Stories by Matt Masterson

Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool once again criticized Gov. Bruce Rauner, saying Wednesday the governor is putting his own politics ahead of the needs of Illinois students.

Teachers and principals spent the past year criticizing the way Chicago Public Schools handles special education funding. The district now says it’s planning major changes in the new fiscal year.

Dozens of Chicago-area public school teachers are getting a taste of several world religions this week as part of a course designed to increase their religious literacy.

As districts across the state face the possibility of a delayed start to the school year this fall, Gov. Bruce Rauner and Chicago Public Schools are squaring off over what to do with a potential fix for the state’s broken education funding formula.

In a letter sent Friday to principals, CPS officials admit the budget distribution process is taking place “later than anyone can remember.” They put blame for the setback on Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Elevated lead levels have been found in hundreds of water fixtures in Illinois’ second largest public school district following an initial round of testing earlier this year.

The Illinois State Board of Education is still waiting to hear back from Washington on its proposed education accountability plan, but an independent review found the state likely has room for improvement.

An Archer Heights charter school is partnering with a traditional Little Village elementary school to share its unique bilingual and dual-language classes.

Hundreds of parents and Near South Side residents weighed in Monday night on a controversial proposal that would transition the National Teachers Academy into a new South Loop high school.

The Chicago Teachers Union claims Saucedo Academy teacher Sarah Chambers was suspended and later fired by the Board of Education in retalation for blowing the whistle on special education law violations.

A lawsuit alleges Secretary of Education Betsy Devos violated federal law and abandoned “critical federal protections” for students that were set to take effect this month.

This fall, Roosevelt will begin offering a new scholarship to future STEM teachers, thanks to a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Following a highly controversial move in 2013 to close 50 elementary schools, Chicago Public Schools has sought to sell the vacant properties. Find out who is buying the shuttered schools, how much they’re paying, and what the sites could be used for.

The governor and the state of Illinois claim an amended discrimination lawsuit filed by Chicago Public Schools suffers from the same flaws that got its previous suit tossed from court earlier this year.

Following successful Illinois House and Senate votes on a Democrat-backed education funding reform bill, Republicans are taking a shot at fixing the nation’s least equitable education funding formula.

The CTU president said interest payments on the latest CPS borrowing could instead be used to pay for three college counselors, three pre-K teachers or six special education assistants.

Schools are already out for the summer, but this Friday marks the final business day in Chicago Public Schools’ fiscal year, and with that comes a looming $700 million payment the district owes to its teacher pension fund.

Students ages 18 and under can pick up a free lunch on weekdays at school sites across the city, through Aug. 25. Find a location near you.

Who wins and who loses if a local charter teachers union merges with CTU? Local labor education professor Robert Bruno takes a look at the proposed merger—and the possible impact on CPS.

New state guidelines adopted this month will help kids get ready for life after 12th grade – whether that means picking a college or finding a job.

Chicago Public Schools says the move is not due to spending cuts, but because it is transitioning to a new "universal preschool model."

Tuesday marked the final day of classes for CPS students, and despite lingering questions about district finances and the state budget, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is promising school will resume on time this fall.

Illinois is one of more than a dozen states awaiting a federal peer review from the U.S. Department of Education on its Every Student Succeeds Act plan.

Why a proposal to convert a Near South Side elementary school into a neighborhood high school has won support from local residents, but drawn the ire of some parents.

Local teachers are recommending changes to Chicago Public Schools to offer better support to students dealing with poverty, homelessness and violence.

Educators in the nation’s largest charter school union voted last week in favor of joining the Chicago Teachers Union in a move both sides hope will help expand their “collective power” to advocate for public education in the city.