Stories by Matt Masterson
Noble Charter Teachers File Charges Against Network Administration
Educators say management interfering in unionization process
| Matt Masterson
Noble teachers announced Friday they have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, citing administration's “use of surveillance” to interfere with their rights granted by the National Labor Relations Act.
CTU Drops Strike Vote, Encourages Other Action on May 1
| Matt Masterson
The Chicago Teachers Union will not hold a May Day strike, but group leadership is planning a “proportional” response to whatever cuts are made to the end of this school year by Chicago Public Schools.
Chicago Charter Advocates Protest Bill Limiting School Growth
| Matt Masterson
Dozens of charter school advocates and parents gathered outside Will Guzzardi’s Logan Square office Wednesday to protest a bill from the state representative that would limit charter growth in financially struggling Illinois school districts.
New Illinois Education Model Sent Off for Federal Review
| Matt Masterson
After dozens of listening sessions and meetings, the Illinois State Board of Education announced it has submitted its plan to replace the No Child Left Behind Act to the federal government for review.
CPS, ISBE Partnering on New Competency-Based Learning Pilot
| Matt Masterson
Six Chicago Public Schools will take part in a new pilot program that lets students move at their own pace as they focus on mastering educational skills rather than spending set amounts of time in the classroom.
West Englewood Students Call For an End to Gun Violence
| Matt Masterson
Students, teachers and community activists gathered Friday at Henderson Elementary for their second annual peace rally, marching only feet from where a 12-year-old girl was shot earlier this year.
Chance the Rapper, Chicago Bulls Announce More Funds for CPS
| Matt Masterson
The “New Chance: Arts and Literature” fund will provide Chicago students with new supplies beginning next school year, having already raised $1.2 million through philanthropic donations in just the last month.
Chicago Teachers Weighing Options Before Vote on 1-Day Walkout
| Matt Masterson
As the Chicago Teachers Union continues debate over a possible one-day strike in response to furloughs and cuts from Chicago Public Schools, some members have come out in favor of other options that wouldn't cost teachers another day of lost pay.
Cook County to Sell Off Tax Delinquent Properties to Highest Bidders
| Matt Masterson
The owners of tens of thousands of homes and properties in Cook County who’ve fallen behind on their taxes have only a couple more days to settle their debts – or they could wind up paying a lot more.
New Bill Bars CPS, Cash-Strapped Districts From Opening New Charters
| Matt Masterson
“If your district is broke, take care of the schools that you have before you open new schools. We think it’s a pretty straightforward idea,” said state Rep. Will Guzzardi, who introduced the legislation.
Rauner Pushing New Pension Alternative to Restore CPS Funding
| Matt Masterson
Facing an ongoing lawsuit brought by Chicago Public Schools and increasing calls to restore vetoed funding to the cash-strapped school district, Gov. Bruce Rauner is urging “swift action” to enact statewide pension reform in a new Republican-led bill.
Gary Solomon, Former SUPES CEO, Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison
| Matt Masterson
The former SUPES Academy chief charged in connection with the Barbara Byrd-Bennett fraud scandal was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison after pleading guilty last year.
LSC Members Call on Rauner to Restore CPS Pension Funding
| Matt Masterson
Local School Council members from across Chicago hand-delivered a letter to Gov. Bruce Rauner this week, urging “immediate action” from the state.
Chicago Teachers Having ‘Hard Discussion’ Before Upcoming Strike Vote
| Matt Masterson
Chicago Teachers Union delegates are taking this month to discuss the possible May 1 strike with the union’s rank-and-file members before a vote on the action, scheduled for April 5.
Coonley 2nd-Graders Reimagine Great Chicago Fire on Social Media
| Matt Masterson
Nearly 150 years after a small barn fire ballooned into a two-day blaze that engulfed the city, the story of the Great Chicago Fire is being retold. On social media.
CPS Files Order to Halt Proposed 1-Day Teacher Strike
| Matt Masterson
Chicago Public Schools is seeking to prevent a proposed teacher strike later this spring, claiming the move would be illegal under state law.
Chicago Teachers Calling on CPS to Save its Clerks
| Matt Masterson
As Chicago Public Schools continues seeking cost-cutting measures to balance its annual budget, local teachers are rallying around school staff they believe could be next on the chopping block.
Illinois Education Board Approves State ESSA Plan
| Matt Masterson
The latest draft of what will become Illinois' new public education policy plan cleared its first major hurdle Wednesday, earning unanimous support from state education leaders.
CPS Student Files Civil Suit Claiming School Building Violates ADA
| Matt Masterson
CPS CEO Forrest Claypool and the Board of Education are both named in a civil suit filed Friday by Access Living, a disability advocacy nonprofit, on behalf of the wheelchair-bound student at Drummond Montessori Magnet School in Bucktown.
ASPIRA Teachers Reach Tentative Deal, Averting First-of-its-Kind Strike
| Matt Masterson
Had ASPIRA teachers gone through with their threat to go on strike March 17, it would have been the first labor stoppage for charter teachers in U.S. history.
Chance the Rapper Announces 10 CPS Schools Receiving $10K Donations
| Matt Masterson
Days after giving $1 million to Chicago Public Schools to support arts and enrichment programming, the Chicago-born rapper named 10 individual schools that would each receive a separate gift from his nonprofit organization, SocialWorks.
CTU Delegates to Consider 1-day Walkout
| Matt Masterson
A union spokesman confirmed the union’s 800-member House of Delegates will begin discussions Wednesday over a “possible May 1 action.” No strike vote has yet been scheduled.
ASPIRA Charter Teachers Set March Strike Date
| Matt Masterson
If progress isn't made over the next 10 days in ongoing labor negotiations, educators in a small Chicago charter school network say they will walk off the job in what would be the nation’s first charter teachers strike.
Noble Teachers Earn Legislator Support in Unionization Efforts
| Matt Masterson
Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, state Sen. Daniel Biss and Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa were among those who pledged their support for Noble charter teachers who are working to create what would be the nation’s largest charter teachers union.
Noble Educators Begin Forming Nation’s Largest Charter Teachers Union
| Matt Masterson
Teachers in Chicago's biggest charter network say a union will allow them to better advocate for their students and colleagues. If successful, it will create the largest charter teachers union in the country.
Urban League Research Highlights Ongoing Racial Disparity in Education
| Matt Masterson
A report released this week by the Chicago Urban League shows minority students in the state are still as likely to attend a racially segregated school today as they would have been 60 years ago.
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