It was huge news in the summer of 2013. Chicago Public Schools, or CPS – one of the largest school districts in the country – had just voted to close almost 50 schools in an effort to right-size the district and eliminate wasteful spending. This meant thousands of CPS students would be attending new schools...

Every year, thousands of struggling Chicago Public School, or CPS, students are sent on to the next grade despite the fact that administrators and teachers know they aren’t ready – and they are destined to fall further behind. Research shows that promoting students before they are ready can have devastating long-term effects. In fact, unprepared...

Chicago Public Schools, or CPS, has been getting special treatment from the state for almost 20 years when it comes to funding for special education, transportation and nutrition programs. According to a recent report in the Belleville News-Democrat, CPS received $607 million in a special block grant from the state last year for these programs...

As Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union continue to argue about the reasons for the district’s recent school closings, one thing is clear – parents have largely been excluded from the conversation. But they don’t have to be – a new law appearing in seven states across the country, if adopted in Illinois, would...

by Collin Hitt Some big efforts were begun by Ron Huberman during his time as CEO of Chicago Public Schools.  The Trib editors encouraged his replacement Terry Mazany to keep shouldering those boulders uphill.  I would agree, especially with this one: “There’s a boulder labeled Extending The School Day. Huberman started pilot programs to give...

by Collin Hitt Chicago mayoral hopeful Gery Chico says that he’d be interested in bringing Paul Vallas back to run the city’s public school system.  Chico mentioned the possibility to Chicago Magazine columnist Carol Thelsenthal, who had floated the idea of bringing Michelle Rhee from Washington, D.C. to Chicago. I asked announced mayoral candidate Gery Chico, a...