Chicago Public Schools is currently the lone district in Illinois with a school board appointed by the mayor. But under legislation approved Tuesday evening by the Illinois Senate, the Chicago Board of Education would transition into a fully elected body by 2027.

All elementary and middle school students in Chicago Public Schools will advance to the next grade level, regardless of their academic success during the current academic year, under a new resolution to be considered by the district.

Within university programs dedicated to Latino studies, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and brown communities, as well as tensions surrounding police brutality, are emerging in classroom discussions and curriculum.

The Illinois State Board of Education on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution in support of an upcoming declaration that will make it a requirement that schools reopen their doors in the fall, with only limited options for remote learning.

Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro has faced intense criticism over his handling of sexual harassment allegations involving cheerleaders, donors and Wildcat fans. He joins us in discussion.

Chicago Public School officials say they hope to have a new CEO selected by late July. Miguel del Valle, the head of the Chicago Board of Education, joins us to discuss the process of picking the next chief.

In February, we met four teens participating in a program that helps students pursue careers in classical music. Little Village resident Giovani Ibarra, 14, offers his thoughts on the oboe with this performance.

Student and community activists from New England to the Deep South are demanding institutions take more ambitious steps to atone for past sins — from colonial-era slavery to more recent campus expansion projects that have pushed out entire communities of color.

Illinois’ once bleak financial picture has brightened considerably during the past three months, state finance officials announced Thursday. Gov. J.B. Pritzker will use the additional revenue to boost spending on education by an additional $350 million. 

Chicago Public Schools officials say the district will host dozens of focus groups in the coming months to gather community feedback before making any decision about its next CEO. Current CEO Janice Jackson will be leaving the district when her contract expires at the end of June.

Converted CTA buses will visit 15 Chicago Public Schools to provide COVID-19 vaccines to students over the next three Saturdays, city health officials announced Thursday.

As schools across Illinois welcome back more students for in-person learning, state officials have announced a new investment to increase access to COVID-19 testing “at low or no cost.”

Educators are doing everything they can to track down high school students who stopped showing up to classes and to help them get the credits needed to graduate, amid an anticipated surge in the country’s dropout rate during the coronavirus pandemic.

Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines.

The district said the investment will support staffing, training and learning resources for International Baccalaureate, STEM/STEAM, fine and performing arts, and dual language programs at seven elementary schools over the next six years.

While the final decision on a new Chicago Public Schools CEO is ultimately up to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, she said she doesn’t want to make that decision behind closed doors.