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Pritzker’s name has come up in speculation about which Democrats could run for president in 2028, potentially bringing his education record into the national conversation.
The firms tied to former Ald. Isaac “Ike” Carothers and former Blagojevich administration official Bamani Obadele have gotten campaign business from Gov. JB Pritzker and in the hotly contested race for Chicago School Board president.
Now about 10% of district-run schools are part of the program, which is meant to provide more wraparound support for schools. A Chalkbeat analysis previously found that schools in the program have mixed student outcomes.
Unite Here Local 1 has requested a fact-finding process in which a third party will review the arguments from the union and the school district.
SEIU Illinois State Council is backing 15 candidates, 10 of whom are running against candidates backed by the Chicago Teachers Union. The endorsements highlight a growing rift between the two groups.
About a dozen teachers criticized the district’s proposed $9.88 billion budget for the 2026-27 school year during a Monday hearing.
The politically powerful Chicago Teachers Union announced a slate of endorsements for the city’s first fully elected school board Monday. The union has less campaign cash than other entities, but its tens of thousands of members can help get out the vote.
In a district survey from the fall, most principals and custodians who responded said staff cuts have made it harder to keep schools clean.
Chicago Public Schools had a full day of instruction following a teachers union push to cancel classes amid a national pro-labor protest. At Burbank Elementary, students wrote letters to elected officials as part of a districtwide day of civic engagement.
District officials say they feel good about ensuring fully staffed schools and greenlighting 45 student field trips to a downtown protest and other pro-labor activities.
The legislation — a priority for Gov. JB Pritzker — didn’t pass last year. But its backers believe an amended version has strong odds of becoming law this spring.
The rally occurred as negotiations over a new contract have surpassed 10 months. Union organizers said lunchroom workers are the lowest-paid CPS employees.
The district will not cancel classes as the union had demanded, but it will not penalize students and staff who participate in an afternoon protest. CPS will also provide buses to the event.
A majority of the Board of Education and the CTU are pushing for schools to close for students that day during a nationwide protest. But Macquline King said the district should continue instruction and ‘minimize disruption for families.’
Two Democratic lawmakers proposed boosting state education funding, a priority for the Chicago Teachers Union. They estimated that would require the state, which faces its own financial pressures, to chip in an additional $550 million to $1 billion more a year.
A Chalkbeat analysis suggests that the district’s joint initiative with its teachers union hasn’t yet given its 20 pilot schools an edge over other high-poverty campuses when it comes to academics and school climate.
A Chalkbeat analysis found that staff turnover, unspent dollars, and community partner tensions have been key challenges for the 7-year-old program.
Union members who spoke outside the capitol Wednesday advocated for taxing the ultra-wealthy to dedicate more funding to K-12 schools through the evidence-based formula and support a more equitable system for funding public universities in the state.
After a rash of ICE appearances and arrests, labor leaders and elected officials sharply criticized the federal government’s immigration actions.
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates said Tuesday the district should take legal action against the U.S. Department of Education for halting millions in previously awarded magnet school grants to the city’s schools.