Chalkbeat Chicago
Chicago Public Schools Will Relax Its Employee COVID Vaccine Mandate
CPS will allow unvaccinated employees to continue working after a Friday COVID-19 vaccine mandate deadline if they take a weekly coronavirus test.
New Schools Chief Pedro Martinez On How He Plans To Help Chicago Students Recover
"For me, it’s very clear: The schools are safe. But there’s still some anxiety to reduce," said Martinez, who took over Chicago Public Schools Sept. 29.
Chicago Had A Long List Of Disengaged Students. Did Efforts To Reel Them In Pay Off?
The district flagged about 70,000 students as at risk of disconnecting from learning — and directed schools to track them down.
Chicago Shortens Student Quarantines As Experts Predict November COVID Vaccine For Kids
The city's public health commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady, said officials think vaccines should be available for kids 5-11 around the first week of November.
Boys Of Color Were Hit Hard By The Pandemic. What Do They Need Now?
In Chicago and nationally, data show a steeper drop in attendance and a more marked increase in failing grades for male Black and Latino students.
Summer School In Chicago Was Billed As A Big Deal. But Data Is Scarce On How It Went
Summer programs varied significantly across campuses, with some schools hosting 20 or more opportunities while others offered just one.
Some Chicago Schools In High-Poverty Areas Lost 1 In 7 Teachers To Layoffs
Most schools with three or more teacher layoffs were shrinking campuses. At least seven of the 22 schools are considered “underutilized” by the district.
Chicago Will Ramp Up Contact Tracing In Schools After Widespread Complaints
The contact tracing department will grow to more than 80 people and response time will be narrowed to 48 hours, CPS officials said.
Bus Troubles, Missing Preschoolers: Chicago Attendance Dips On First Day
Key student groups showed attendance lags — notably pre-kindergarten students and Black and Latino students.
6 Things To Know About Pedro Martinez, Chicago’s Next Schools Chief
The oldest of 10 children, Martinez grew up in Chicago, attended Benito Juarez High and has three sisters teaching in Chicago Public Schools.
New CPS CEO Will Be San Antonio Superintendent Pedro Martinez, A Juarez Graduate
Martinez, who worked for CPS under Arne Duncan, had been considering a frontrunner for the job to assume the reins from interim CEO José Torres.
Chicago Public Schools Will Miss This Week’s COVID-19 Testing Deadline
CPS leaders say they now aim to offer testing at every district campus by the end of September — roughly a month after its original goal.
Illinois To Give Child Care Workers $1,000 And Cover Costs For Unemployed Parents
Gov. JB Pritzker announced the bonuses Monday as part of a broader package of child care recovery efforts.
As Quarantine Notices Go Out, CPS Needs More Time To Fully Expand School COVID Testing
The district had pledged voluntary testing for every school would be in place during the first week of the school year.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot: Chicago Head Start Funding Cutoff Is ‘Irresponsible’
Unless full funding is restored, city officials say nearly 1,000 low-income children younger than 5 could be forced to transfer mid-school year to other programs.
School Bus Driver Shortage In Chicago Prompts $1,000 Payments To Families And Calls To Uber, Lyft
About 10 percent of the district’s drivers resigned between Aug. 23 and Aug. 27, leaving the nation’s third-largest school district short about 500 drivers.
‘All Of Us Are Learning To Do School Again’: Chicago Students Return To Campus During COVID Surge
With the Delta variant surging, there was trepidation about returning to class — and a blend of hope and uncertainty about the academic catchup and emotional healing students face in the months ahead.
Chicago Schools Are Fully Reopening For The First Time In More Than 500 Days. Here’s What To Know
Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey said the union has no intention of blocking the start of the school year. But it will continue to “ring alarms” about what he described as safety shortfalls, he said.
Chicago Will Drop Daily COVID-19 Screener And Bring Back Simultaneous Instruction In Quarantine Cases
The district will also not require temperature checks at the school entrances because a fever isn’t the most reliable way to tell if a student has contracted COVID-19.
San Antonio Superintendent, Another Outside Candidate Top Contenders For Chicago Schools Chief
Pedro Martinez recently made news by issuing a mask mandate and a staff vaccination mandate, defying Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning public entities from requiring masks or COVID shots.
