off the $7.9 million program’s second quarter in use.
“We are taking a much more nuanced approach this year,” a school district official said.
As teachers cast ballots on their five-year contract Thursday and into Friday, some report feeling unsettled, particularly as questions surrounding issues such as pay for veteran educators continue to go unanswered.
The state’s population of Latino students has surged over the past decade, but the slower-evolving teacher force has not kept pace, new data from the Illinois Report Card show.
The tentative agreement that ended the strike spells out some possibilities for improvement but also renews questions about CPS’s special education capacity.
We’re watching negotiations between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union, teacher picket lines at schools, and more as the Chicago teachers strike enters its 10th day. Check back for frequent updates.
SEIU Local 73, Chicago Public Schools support staff, on Wednesday ratified a contract that includes raises ranging from 17% to 40% over time.
Chicago has to make up any days after the eighth day of the strike; if not, the state could dock funding for lost days of instruction.
Our team will be following the latest developments in negotiations between Chicago Public Schools and the city’s teachers union. Check back for frequent updates.
litany of problems continue to dog Chicago’s special education program, speakers told a committee of the Illinois General Assembly on Friday.
7,500 aides, custodians, and security staff are seeking raises and improved conditions for work that is so low paid some need other jobs to survive
Chalkbeat Chicago reporters be providing updates throughout Day 3 of the Chicago teachers strike — from picket lines and poncho drop-offs to negotiations and public appearances by the mayor and union officials.
On Day Three of the Chicago teachers strike, adults and teens alike expressed concern about the lasting impact of losing several days of school.
As contract negotiations between Chicago’s new mayor and the teachers union continue, we will update this tracker.
Chicago union officials said talks Friday won more social workers, nurses, and special education and bilingual managers; bargaining will continue over the weekend.
With signs of progress on Day 1, but no deal, teachers are returning to picket lines again on Day 2 of Chicago’s teachers union strike.
The problem is so widespread and acute — and thus costly to resolve — that rank-and-file picketers acknowledge that the likely contract solution, which is to provide more money to schools to hire more classroom aides, will generally fall short.
On Day 1 of the Chicago teachers strike, our team is fanning out across the city to talk to teachers, students, and families affected by the work stoppage.
“It sucks, but it’s short term, and then we hope we’ll all come out ahead in the end,” a parent said. “We’ve been really inspired by teachers around the country.”