High school students band together to protest their own district
By Kelan Lyons Before this school year, Denise Hernandez was quiet and reserved. Despite competing on her school’s water polo and swimming teams, and being the head coordinator of the robotic team, she wasn’t one to speak out or do anything that could affect her schoolwork. This year is different. “I recently realized I had […]
Want to be a teacher? There’s a new test you need to pass
By Kelan Lyons As the standardized testing of students dominates public discourse, a new test all teaching candidates must pass to earn their teaching license in Illinois is causing its own controversy. “We are concerned about the use of one single, high-stakes assessment for teacher licensure, as opposed to multiple assessments,” said Julie Peters, co-founder […]
Board of Education approves two new charter schools
By Kelan Lyons The Chicago Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to approve two new charter schools. “A high quality education will change the trajectory of a child’s life,” said Rashid Bell, speaking on behalf of KIPP Public Charter Schools, one of the two charter school networks approved. The Board’s approval comes two days […]
Noble Charter’s Battle for Brighton Park
By Kelan Lyons For mothers Vicky Enciso and Araceli Escobedo, a proposal by the Noble Network of Charter Schools to build a new high school in their Brighton Park community is as much about getting their children into college as it is about constructing a new building. “I am a parent with [few] resources. I […]
No state budget, no after-school programs for some Chicago students
By Kelan Lyons Eleven after-school programs in Chicago have shut down because of a lack of state funding for the Teen REACH program, according to estimates from the advocacy group ACT Now Coalition. Overall, about 10 percent of the 15,000 students across Illinois who benefit from the program have lost services, a survey completed by […]
