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Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday that he didn't direct a political consulting firm with close ties to him to organize faith and community groups in support of his education agenda, nor was he aware the company was doing so. (Tribune)

A charter network praised by Mayor Rahm Emanuel for its academically competitive schools is charging students $5 for minor disciplinary infractions like having untied shoelaces, bringing chips to school or dozing off in class. Critics say the network is using the fines to push out troubled students so it can boost graduation rates, but school leaders say tougher discipline has led to a safer school environment. (Tribune)

Some of the infractions for which Noble Street Charter Network students are charged fees include: chewing gum, being more than three minutes tardy to class, forgetting to wear a belt, forgetting to place quotation marks around another writer's words, having a visible Red Bull, other energy drinks or pop. (Sun-Times)

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday offered a spirited defense of one of his pet charter school franchises amid allegations that it is maintaining student discipline by sticking it to parents — to the tune of nearly $387,000 in fines for “minor infractions.”  Emanuel said he is “interested in results” and the results produced by the Noble Street Charter Network are “incredible.” (Sun-Times)

WBEZ also reports on Emanuel's defending the Noble Charter School network for charging students fees for misconduct.

Chicago Public Schools officials say they plan to introduce a revised sick day policy to the school board next week to end the long-standing practice of allowing employees to accumulate unused sick days over multiple years, a practice that costs the district about $37 million a year. (Tribune)

City Colleges of Chicago announced Tuesday the launch of a comprehensive student early alert system that will enable faculty and advisers to intervene proactively when the institution’s 120,000 students show signs of needing support. The new system and will also provide students with easy access to key information so they are empowered to stay on track, including personalized course recommendations, schedules for tutoring and scholarship opportunities. (Press release)

IN THE NATION
Experts say virtual education is largely understudied, and that is a significant problem given the increasing popularity of this form of education. (Education Week)

Affluent foreign-born parents in New York City are sending their children to public schools in much greater proportion than native-born parents with the same incomes. (The New York Times)

Thousands of elementary students were suspended from public schools last year in Washington and its suburbs, some of them so young that they were learning about out-of-school discipline before they could spell or multiply. (The Washington Post)