Leadership & Management
Officials are considering opening more so-called specialty schools meant to help students with more challenging disabilities transition into the real world.
People interested in running for a seat at their local public school can apply between Oct. 16 and Feb. 8, 2024. Elections will take place on April 10, 2024 for elementary schools and April 11, 2024 for high schools.
Preliminary data analyzed by Chalkbeat shows just over 322,000 students were enrolled as of the 20th day of school, when the district takes an official count. The stable number comes after a decade of dramatic annual declines.
The shift raises questions about who schools are serving, how they should be resourced, and what the district — and the city — can do as it continues to lose students.
Officials say the change was an attempt to address pay inequities.
Blaming a driver shortage, the district decided this year to limit bus transportation to students with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness.
District officials said 47 students with disabilities have bus rides longer than an hour. It’s a steep decline from last year when more than 3,000 had hour-plus commutes.
As roughly 320,000 students went back to class across Chicago, the district faces a number of challenges for the new school year.
The findings suggest that schools can benefit from more empowered principals, who are “closer to the ground” and may have a better sense than district leaders of what their students need.
With only half of the 1,300 drivers needed to transport students who require bus service, Chicago said it will instead prioritize transportation for students with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness.
The findings suggest that white and more affluent parents are more likely to have access to accurate LSC information and fully seated LSCs.
As board members introduced themselves, some noted how they’ve shifted from being vocal critics of the system to positions of power.
Thousands of school-aged children are among the new migrant arrivals and enrolling them into local public schools is a priority for the city of Chicago. The new “welcome center” will help newcomer families get help signing up for school, making medical and dental appointments, and enrolling in public benefits, such as food assistance and Medicaid.
The invitation to discuss the budget comes as Johnson tries to involve young people in government decision making.
The Illinois State Board of Education has given Chicago Public Schools several warnings to comply with state law on restraint and seclusion since November. However, the district has yet to train all staff on restraint policies, stop restraining students who are not a danger to themselves or their peers, and notify parents within 24 hours when a student has been restrained.
A boost in early childhood education, more funding for K-12 schools, and a major investment in accessing higher education are in the final version of the 2024 budget that the House passed early Saturday morning. It now heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk to be signed.
The Illinois governor announced Wednesday that there is a 2024 budget deal with lawmakers. Here’s what it could mean for education.
As Chicago’s next deputy mayor of education, Jen Johnson will oversee policy related to the city’s public schools, youth, and families. Historically, the deputy mayor of education also represents the mayor in contract talks with the teachers union.
The board will go from seven members appointed by the mayor to 10 elected and 11 appointed. By 2027, a full-elected 21-member school board will be in place.
The Illinois State Board of Education told after-school providers that due to an error, they will not receive additional funding after fiscal year 2024. Now, students, parents, providers, and school districts are calling on the state board, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and the general assembly to make up the funding to continue programs.
The election of a teachers union organizer over a former district chief in Chicago is a win for local progressives. It could also be a bellwether for public education policy in the historically Democratic city and beyond.
Chalkbeat Chicago sat down with Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson for a brief interview. He talked about being the last mayor with control of Chicago Public Schools, what he told his kids about his new job, and what it means to be a public school parent.
A new mayor will face a school system with declining enrollment, a fiscal cliff, another round of labor negotiations, and the transition to an elected school board.
Supporters of the former Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas interrupted a press conference held by Brandon Johnson backers aimed at denouncing Vallas’ schools record ahead of the heated mayoral runoff election.
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.
A new report has found that Illinois’ K-12 evidence-based funding formula is working to increase funding for districts that serve students from low-income families, students of color, and students around the state since being implemented in 2017.
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.
Pritzker’s 2024 budget recommendation includes a boost in funding for early childhood education and higher education.
Chalkbeat Chicago spoke with early-career educators who started their careers during the pandemic to highlight their experiences.
Nearly 700 school leaders say the Illinois teacher shortage is getting worse and makes it difficult to find qualified teachers and fill vacancies in hard-to-fill positions like special education and bilingual education.
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