Catherine Henderson
Author
As contract negotiations between Chicago’s new mayor and the teachers union continue, we will update this tracker.
What’s your hope for the school year? We asked parents, teachers, and students across several neighborhoods to weigh in. Common themes included better grades, more experiences like music classes and field trips, and safe schools.
Rivera said that the Chicago district internally compiled proposed projects, prioritizing schools with the most at-risk students.
Chicago Public Schools, known nationwide for its focus on freshman year, has started this emphasis earlier to ease what can be a difficult transition into high school.
Chicago plans to spend $820 million next year fixing up 300 of its schools and building more pre-K classrooms.
“Compensation parity is the foundation of a quality workforce,” said Bethany Patten, workforce policy director for the governor’s office. “We’re thinking about who is working with our children.”
Join Chalkbeat Chicago on Aug. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for beer, food, and storytelling featuring some of the city’s most literary classroom leaders.
Here, in a feature we call How I Teach, we ask educators who’ve been recognized for their work how they approach their jobs. Hyam Elsaharty thinks Chicago is on the cutting edge of social and emotional learning. She would know — she’s traveled around the world
Chicago Public Schools is honing in on how to bolster leaders like Principal Elizabeth Meyers at Randolph Elementary by giving them leadership training and autonomy.
More than 700 families celebrated the start of school Tuesday afternoon with free food, games, music, backpacks full of school supplies, and even immunizations.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot emphasized the importance of educating Chicago’s students about the city’s “painful history with racism.”
On Wednesday, the new school board approved $2.4 million to replace metal detectors, even as they discussed whether the hulking metal devices actually keep students safe.
Almost 100 people lined up outside of the gymnasium at Richard J. Daley College, seeking to fill many of the crucial positions that support teaching and learning.
The union warned of a strike when school begins this fall if the city does not meet its demands. Lightfoot has described her team’s first offer as “robust” and “fair.”
Most days begin with weeding, planting, or harvesting in the garden, and in the afternoon, students learn about the science and social implications behind their work.
The state found that only 26% of kindergarteners statewide met requirements to be considered “on track.” For English learners, that proportion dropped to 17%.
While the initial reaction on Facebook was to denounce the school for tossing books, many educators sympathized with the need to free up space for new materials.
Where are you traveling? Which books are you reading? What are you doing for fun? How are you challenging yourself this summer? Chalkbeat Chicago wants to hear from you.
Although Illinois law requires a gifted policy, the state doesn’t provide funding for it. District administrators estimate implementation will cost about $1 million, with about 2,000 students eligible to apply for early entrance to kindergarten.
Board members complained that they hadn’t known about the need for approving a new formula and felt pressed toward a decision.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s newly appointed school board promised to change how the board does its business. They announced seven new rules at their first meeting.
In 2017, Illinois spent an average of $15,337 per student in K-12 but only $3,306 for a child under age 6.
Such hardships around food and housing may help explain why so many graduates of Chicago Public Schools still struggle with getting through college. This past school year, Chicago had its highest-ever graduation and college enrollment rates, but college persistence rates still lag.
A new documentary from Chicago filmmaker Greg Jacobs takes a close look at early childhood education — highlighting the struggles of exhausted parents, underpaid providers and traumatized children.
In Illinois, early childhood advocates are also fretting over a group that has long been undercounted: babies and toddlers.