1. What Teachers Know

They suck in their first year; they grow to become the psychologist, social worker, and nutritionist for their kids; and when it works, it’s worth it. They tell Chicago magazine what happens in CPS.

2. Can These Chicago High Schools Survive?

Tilden, on the city’s South Side, has 250 students, about a tenth of those who live in its boundaries, in a school built for 1,900. It’s one of 17 in the system facing an uncertain future. The Tribune visits.

3. How Effective Is Your School District? A New Measure Shows Where Students Learn the Most

Chicago students start far behind, but they show some of the best academic growth in the country. The New York Times looks at the data.

4. Television’s Most Infamous Hack Is Still a Mystery 30 Years Later

One night a prankster broke into a Chicago news broadcast to show a bootleg Max Headroom. Not even the FCC has figured out who did it or why. Vice’s Motherboard revisits the incident.

5. The Lost Harold Washington Files

A trove from his failed 1977 primary run for mayor shows what he had to figure out to succeed. The Reader pores over it.

6. Why Has R. Kelly’s Career Thrived Despite Sexual-Misconduct Allegations?

Perhaps because it’s the invisiblity of his victims. Jim DeRogatis reflects on his coverage for The New Yorker.

7. Uptown Homeless Shelter Looks Back at Year That Almost Wasn’t

Last year at this time it almost shuttered. Now it’s a place for residents to keep themselves and their valuables safe, eat well, and search for jobs. WBEZ revisits the North Side Housing and Supportive Services men’s shelter.

8. Chicago’s Underground City That’s Becoming a Design Star

The Pedway is a hodgepodge of independently owned spaces beneath downtown, but it’s coalescing into a destination. The BBC explores it.

9. The Worst Republican Governor in America

Is it the one from Illinois? The conservative National Review makes the case.

10. Could Elon Musk Make Money Off a Blue Line Express Train?

The Tesla founder is submitting a bid. The idea works in London, but the numbers might not quite work here. Chicago magazine games out the scenario.