Hope Chicago expects its $1 billion in college money to transform neighborhoods and help Chicago Public Schools enrollment bounce back from years of decline. Could this big bet work?
Tag: Mayor Lori Lightfoot

Chicago Isn’t the Only City Putting Politics Over Kids
We need to look to and elevate the leaders and communities that are actually building positively toward the empowerment of their students and schools. If our children see only dysfunction, we’ll only see more of it when it’s their turn running the show—unless the goal is to show students what not to do when they hold these positions.

Roseland Peace Parade on Saturday
At 1 p.m. this Saturday, Roses in Roseland will kick off its second annual Peace Parade. Registration begins at 11 a.m. at 119th and Michigan. From founder and community organizer Cleopatra Draper: Together, the people of Roseland and neighbors from all over Chicago will demand peace during the summer, promote common-sense gun reform, community investment and safety! Please join us for…

Will the Elected School Board Bill Beat the Clock This Time?
The Illinois legislative session will wrap up very soon, and we don’t yet know whether the bill to create an elected school board in Chicago will come to a vote in the Illinois State Senate. According to yesterday’s Chicago Tribune, “Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park indicated Wednesday that an elected school board proposal previously approved in the House would…

Elected and Appointed School Boards, Explained
The effort to change Chicago’s school board from mayor-appointed to elected could win this legislative session. But Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who supported an elected school board when she ran for office, appears to be changing her mind in favor of a hybrid between elected and appointed members, which would allow her to retain final authority and continue to hold the…

For Chicago to Build Back Better, College Is Key
College application and enrollments rates are way down. More than a decade of progress toward leveling the college playing field for Chicago’s young people now stands in jeopardy.

No, Mayor Lightfoot, You Can’t Reopen Schools and Bars at the Same Time
You can’t do something that is guaranteed to increase community spread at the same time you reopen the schools.

As Parents, We’ve Sized up the Risks, and the Time to Send Kids to School Is Now
Seldom, if ever, has there been a time in American history when the kids were eager to return to school, while the teachers dreaded returning and even threatened to boycott. However, this upside-down reality is exactly the case in Chicago today. This morning, members of the Chicago City Council’s education committee are holding a hearing to hear Chicago Public Schools…