Stories by Matt Masterson
Van Dyke Judge: Trial Timeline Won’t Be ‘Run By The Public’
Protesters call for trial start date more than two years after case first began
In 2015, Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke pleaded not guilty in the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. But a start date for the trial is likely still months away.
CPS Revamping School Funding, Removing Early Year Cuts
Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson says principals won’t have to worry about early school year cuts this fall, and that CPS will give them “more time, predictability, and support during the budget process.”
Suburban Postal Employees Convicted in Drug Delivery Ring
A pair of U.S. Postal Service employees in the south suburbs face more than two decades in prison after they were convicted this month for their role in a marijuana delivery ring.
Chicago Students Talk Gun Violence with Parkland Shooting Survivors
Chicago students and activists spent Saturday afternoon at the Florida home of a Parkland shooting survivor and her classmates to discuss the impact gun violence has had on their lives.
6 Chicagoans Charged With Defrauding Millions from US Education Department
Six former employees of the shuttered Center for Employment Training’s Chicago location allegedly swindled millions from the U.S. government using “fake students” and forged records.
Rauner Veto Stalls Bill Aimed at Limiting State Charter School Control
House Bill 768 passed through the state House and Senate easily last year, but the governor’s veto of the legislation, which seeks to limit state oversight of local decisions to shutter underperforming charter schools, doesn’t come as a surprise.
CPS Board Votes Unanimously to Close 4 Englewood High Schools
Plans for a new Englewood high school have been at the center of fierce debate for months. Wednesday’s vote marks the first wave of neighborhood school closures within the district since it shuttered 50 elementary schools in 2013.
Community Leaders Ask CPS Watchdog to Investigate Englewood Plan
As Chicago Public Schools moves to finalize the planned closures of four Englewood high schools, community members are claiming the district “manufactured consent” for the controversial plan.
Education Funding Report Shows Dismal Past for Illinois, Hope for Future
Illinois maintains the most regressive education funding formula in the nation, according to a new report. But with a new formula adopted last year, there’s finally hope the state can make its way out of the basement.
Advocates: Early Childhood Budget Proposal Maintains ‘Status Quo’
Early childhood care advocates say Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget will hamper their ability to expand high-quality services to low-income families.
CPS Watchdog: ‘Pervasive Problem’ with Enrollment at Some District Schools
A new report from the CPS inspector general uncovers loopholes and opaque rules that led to thousands of improper admissions made at district elementary schools during the 2016-17 school year.
Emanuel on Arming Teachers: ‘Absurd Any Way You Look at It’
Mayor fires back at Trump’s idea to allow some teachers to carry firearms in class
We don’t need more guns in schools, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday, “we need more teachers in schools, more students who are not scared so they can be focused not on their fears, but their studies.”
CPS Named as College Board’s AP District of the Year
Chicago Public Schools is now the first district of any size to earn the honor twice. Since 2011 – the first year it was named AP District of the Year – the number of CPS students taking the exams has jumped by 44 percent.
Naperville Man Acquitted in Retrial 22 Years After Arson Murder Conviction
Bill Amor spent two decades behind bars for a murder he says he didn’t commit. On Wednesday, a DuPage County judge agreed – and acquitted him in a retrial of a 1995 arson case.
CPS CEO Janice Jackson Named a National ‘Leader to Learn From’ in 2018
She’s officially been on the job for only a few weeks, but Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson is already earning recognition for her work to improve the district.
Wife of Slain CPD Commander Bauer Thanks Chicago for Support
Erin Bauer: ‘One man almost stole my faith in humanity, but City of Chicago, nation restored it’
“I saw each and every one of you from the darkened window of my car,” Erin Bauer wrote in an open letter Tuesday. “The good people in this world far outnumber the bad. Grace and I are humbled, as Paul would be.”
Police: Carjacking Suspect Faces Murder Charge After Fatal Crash
A 29-year-old Streamwood man faces felony murder charges after he allegedly stole and crashed a taxi, killing a 69-year-old Lincoln Park woman.
Suspect in Fatal Shooting of Police Commander Bauer Held Without Bond
A Cook County judge has denied bond for Shomari Legghette, a four-time felon charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Chicago Police Department Commander Paul Bauer this week.
Police: Man, 44, Charged in CPD Commander’s Shooting Death
Shomari Legghette, 44, was charged a day after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer. He was allegedly wearing body armor and carrying a firearm containing an extended-round magazine.
Slain CPD Officer Was ‘Part of the Fabric’ of Near North Community
The Chicago Police Department on Wednesday continued mourning the loss of 53-year-old Commander Paul Bauer a day after he was shot and killed in the line of duty.
BBB Warns Online ‘Catfishing’ Scams on the Rise
Online dating scams have cost victims in the U.S. and Canada nearly $1 billion over the past three years, according to a new report from the Better Business Bureau. And hundreds of these reports have come from the greater Chicago area.
Chicago Police Officer Killed in Shooting Near Thompson Center
“It’s a difficult day for us, but we will get through it,” an emotional Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Tuesday following the shooting death of 18th District Commander Paul Bauer.
CPS Adjusts Englewood Plan, Will Now Phase Out Students at 3 High Schools
Under a revised plan, students at Hope, Harper and TEAM Englewood high schools will now be allowed to stay at their schools through graduation instead of being forced out this summer.
Attorneys for Brendt Christensen Seek Judge’s Recusal, 2019 Trial Start
Defense attorneys say they need more than a year to adequately prepare for trial in the case of a Champaign man facing the death penalty in the disappearance and death of a University of Illinois scholar.
CPS Cancels Friday Classes Ahead of Snowstorm
Before the snow even started to fall Thursday evening, Chicago Public Schools took the rare step of canceling all Friday classes.
Free After 23 Years in Prison, Exonerated Man Files Suit Against City
Nevest Coleman spent nearly two decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now he’s suing the city of Chicago, claiming he was beaten and coerced into giving a false confession.
Trending
‘We Have Months Before We Take a Breath,’ Shedd Vet Says as Rescued Belugas Remain on 24/7 Watch
Advocates Rally in Support of Reinstating Parole in Illinois: ‘We’re Violating the Constitution’
Johnson’s Scaled-Back Push to Protect Renters Passes First Test
15 Illinois Residents File Claims Against DHS Alleging They Were Victimized by Federal Agents During ‘Midway Blitz’
South Side Residents Raise Concerns Over Amtrak’s New Railyard Proposal
Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter