Chicago schools consult gang lines in closure plan

CHICAGO | The Rev. Robin Hood stands in front of an elementary school in what's known as "The Holy City" — the Chicago neighborhood where the notorious Vice Lords street gang got its start decades ago and still one of the city's most dangerous areas. Half a block away, a group of men hang ou…

Chicago schools consult gang lines in closure plan

Children leave Dvorak Technology Academy in Chicago at the end of classes on April 3. While the school serves as a safe haven for children during classroom hours, their journeys to and from home during the school year are subject to peril as they cross gang borders that divide Chicago's neig…

Chicago schools consult gang lines in closure plan

The Rev. Robin Hood devotes time to ensure the safety of students at schools on Chicago's South Side. Hood works with organizations such as Mothers Opposed to Violence Everywhere and the anti-violence group CeaseFire to ensure that students and staff get to and from North Lawndale’s schools …

After 2009 death, notorious school made turnaround

Robert Spicer, right, the Culture and Climate specialist at Fenger High School in Chicago, speaks as seniors Geneva Harris and Gerald Banks look on in a room where an initiative called the "peace circle" takes place for students and staffers to meet and discuss incidents or disagreements.

After 2009 death, notorious school made turnaround

Elizabeth Dozier, principal at Fenger High School in Chicago, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press. The school, once synonymous with school violence after the 2009 killing of honors student Derrion Albert, is now turning things around and is a showcase for what school officia…

After 2009 death, notorious school made turnaround

CHICAGO | A cellphone video showed the attack in grainy but gruesome detail: A mob overwhelmed a South Side teen shortly after he left school, mercilessly kicking and stomping on him, then hitting him in the head with a wooden plank.

Chicago schools expand full-day kindergarten

CHICAGO | All incoming Chicago Public Schools students will have access to full-day kindergarten for the first time beginning next year.

Chicago schools CEO asks for feedback on closures

CHICAGO | The head of Chicago Public Schools is asking residents for feedback on the district's plan to close underused school buildings.

Community leaders debate how to stop 'school-to-prison pipeline'

CHICAGO | Entering Harper High School in Englewood you must first pass through a metal detector, then by a security guard, then a Chicago police officer.

Plan afoot to bring arts education to every CPS student

CHICAGO | Chicago Public Schools plans to name an arts liaison in every school by March, fulfilling one of the benchmarks of the CPS Arts Education Plan.

CPS commission: Don't shut down high schools

CHICAGO | A panel appointed to review possible Chicago public school closures and consolidations is recommending that all current high schools stay open.

Chicago teachers victory on incorporating test scores into evaluation may help students

CHICAGO | While the nation watched the Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago Public Schools and Mayor Rahm Emanuel clash over new teacher contracts this year, many teachers in Houston watched in awe.

Illinois House votes to give CPS time for school closures

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. | The Illinois House has voted to give Chicago Public Schools extra time to compile a list of school closures.

Chicago schools CEO has 'right-sizing' plan

CHICAGO | Chicago Teachers Union leaders want a moratorium on school closures to start this year — not next fall as proposed by the new CEO of the city's public school system.

No more empty playgrounds: All Chicago elementary schools now have recess

CHICAGO | The playground at Chappell Elementary School is filled with children chasing each other on the jungle gyms, playing four square and joining in on a game of soccer and kickball. There is an exorbitant amount of energy and life in this area that was once quiet and empty.

On heels of strike, teachers union braces for school closure fight

CHICAGO | More than a month after Chicago's first teachers strike in 25 years, union members are gearing up for what they say is their next big fight: possible school closures.

Math quiz: Count the kindergarteners' tests

Isaac Biggs is a first-grader. He has already taken four tests this year. Critics of heavy testing say early school grades should focus more on relationship building and developing routines.

Math quiz: Count the kindergarteners' tests

CHICAGO | How many standardized tests do Chicago Public School kindergarteners actually take? The answer, it seems, depends on who you ask.

CPS budget includes $103 million in pay raises as fiscal challenges loom

CHICAGO | The Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday delayed approval of its new budget, which covers $103 million in raises largely by extending the amount of time the district pays off certain bonds.

On heels of strike, teachers union braces for school closings

Michael Sacco and Carole Ramsden, organizers with the Chicago Teachers Solidarity Campaign, gather donations at a forum Saturday night addressing lessons learned from last month's teacher strike and plans to fight potential school closures.