Mauricio Peña
Reporter, Chalkbeat Chicago
Mauricio Peña is a reporter at Chalkbeat. He joined Chalkbeat from Block Club Chicago, where he was a founding member. He covered Pilsen, Little Village, West Loop and Back of the Yards. He previously worked as an associate digital editor at Chicago magazine. He also worked as a breaking news reporter at DNAinfo Chicago, and an investigative reporter covering immigration and equality at the Desert Sun for the USA Today Network. He has an M.S.J. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
LEARN Excel Charter and the Boys and Girls Club partnered to offer enrichment opportunities beyond academics.
EduLog, which previously worked with Chicago schools, will provide transportation planning and bus routing for Chicago students.
A push to remove police from Chicago schools intensified after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Chalkbeat breaks down Paul Vallas’ and Brandon Johnson’s positions on education issues.
As the Chicago Teachers Union found its political footing, Johnson worked on the union’s front line. Now, his years of knocking on doors might be his secret weapon to win over voters.
Miquel A. Lewis, a current acting director of Probation Services at the Cook County Juvenile Probation department, is replacing Sendhil Revuluri, who stepped down at the end of last year.
With nearly all precincts reporting, former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas and teachers union organizer Brandon Johnson are headed to a runoff to be Chicago’s next mayor on April 4.
Candidates have taken aim at Vallas, arguing he helped create Chicago schools’ current financial problems and laid the groundwork that led to the eventual closing of Black and Latino schools.
The approved academic calendar closely resembles the 2022-23 school year.
Lightfoot struggled with labor relations and pandemic school closures, changed her views on an elected school board, and plowed more city money into school building repairs during her first term.
The Cook Commissioner and Teachers Union organizer’s education platform includes tackling the district’s school funding model and providing free public transit rides and universal child care.
Franklin Fine Arts Center students are joining rock bands, taking ukulele classes, or joining the choir ensemble thanks to Anne Gray.
Chicago music teacher Trevor Nicholas is inspiring his students to live out their dreams after a tumultuous few years from the COVID pandemic.
After collecting dozens of questions from readers, Chalkbeat Chicago sent 10 to the candidates running for mayor. Here’s a look at where they stand on the top issues facing Chicago Public Schools.
The Board of Ethics has previously warned elected officials and campaigns to scrub their listserv of any government emails.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot disputed claims that her office interfered with plans to extend the city’s more generous parental leave policy to school employees.
Mayor says outreach to to educators at Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges was an “honest mistake” by a staffer.
The candidates have varying connections to the city’s schools and young people. Chalkbeat Chicago is summing up what they’ve done and is asking readers what questions we should ask them.
A bill that will give Chicago principals and assistant principals collective bargaining rights passed the state Senate 45-7, and heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk.
In 2022, investigators found dozens of instances of sexual misconduct and abuse, schools mislabeling truants as transfers, a surge in overtime payments, and an end to automatic JROTC enrollment.
District leaders are urging families to get vaccinated, but the school system isn’t keeping tabs on how many students are receiving COVID boosters.
With cases of COVID-19, flu, and other respiratory viruses on the rise, Chicago’s top doctor Allison Arwady and schools chief Pedro Martinez are encouraging students to stay vigilant during the holiday break.
District leaders and police officers are investigating the shooting that happened during dismissal Friday. Chicago Public Schools plans to dispatch crisis counselors on Monday to students and staff.
Chicago Public Schools will use the money to buy land and swap property with Chicago Housing Authority to make way for the new campus.
Chicago Public Schools gets initial OK for city money to buy parcels, swap land with Chicago Housing Authority to make way for a new Near South high school.
School social worker Mary Difino wears many hats to meet persistent behavioral concerns and support students’ needs as Chicago recovers from COVID-related disruptions.
CEO Pedro Martinez, who started last September, has led the district through a tumultuous return to in-person learning that included a rocky COVID-19 testing roll out and showdown with the teachers union.
Sendhil Revuluri announced his resignation after three years helping oversee the school district. He was appointed in 2019 by Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The vote is the latest blow to the nationally recognized charter network. Last month, Chicago Public Schools moved to take over the charter’s two South Side campuses.
After Chicago Public Schools moved to take over two campuses from Urban Prep, the Illinois Board of Education will vote Thursday on whether to revoke its agreement for the charter’s third campus.