Becky Vevea

Chicago’s school board to begin narrowing down district CEO applicants, source says current interim is applying More than 85 people applied to lead the country’s fourth largest district.

A source tells @chalkbeat.org that interim CEO Macquline King is applying for the permanent job. Semi-finalists will begin interviewing with school board members soon.

Have you transferred schools in Chicago Public Schools? Chalkbeat wants to hear from you. Nearly 48,000 students transferred within CPS last year. We want to hear from parents and students about why they transferred and what the process was like.

Have you transferred schools within CPS?
@chalkbeat.org wants to hear from you about why and how you went about it. Fill out the form at the link below!
www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

5 things to watch this year as Chicago kids head back to school We’re watching everything from enrollment changes to how the school day will change this year.

Here are 5 things we’re watching this school year @chalkbeat.org www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Illinois schools poised to have more students ‘proficient’ in reading and math as officials set to vote on changing cut scores for state tests Since switching to the ACT as the high school college entrance exam, the Illinois Board of Education started the process to change cut scores for all state standardized tests. They said benchmarks wer...

Illinois is proposing to change the cut scores for state standardized tests on Wednesday. State education officials say they were too high and did not accurately reflect college and career readiness. @sammiesmylie.bsky.social @chalkbeat.org

www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

CPS to propose budget that excludes midyear school cuts and city pension payment: sources The district’s budget proposal will not include a much-debated pension reimbursement to the City of Chicago, which will help avoid cuts to schools but could complicate the city’s budget problems, sour...

www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Sixteen schools join Chicago’s Sustainable Community Schools program The expansion stems from the new Chicago Teachers Union contract. But officials said growing financial pressures for Chicago Public Schools threaten the program’s long-term sustainability.

Chicago gives 16 schools $500,000 to become Sustainable Community Schools in partnership with CTU, @chalkbeat.org's Mila Koumpilova reports
www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Chicago Public Schools moves custodians in-house, cuts 480 jobs CPS is ending all of its private custodial contracts, citing a budget crunch and a desire for more “streamlined” custodial services.

Officials said the move would save $40 million.
@reemadamin.bsky.social @chalkbeat.org

YouTube video by TaylorSwiftVEVO Taylor Swift – august (Official Lyric Video)

happy 'salt air, and the rust on your door' day to all who celebrate www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn_0...

Here’s why the budget deficit for Chicago Public Schools just went up by $205 million Macquline King, the interim CEO of CPS, said the budget gap for the district has risen to $734 million due to costs related to pensions and charter schools. District labor leaders and school board mem...

Interim CPS CEO says the district’s deficit is now $734 million

CPS schools for sale: District puts 20 properties out for bid The old schools have sat vacant for 12 years after multiple unsuccessful attempts to sell them. The school district hopes to find buyers who will repurpose the schools as community assets. If that doe...

www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Some Chicago school board members are skeptical of labeling schools During a required training Wednesday on the state’s school improvement and accountability system, Chicago school board members raised concerns about how schools get measured and labeled.

Some Chicago school board members question how Illinois labels to schools @chalkbeat.org www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Trump gave states 10 days to sign anti-DEI policy. NY Education Department is refusing. In a Friday letter to the U.S. Education Department, New York officials said they will not certify that the state is eliminating DEI in schools, despite threats to pull federal funding.

Trump gave states 10 days to sign an anti-DEI policy. NY Education Department is refusing.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/04/04/new-york-state-education-department-wont-certify-trump-administration-anti-dei-policy/

‘We’re going to fight back:’ Chicago mayor threatens to sue Trump administration over DEI The U.S. Department of Education has threatened to withhold billions in education funding unless they end DEI practices.

Chicago Public Schools' budget is about 13% federal funding.

The Trump administration told states Thursday they risk losing that funding if they don't certify within 10 days that their schools do not engage in DEI.

Mayor Brandon Johnson says that's "unconstitutional."

CTU and CPS have a tentative contract deal. How will it impact schools? The tentative agreement caps class sizes, commits to hiring more librarians, and adds more recess and teacher prep time to the elementary school day.

CTU and Chicago Public Schools reach tentative contract deal
www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Chicago is lucky to have excellent, dedicated education reporters. Give them a follow, if you haven't already:
@milakoumpilova
@reemadamin.bsky.social
@sammiesmylie.bsky.social
@sskedreporter.bsky.social
@nellsalzman.bsky.social
@NaderDIssa

Chicago’s school board grapples with covering contract costs and a pension payment The Chicago Board of Education is poised to vote on an amendment to the district’s 2024-25 budget that accounts for $139 million in new revenue, but leaves ambiguity on how the money will be spent.

Read our latest coverage on last week's budget amendment hearings to learn more about the debate on the table.
Hearing #1: chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...
Hearing #2: www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Drama between CPS, City Hall over paying for school staff pensions intensifies Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration keeps pushing Chicago Public Schools to maintain payments to a pension fund for non-teaching school staff. But CPS officials say they have other long-term costs ...

There are ~several~ entanglements between CPS & City Hall after 30 years of mayoral control (which is now ending).
@chalkbeatCHI
has written about 2 of the biggest ones recently...
Buildings: chalkbeat.org/chicago/2024...
Pensions: www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Report: City could pass on costs to Chicago Public Schools as an elected school board steps in Chicago Public Schools could take on tens of millions of dollars in new expenses as it transitions to an elected school board, report says

If you're just tuning into the CPS/City Hall tensions, start with this story @chalkbeatCHI's @MilaKoumpilova & @sammie_smylie wrote in 2022: www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2022...

City Hall pushes Chicago school board to refinance debt to pay pensions, added labor costs Chicago officials ramped up pressure on school board members to make a $175 million pension reimbursement payment so the city government can close out its 2024 budget in the black.

The discussion between City Hall and the new school board Friday highlighted the complexity of the shift in governance, but also foreshadowed the political conflicts that could play out in the years to come. @chalkbeatCHI

www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Chicago’s school board grapples with covering contract costs and a pension payment The Chicago Board of Education is poised to vote on an amendment to the district’s 2024-25 budget that accounts for $139 million in new revenue, but leaves ambiguity on how the money will be spent.

www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Drama between CPS, City Hall over paying for school staff pensions intensifies Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration keeps pushing Chicago Public Schools to maintain payments to a pension fund for non-teaching school staff. But CPS officials say they have other long-term costs ...

Here are four things to know about the intensifying drama between city hall and CPS www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

The U.S. has a new education secretary and Chicago is looking for it's next schools CEO.

Want the latest education news in your inbox every morning? Sign up now! www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/

www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/03/l...

www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Chicago schools CEO Pedro Martinez in the running for superintendent job in Clark County, Nevada Martinez was fired without cause from CPS and given six months notice after months of growing tension with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Scoop from @reemadamin.bsky.social: CPS CEO Pedro Martinez is one of six candidates in the running for superintendent of schools in Clark County, Nevada, the nation's fifth largest school district. www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

McMahon's investments in municipal bonds funding school construction projects include the following in Illinois: Joliet Junior College, Franklin Park School District, River Trails School District, and Waukegan Community Unit School District 60

Trump is weighing big cuts to the U.S. Education Department While only Congress can shutter the department, the president is reportedly considering executive action to severely scale back its responsibilities and staffing.

Trump is weighing big cuts to the U.S. Education Department www.npr.org/2025/02/03/n... @NPR

Trump freezes federal grants. What does it mean for schools? The federal grant freeze fueled widespread confusion about which programs will be affected. Experts say the freeze may be illegal.

UPDATE: A federal judge blocked the order from going into effect Tuesday evening amid multiple legal challenges, including a lawsuit filed by a coalition of Democratic attorneys general. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/01/28/t...

Chicago school officials say elementary school staff turned away federal agents The incident comes amid a threatened Trump administration crackdown and sent ripples of fear through the K-8 school.

The federal agents at a Chicago school today were not ICE, but Secret Service agents investing a kid who made a TikTok threat.

www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

ICE agents tried to enter a Chicago elementary school. Staff turned them away. The incident comes amid a threatened Trump administration crackdown and sent ripples of fear through the K-8 school.

Federal immigration agents showed up at a Chicago school, CPS says. Staff turned them away.
www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

In a surprise, U.S. colleges saw higher enrollment last fall The number of students in undergraduate and graduate programs rose above pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

The number of students in undergraduate and graduate programs rose above pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

In Chicago, a partly-elected school board’s swearing-in marks move to a more democratic education oversight The board’s first meeting and swearing-in was a key milestone in a longtime push for an elected school board in Chicago, where the mayor has long appointed all members.

Chicago’s new partially-elected school board is sworn in @MilaKoumpilova @chalkbeatCHI www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...