After CPS Closed Schools, Buildings Sat Empty — And Gun Violence Rose, Study Finds

Researchers at the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University found that neighborhoods surrounding long-vacant schools saw a 10 percent increase in gun violence compared to similar neighborhoo...

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Q&A with the man in charge of Chicago’s Black Student Success Plan

Eugene Robinson Jr. spoke with Chalkbeat about how much headway the district made on the plan amid federal pushback and delays in naming the board committee meant to oversee its rollout.

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Chicago school board names some Black Student Achievement Committee members after delays

The new committee will help steer the implementation of the district’s Black Student Success Plan, which the Trump administration has pushed Chicago to scrap.

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Chicago school board members commit to not accepting campaign donations from CPS vendors

The school board’s resolution goes a step further than Chicago’s campaign donation laws.

chalkbeat.org

Chicago Public Schools replaces current high school admissions exam with the PreACT

The new exam will take more than double the time to administer as the old HSAT and will include some additional subjects, CPS says.

chalkbeat.org

How many hopeful Chicago school board candidates will make it on the ballot?

Petition signatures for 28 of the 51 people who filed to run for the Chicago Board of Education will have their petition signatures scrutinized by election officials.

chalkbeat.org

Chicago’s school board to begin narrowing down district CEO applicants, source says current interim is applying

More than 85 people applied to lead the country’s fourth largest district.

chalkbeat.org

Have you transferred schools in Chicago Public Schools? Chalkbeat wants to hear from you.

Nearly 48,000 students transferred within CPS last year. We want to hear from parents and students about why they transferred and what the process was like.

chalkbeat.org

5 things to watch this year as Chicago kids head back to school

We’re watching everything from enrollment changes to how the school day will change this year.

chalkbeat.org

Illinois schools poised to have more students ‘proficient’ in reading and math as officials set to vote on changing cut scores for state tests

Since switching to the ACT as the high school college entrance exam, the Illinois Board of Education started the process to change cut scores for all state standardized tests. They said benchmarks wer...

chalkbeat.org

CPS to propose budget that excludes midyear school cuts and city pension payment: sources

The district’s budget proposal will not include a much-debated pension reimbursement to the City of Chicago, which will help avoid cuts to schools but could complicate the city’s budget problems, sour...

chalkbeat.org

Sixteen schools join Chicago’s Sustainable Community Schools program

The expansion stems from the new Chicago Teachers Union contract. But officials said growing financial pressures for Chicago Public Schools threaten the program’s long-term sustainability.

chalkbeat.org

Chicago Public Schools moves custodians in-house, cuts 480 jobs

CPS is ending all of its private custodial contracts, citing a budget crunch and a desire for more “streamlined” custodial services.

chalkbeat.org

Taylor Swift – august (Official Lyric Video)

YouTube video by TaylorSwiftVEVO

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Here’s why the budget deficit for Chicago Public Schools just went up by $205 million

Macquline King, the interim CEO of CPS, said the budget gap for the district has risen to $734 million due to costs related to pensions and charter schools. District labor leaders and school board mem...

chalkbeat.org

CPS schools for sale: District puts 20 properties out for bid

The old schools have sat vacant for 12 years after multiple unsuccessful attempts to sell them. The school district hopes to find buyers who will repurpose the schools as community assets. If that doe...

chalkbeat.org

Some Chicago school board members are skeptical of labeling schools

During a required training Wednesday on the state’s school improvement and accountability system, Chicago school board members raised concerns about how schools get measured and labeled.

chalkbeat.org

Trump gave states 10 days to sign anti-DEI policy. NY Education Department is refusing.

In a Friday letter to the U.S. Education Department, New York officials said they will not certify that the state is eliminating DEI in schools, despite threats to pull federal funding.

chalkbeat.org

‘We’re going to fight back:’ Chicago mayor threatens to sue Trump administration over DEI

The U.S. Department of Education has threatened to withhold billions in education funding unless they end DEI practices.

chalkbeat.org

CTU and CPS have a tentative contract deal. How will it impact schools?

The tentative agreement caps class sizes, commits to hiring more librarians, and adds more recess and teacher prep time to the elementary school day.

chalkbeat.org

Report: City could pass on costs to Chicago Public Schools as an elected school board steps in

Chicago Public Schools could take on tens of millions of dollars in new expenses as it transitions to an elected school board, report says

chalkbeat.org

City Hall pushes Chicago school board to refinance debt to pay pensions, added labor costs

Chicago officials ramped up pressure on school board members to make a $175 million pension reimbursement payment so the city government can close out its 2024 budget in the black.

chalkbeat.org

Chicago’s school board grapples with covering contract costs and a pension payment

The Chicago Board of Education is poised to vote on an amendment to the district’s 2024-25 budget that accounts for $139 million in new revenue, but leaves ambiguity on how the money will be spent.

chalkbeat.org

Drama between CPS, City Hall over paying for school staff pensions intensifies

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration keeps pushing Chicago Public Schools to maintain payments to a pension fund for non-teaching school staff. But CPS officials say they have other long-term costs ...

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Chicago schools CEO Pedro Martinez in the running for superintendent job in Clark County, Nevada

Martinez was fired without cause from CPS and given six months notice after months of growing tension with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

chalkbeat.org

Trump is weighing big cuts to the U.S. Education Department

While only Congress can shutter the department, the president is reportedly considering executive action to severely scale back its responsibilities and staffing.

npr.org

Trump freezes federal grants. What does it mean for schools?

The federal grant freeze fueled widespread confusion about which programs will be affected. Experts say the freeze may be illegal.

chalkbeat.org

Chicago school officials say elementary school staff turned away federal agents

The incident comes amid a threatened Trump administration crackdown and sent ripples of fear through the K-8 school.

chalkbeat.org