Chicago Public Schools spends more, gets poorer test scores
Chicago Public Schools spends more, gets poorer test scores
Chicago Public Schools’ instructional and operational spending both reached all-time highs. Did the extra money improve student learning? Nope.
By Chris Coffey
Chicago Public Schools adds 2,500 staffers for 80,900 fewer students
Chicago Public Schools adds 2,500 staffers for 80,900 fewer students
Chicago Public Schools enrollment dropped 80,900 from the 2011-2012 school year to 2023-2024. But staffing increased by over 2,500 and costs rose $3.5 billion.
By Chris Coffey
Chicago Public Schools is spending more per student despite plummeting test scores
Chicago Public Schools is spending more per student despite plummeting test scores
Chicago Public Schools instructional and operational spending reached all-time highs while academic outcomes stagnate.
By Chris Coffey
Chicago Public Schools staff up 20%, enrollment down 10.5%
Chicago Public Schools staff up 20%, enrollment down 10.5%
Staffing in Chicago Public Schools increased 20% as the number of students dropped 10.5%. Employee growth has not included regular classroom teachers.
By Chris Coffey
Where Chicago school board candidates stand on school choice
Where Chicago school board candidates stand on school choice
Chicago Public Schools Board of Education candidates have varying positions on school choice, according to a Chicago Sun-Times and Chalkbeat Chicago questionnaire.
By Dylan Sharkey
4 things to know about Chicago Public Schools’ new strategic plan
4 things to know about Chicago Public Schools’ new strategic plan
The Chicago Board of Education’s five-year plan includes redefining student success and ending school ranking based on performance. It also includes expanding sustainable community schools, which record among the lowest student outcomes.
By Hannah Schmid
Enrollment barely rises at Chicago Public Schools amidst 12% increase in English Learners
Enrollment barely rises at Chicago Public Schools amidst 12% increase in English Learners
Preliminary enrollment data for the 2024-2025 school year show a less than 1% uptick in enrollment. The biggest increase is in English Learners.
By Hannah Schmid
How Mississippi ended its worst-in-the-nation early literacy epidemic
How Mississippi ended its worst-in-the-nation early literacy epidemic
Mississippi state lawmakers enacted science-based literacy legislation in 2013, laying the groundwork for improved reading proficiency among early grades, and additional legislation in 2016 to solidify improvement in literacy trends.
By Hannah Schmid
Candidate survey: who is running for Chicago School Board?
Candidate survey: who is running for Chicago School Board?
More than a dozen candidates filled out an Illinois Policy questionnaire to give voters a better idea of who is running for office. Read their answers below.
First nationwide school choice bill passes U.S. House committee
First nationwide school choice bill passes U.S. House committee
The Educational Choice for Children Act of 2024 becomes the first nationwide school choice bill to pass out of committee in U.S. history. Now it goes to the U.S. House floor, giving hope to Illinois families denied the option by state lawmakers.
By Hannah Schmid
Black and Hispanic students thrive in school model Chicago Teachers Union wants to eliminate
Black and Hispanic students thrive in school model Chicago Teachers Union wants to eliminate
Black and Hispanic students are around six times more likely to be proficient in reading at selective enrollment high schools compared to traditional public schools in Chicago. But the Chicago Teachers Union wants to eliminate these schools that are a lifeline to the city’s minority students.
By Hannah Schmid