Current Issue

School closings

As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.

new schools

February 08, 2012

A year after announcing ambitious expansion plans, New Schools for Chicago – formerly known as the Renaissance Schools Fund – has hired new staff members and is embarking on a public campaign to promote new schools.

September 13, 2011

Several Chicago International Charter School campuses made teachers reapply for their jobs earlier this year, including one campus, Washington Park, that is undergoing a ‘turnaround’-type restructuring. 

April 26, 2011

Beidler Elementary and Tilton Elementary won’t be on the agenda of Wednesday’s board meeting. That’s good news for the parents and staff who fought plans to consolidate them with nearby schools, but not such good news for the two charter high schools that would have taken over their buildings. 

April 25, 2011

In the wake last week’s major announcement on Chicago’s new schools CEO and board, the privately-backed Renaissance Schools Fund put the word out that it is changing its name and embarking on a new plan to open 50 more schools.

April 11, 2011

The former superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools had some strong words on Monday for charter advocates: Put children's education first, even if doing so is detrimental to charters themselves.

Howard Fuller, now the founder and director of Marquette University’s Institute for the Transformation of Learning, focused his remarks on charter accountability. Fuller was the keynote speaker at the Illinois Network of Charter Schools’ annual statewide conference, which kicked off on Monday.

February 23, 2011

Despite some opposition at the Board of Education meeting today, a new Englewood Montessori school will open its doors next year, and three charter schools will be allowed to establish attendance boundaries for their stu

January 31, 2011

Hundreds of parents, students and families poured in to Soldier Field bright and early this Saturday, not to get an early seat at a game, but to hear about new schools and charter schools eager to recruit a fresh class of students.

January 26, 2011

After being caught off guard at the December board meeting where members held off on voting on charter school contracts, charter operators and supporters brought out more than 1000 parents and teachers to January’s meeting. By 9 a.m. Wednesday, the boisterous crowd circled CPS’ headquarters wearing bright yellow scarves, carrying red balloons and chanting, “We want a choice” and other slogans.

January 18, 2011

At Tuesday night’s charter school forum at CPS headquarters, Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th ward) spoke in support of proposals to open Legal Preparatory Academy and a Chicago International Charter School campus in his ward. But he had one condition: “People from our ward have to be able to go to our school."

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