The apparent outpouring of community support in favor of school closings seemed fishy to many from the start. When beneficiaries of city-funded programs say they aren’t acting on behalf of the administration, critics find that hard to reconcile with efforts to drum up support for City Hall’s agenda. more ›

So what's the matter with Illinois? Well, the researchers place a lot of the blame for the decline in higher education on the state government. more ›

This is definitely turning into a jarring spectacle that has both the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools up in arms. more ›

It is likely that the finger-pointing will continue as the fate of Chicago public school students, teachers, and parents is put on hold until Lewis and Brizard can come to some sort of agreement. more ›

We thought there was an awful lot going on at the grand opening of the Southside Hub of Production (SHoP), a brand-new cultural center in Hyde Park, until we saw that the space the organization will be occupying was the Fenn House, a 16-room Victorian mansion across the street from the University of Chicago Campus. With that kind of square footage, there is room to offer something for everybody, which is what SHoP is aiming to do--and from a decidedly local perspective. more ›

The tension between CPS and the CTU only tightens going into the weekend. more ›

U.S. Education Secretary (and former CPS head) Arne Duncan blew back into town this week with some interesting comments on the issues looming in the showdown between the teachers union and City. more ›

In an effort to bypass union pressure, Chicago Public Schools is offering financial rewards to those schools that adopt its longer school day. Chicago Teachers Union officials aren't happy. more ›

Emanuel believes it was the right decision and hopes that more schools will break with the CTU and opt in for the same. more ›

While some union members are saying that the three dissident elementary schools were coerced -- or even bribed -- into saying 'yes' to longer school days, CPS maintains that no forceful prodding was involved more ›

Although DePaul is not the first school in the nation to make test score submission optional, it may be the largest private, non-profit university to do so. more ›

The expansion of the program is aimed at low-income schools with less technology available and students performing below state standards. more ›

Yesterday, Governor Pat Quinn signed a legislation that would improve school facility planning as well as "increase transparency and accountability in Chicago Public Schools." more ›

Gov. Quinn is set to sign the Illinois DREAM Act into law at 10 a.m. at Juarez high school in Pilsen. more ›

Recently released ISAT test scores for Illinois students in grades 3 through 8 show that Chicago Public Schools students have improved in nearly all subjects, bringing some good news to CPS. more ›

CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard is doing what he can to help balance a $720 million budget deficit, refusing to accept a series of performance-based bonuses. more ›

Last night, the Shedd Aquarium teamed up with Chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris of Prairie Fire to teach diners about sustainable seafood. While there is something a bit counter-intuitive about an aquarium teaching people how to eat their charges, this education is important, as consumers have a real ability to impact the health of the oceans. Best of all, you can learn while eating some darn good food. Join us for a belated World Oceans Day and learn what you can do. more ›

U of C held a red carpet ceremony for that? more ›

The Simpsons actress Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart, y'all) has a charitable schools program called "Good Choices" that aims to "help children learn to make their own good choices and influence their friends to do the same." A noble goal, to be certain, and Cartwright's program is one of three options for character education being considered in the state’s public school system under legislation proposed in the Illinois House. The problem with Cartwright's program is that it's modeled in part on a book, The Way to Happiness, by science fiction author and Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. more ›

Incoming Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard is defending his record at the helm of the Rochester City Schools District, saying that he had a "pretty good" relationship with teachers in the district despite a 5 percent approval rating. Brizard chalks that to what he says is a "personality" conflict with the head of Rochester's teachers union. If he thinks he had a problem with a teachers union head in Rochester, wait until he meets Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, who's been very vocal since her election last year in opposition to the policies of charterization and school closings that Brizard and Mayor-elect Emanuel seem to be simpatico on forwarding. “Clearly his vision is one I buy into,’’ Brizard said. “If I did not believe in his vision. ... I would not have jumped at the opportunity to work with him.’’ more ›

Mayor-elect Emanuel intensified his defense of Jean-Claude Brizard as his choice for CEO of Chicago Public Schools yesterday. Emanuel specifically said that a federal discrimination lawsuit filed against Brizard during his time as head of the Rochester Public School District doesn't shake his confidence in him, because former CPS CEO Arne Duncan (now Secretary of Education) faced a similar lawsuit. more ›

Jean-Claude Brizard, Mayor-elect Emanuel's choice to head Chicago Public Schools, fielded questions in Rochester, NY yesterday about his decision to leave that city's school district for the challenges of handling the nation's third-largest public school system. Brizard tried to downplay the perception in Rochester that he's an opportunist and said he's leaving because he became a "lightning rod" for criticism. more ›

Although Chicago Public Schools has been in trouble for quite some time over a grab-bag of issues both in and out of the classroom, talk surrounding who the new CEO of CPS has been the subject of much anticipation. Whoever heads CPS will be trusted to bring about solid change and some much-needed positivity to the CPS community. more ›

When it rains in Chicago Public Schools land, it definitely pours: Interim Chicago Public Schools CEO Terry Mazany recently stated that the estimated deficit for CPS for the next school year is an extravagant $720 million, which is $20 million more than what the projected deficit was this past November. How does Mazany propose to control the deficit? Well, by going to teachers and their paychecks, for starters:

Mazany called for "shared sacrifice," including from teachers. Their pay raises will cost $80 million but, Mazany said, any successor to him appointed after Rahm Emanuel is seated as mayor May 16 will have to decide whether to try to re-negotiate the teachers' contract to trim that tab.

A proposal for a tuition increase at the University of Illinois is on the agenda at this morning's meeting of the University's Board of Trustees. The Board is looking at raising tuition 6.9 percent for the incoming freshman class. Last year, the Board raised tuition 9.5 percent and state law requires tuition to remain the same for an incoming class for four years. more ›

Even though Illinois schools are still $1 billion in the hole, there are fewer districts on the Illinois State Board of Education's “financial watchlist” this year than last. While that may sound like better news, it comes with a price tag of more than 2,600 Illinois teachers out of work. The Sun Times reports that a state board “Reduction in Force Survey” showed more than 2,102 teaching jobs had been cut in Illinois, which doesn't include 554 teaching positions eliminated in Chicago last year. more ›

Chicago Public School students are nearly bottoming out in science scores, according to a new study from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The Chicago Tribune reports that, according to the study, eighth grade students scored 27 points lower than others in an understanding of science, while fourth graders scored 24 points lower than other students nationally. Almost three quarters of students failed to meet basic standards. more ›

The Chicago Public Schools Board approved a measure yesterday offering free breakfasts at all of its schools, giving its 410,000 students an opportunity to have a healthy meal before the start of classes. more ›

One day you will sit down to a nice dinner out - it could be Italian food, maybe French, it doesn't really matter - peruse the restaurant's sake list and make an informed selection. At least that's the vision of Mason Horowitz and John Robinson, founders of Chicago Sake. The young company comprises a sake consultancy and, as of this month, a sake school. To see that vision realized in Chicago, they freely admit, will take some work. But it's clear that for them, bringing more awareness to this somewhat misunderstood and under-appreciated libation is a labor of love. more ›

While most government agencies, businesses and schools are closed today in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, one local school is actually observing Dr. King's birthday by holding an entire day of classes dedicated to him. Providence St. Mel High School has kept up this tradition since King's birthday became recognized as a federal holiday. more ›