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 Moms

Reopening Negotiations Get Quiet While Parents Get Loud

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Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union continued talks this week about how to reopen district schools safely for families who want an in-person option. But so far, there’s no deal. Chalkbeat Chicago keeps track of the blow-by-blow here. While talks continue behind closed doors, parents are speaking out publicly about the challenges of remote learning and the lack…

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Parents on CU FB Live

In the Face of A CPS-CTU Showdown, Parents Speak Out

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After a day with no further progress in negotiations over reopening, Mayor Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson issued an ultimatum: show up for work Monday or get locked out Tuesday. Back on Friday, the district and the union announced tentative agreement on a number of issues, but made no further progress over the weekend. The biggest hurdles:…

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Educate Don't Incarcerate

CPS Partners with Community Groups to “Reimagine” School Safety

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Today, Chicago Public Schools announced it is partnering with five Chicago community groups to create alternatives to police in schools. The five groups are: The Ark of St. Sabina, BUILD Inc., Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI), Mikva Challenge and Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE). Each group will receive a $30,000 grant for the work, which was funded…

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