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Special Education

Even as CPS opens more new schools, children with special needs have a tougher time finding options. Placements in private therapeutic schools are scarce, and some charters are reluctant to enroll them.

early childhood education

May 07, 2012

Child care for Illinois’ infants and toddlers is lower-quality than that provided for preschool-age children, according to a Catalyst Chicago analysis. While that’s typical around the country, it is cause for alarm because a child’s youngest years are the most critical for brain development.

May 02, 2012

As the Illinois General Assembly considers Gov Pat Quinn’s proposed cuts to state-funded child care—a move that would increase fees and reduce eligibility for low-income families—advocates are heading to Springfield Wednesday to speak up for that program and for early childhood education in general.

April 26, 2012

Illinois lawmakers approved a proposal Wednesday that would increase the range of courses that count toward meeting high school math requirements.

April 10, 2012

Access to the state preschool program continued to shrink in fiscal year 2011, putting the state even further off track from its original plans to serve all 3- and 4-year-olds by this year.

March 02, 2012

Speakers at Friday's “Illinois Kids Count” symposium, put on by Voices for Illinois Children, touched on issues as wide-ranging as immigration policy and the state's school funding system.

Follow the link below to read Catalyst Chicago's coverage on Storify.

February 28, 2012

Chicago’s child-parent centers are slated to expand and gain additional resources with a $15 million Investing in Innovation grant won last year by the University of Minnesota.

The money will fund five new child-parent centers in Chicago, four in Evanston/Skokie District 65, and a total of 14 new locations in Normal School District 5, Milwaukee Public Schools, St. Paul (Minn.) Public Schools, and two other Minnesota districts.

February 16, 2012

Despite a sea of red ink in the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Teachers Union is calling for $713 million in new spending to beef up local school staffs, plus more changes that the union has not yet priced out.

The union’s proposal comes in the midst of tough negotiations on a contract to replace the one that expires June 30. The board cancelled this year’s negotiated pay raise, due to financial constraints, and is expecting teachers to work longer hours beginning next school year.

January 24, 2012

At Wednesday’s meeting, the Chicago Board of Education will likely approve a number of remodeling, painting and construction projects, with much of the money spent at turnaround schools and for career education programs.

More than $14 million will be spent on “Pathways Program” construction for career programs at Lindblom, Richards, Roosevelt, Schurz, Sullivan, and Simeon high schools, as well as other unspecified schools.

January 19, 2012

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