Education

On the white board of Arnie Rivera’s downtown office is a list of controversial issues confronting Chicago Public Schools. Looming budget deficits. Half-empty schools. Privately run charter schools that are increasingly struggling to survive. When these issues and others have come up at school board meetings over the past year, discussions are often tense. For decades, the mayor appointed the entire board and public debate was often nonexistent. Now, it’s a 21-member hybrid b

Research has shown that a student’s likelihood of graduating high school can be strongly predicted by freshman year performance. For that reason, the state adopted a measure of 9th-grade progress called the Freshman On Track rate. Between 2018 and 2022, North Chicago’s Freshman On Track rate rose from 56 percent to over 90 percent.

NORTH LAWNDALE — A coloring book about North Lawndale artists is giving young people a way to relax while showing their pride for the West Side. The “Elvin Explores North Lawndale” book is a visual story that moves through some of the neighborhood’s most beloved landmarks. Allowing people to color a book filled with places in their community encourages residents to get out and explore their favorite places in Lawndale, said Alexie Young, founder of the Art West art center tha

Now in its fifth year, the Partnership for College Completion is fighting for equity in higher education in Illinois.