Stories by Brandis Friedman

Food pantries are popping up in a surprising, new location: colleges and universities. How City Colleges of Chicago and the Greater Chicago Food Depository are providing for local students.

Two of Chicago’s most famous women sit down for an intimate chat. What Michelle Obama told Oprah Winfrey – and 18,000 of her closest friends – to kick off her book tour.

Under a new component of the annual Illinois Report Card, 20 percent of schools are eligible for additional federal funding to make improvements.

Several hundred Chicago charter school teachers say they’re willing to walk off the job if they can’t reach a contract agreement with their charter operator, Acero.

He’s considered one of the country’s most visible intellectuals, noted for the way he expresses his views on racism, politics and even pop culture. A conversation with author and professor Cornel West.

As Chicago mourns the loss of the Emmy Award-winning journalist, we revisit his memorable interview with John Callaway in 1980.

Cook County Jail officials say the Chicago cop recently convicted of second-degree murder is being housed in a single cell and closely monitored for his safety and security.

A local education nonprofit unveils an ambitious plan to get first-generation and low-income college students to graduation day.

She won back-to-back Olympic medals in the seven-event heptathlon and still holds the world record of 7,291 points in the event. We talk sexism in women’s sports and more with Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke will not spend more time in jail for giving interviews with local media.

As a new school year gets underway at Chicago Public Schools, we visit a first-year teacher who has her own share of first-day jitters – and excitement for what lies ahead.

More Chicago Public Schools students are earning diplomas than ever before, reaching a record-high graduation rate of 78.2 percent, according to new figures from the district.

As he takes the helm of the Chicago Teachers Union, Jesse Sharkey discusses school cleanliness and the potential impact of Janus v. AFSCME on union membership.

As Chicago Public Schools teachers return to the classroom this week, many will have a new leader at the top of their union.

The high school class of 2022 will be starting ninth grade in just a few weeks. And for the first time, students at Chicago Public Schools were able to pick their high schools using a new common application called GoCPS.

How a simple storage system is proving to be so much more for homeless youth trying to unlock a brighter future.

Archaeologists are nearing the end of a monthlong dig in the city’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. What they’re looking for – and what they’ve turned up.

Chicago Public Schools implemented local school councils almost 30 years ago with hundreds of thousands of participants. Times have changed.

Some are questioning the way Chicago Public Schools is spending its biggest budget in the last five years.

Despite an increase this week to the city’s minimum wage, many Chicagoans still aren’t earning what some researchers call a “living wage.”

Parents of Chicago’s special education students say they have concerns about the state's choice of an independent monitor to oversee the district's special education program.

The office will be responsible for overseeing investigations into allegations of student-on-student abuse, ensuring students involved in any allegation are paired with an advocate. 

Statewide, school districts reported more than 2,000 unfilled positions last school year, with 43 percent of those in Chicago Public Schools alone.

From neighbors to roommates: How two Chicago schools are getting ready to merge as summer break begins.

Chicago Public Schools says it’s taking a crucial step to protect students from sexual abuse by teachers and staff.

Chicago Public Schools says that by August it expects to have the results of a top-to-bottom review of its practices for handling cases of sexual misconduct. More from CPS CEO Janice Jackson.