Author: Maureen Kelleher

Chicago Unheard blog manager Maureen Kelleher also serves as a senior writer and editor at brightbeam, a nonprofit network of education activists demanding a better education and brighter future for every child. Before joining the brightbeam team, she spent a decade as a reporter, blogger and policy analyst. Her work has been published across the education world, from Education Week to the Center for American Progress. A former high school English teacher, she is also the proud mom of a middle-schooler. Find her on Twitter at @KelleherMaureen.

CPS Parents Wanted for Research Study

My name is Julie Nesbitt. I am the mother of a CPS student. I’m looking for families with children in grades K-4 in a Chicago Public School for a research study on the experiences of parents who, like me, have had the school consider their child’s behavior challenging. For example, schools have sent my son home during work hours, and threatened restraints,…

Tomorrow: Cure Violence with #Belonging

On Thursday, August 18, at 7 p.m. join Shytown Sugar Films at the Hairpin Arts Center for a night of #Belonging. A unique lineup of artists tackles “very real societal issues and in doing so, invites the audience to take an unfiltered look at how belonging looks different when diversity comes into play.” #Belonging’s dynamic line-up includes: Comedy by Aaron…

Still Looking for Summer Camp?

If you still haven’t found the right camp experience for your child, it’s not too late! Here are a couple of possibilities, with space and financial aid still available. First, an overnight camp held on the campus of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Closer to home, karate day camp in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood: Thousand Waves’ Camp Kokoro offers quality martial…

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez

Stop Pretending Tweaking Selective Enrollment Will Get Kids Equity

Last night, I finally got around to watching the video Chicago Public Schools released back in March to explain its proposed options for changing how students are admitted to selective enrollment schools. Take a look for yourself: True to form, Chicago Public Schools wants us to think they are all about equity, when in fact they are, at best, barely…