Aldermen and principals are announcing the recommended CPS elementary school closures today. This story will be updated as the list develops. Read more
Fifteen years ago, Lands’ End founder Gary Comer embarked on a wildly ambitious project to improve the struggling South Side neighborhood where he grew up. Read more
Across the city, most public school children are eligible for free or reduced lunches—an 85 percent average across the city, showing distinct geographical patterns, and 30 percent higher than the state average. The highest eligibility? It can't get any higher than in East Saint Louis. Read more
One semi-silver lining for the Great Recession, as it's been for most American recessions in recent years, is that people obtain more education (at, on average, a modest increase in lifetime earnings). But the benefit to the economy doesn't compare to what was lost. Read more
Even in the era of No Child Left Behind, it's surprisingly hard to get good data on school truancy across the country. To the extent that it exists, other urban districts seem to share our problems. Read more
As Chicagoland struggles with education reform, it faces a stiff headwind from income-based educational-achievement gaps that have been growing since the 1970s. What happened? Wealthier parents may have learned a great deal from programs targeted at very poor children. Read more
The outgoing CPS CEO once described the negative effect of “revolving door superintendencies” on school districts. The average, Brizard said, was 18 months. He lasted only 17. What's next for him? Read more
