New School Year Brings Lots Of Changes For CPS Students
A new chapter begins for the Chicago Public Schools this morning, following major budget cuts and the closings of dozens of schools.
Watch CBS News
A new chapter begins for the Chicago Public Schools this morning, following major budget cuts and the closings of dozens of schools.
CPS administrators touted a graduation rate of 65.4 percent for the class of 2013, topping last year's mark of 61.2 percent.
A Cook County judge Wednesday rejected an attempt by parents, backed by the teachers union, to reverse the closing of 10 of the 50 schools being shuttered by the Chicago Board of Education.
A month before the new school year starts, protestors from the Chicago Teacher's Union were expressing outrage over budget cuts at the Chicago Public Schools, with a protest march through the Loop.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and a Chicago Teachers Union representative said on Saturday that work will be done to fight back against the recent layoffs of more than 2,100 Chicago Public Schools employees
The layoffs include 1,036 teachers, of which 545 are tenured, and 1,077 non-teachers.
A federal judge has begun a hearing on two lawsuits seeking to block plans to close 49 elementary schools, with testimony expected to last for up to four days.
It's a bittersweet final day for thousands of students at Chicago Public Schools; at 19 elementary schools, it's the last day of class before they close for good.
Wednesday marks the beginning of school closings in Chicago, with 28 elementary schools preparing for their final day of class before they close for good.
A day before the first set of school closings was set to begin, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis had some harsh words about how the Chicago Public Schools are funded and managed, blaming much of the district's problems on racism.
Until a new judge can be assigned to a lawsuit filed by the Chicago Teachers Union and parents from 10 elementary schools, CPS attorneys agreed the district wouldn't take any permanent actions at the schools in question.
Chicago Teachers Union officials fear the city could soon follow Philadelphia's steps and send out thousands of layoff notices. On Friday, the Philadelphia School District notified more than 3,000 employees of layoffs.
With 49 elementary schools set to close this summer, and the district facing an additional $412 million in pension costs, the Chicago Teachers Union estimated hundreds – if not thousands – of teachers could be laid off to reduce district spending.
The suit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, argued the Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Board of Education should have followed hearing officers' recommendations to keep 10 of the schools open when the hearing officers found CPS did not follow proper guidelines.
Opponents of Chicago school closures are vowing to fight on, but they appear to have little chance of reversing the mayor's agenda... unless a federal judge steps in, reports WBBM's Mike Krauser.
Parents and other community members met outside a West Side school Friday morning, in an effort to make sure Chicago Public Schools officials and the mayor hear what they have to say about the closing of 49 elementary schools.
The decision to close 49 elementary schools in Chicago is done, but bitterness over the move lingered Thursday morning, as the Chicago Teachers Union vowed to continue their fight against the closings, and parents and students protested the looming closure of their schools.
On the eve of a Board of Education vote, and amid some vociferous opposition from teachers and some parents and students, Mayor Rahm Emanuel was standing by his plan to close more than 50 Chicago public schools.
City streets could be full of protesters again on Monday, as the Chicago Teachers Union wraps up a three-day march to voice opposition to plans to close more than 50 public schools.
For the second day in a row, opponents of Chicago Public School closures marched near those buildings slated to be shuttered, reports WBBM's Nancy Harty.
The Chicago Teachers' Union has re-elected Karen Lewis to another term as president with over 80 percent of the rank-and-file vote.
In their continuing efforts to oppose plans to close more than 50 public schools, the Chicago Teachers Union filed two federal lawsuits on behalf of parents whose children attend schools targeted for closure or consolidation.
As the plan to close more than 50 Chicago Public Schools moves forward, the head of the Chicago Teachers Union said she has numerous examples of what can go wrong, and has gone wrong with previous school closings and consolidations.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel seemed unfazed Tuesday by word that the Chicago Teachers Union plans to work to oust him from office in the next city election.
In the face of the Chicago Public Schools' plans to close more than 50 schools this year, the Chicago Teachers Union said Monday it would be making a push to run a candidate against Mayor Rahm Emanuel in two years.
Two political heavyweights were in town on Thursday for this year's Rainbow PUSH convention, the first since the passing of founder Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Seiya Suzuki hit his third career grand slam, Alex Bregman added a two-run homer and the Chicago Cubs snapped a three-game skid with a 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.
The Mumford & Sons concert at Wrigley Field is delayed until 10 p.m. because of severe storms racing toward the Chicago area
Midway Plaisance began as one of the city's most ambitious unrealized architectural projects and remains the site of some of the city's most storied history and beautiful public art.
Police in the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights have released a sketch of a man accused of attacking and choking a woman this past weekend.
Multiple floors of the Pentagon were locked down for several hours Thursday morning and hazmat crews were deployed for what authorities had described as a "hazardous materials incident."
The House on Thursday defeated a last-ditch effort to extend a key spy authority until early July.
President Trump said the U.S. has taken out "millions" of barrels of Iranian oil in the dead of night, and said inflation will come down when the war ends.
Republican lawmakers grilled the Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Dr. Macquline King on Wednesday.
Chicago City Council members on Tuesday continued to put pressure on the Johnson administration to replace the city's ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, as a top city official revealed it could be eight more months to get it done.
An Illinois law banning "swipe fees" on taxes and tips — already delayed twice by lawmakers — appears to be on life support after a federal judge that once permitted it issued a permanent injunction against it this week.
A new study from the Cook County Treasurer's office underlines growing concerns about the impact the Illinois megaprojects bill could have on the county's property tax base and overall fiscal health.
As thousands of Chicagoans wrap up road trips over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, gas prices in the city have reached the highest levels seen in four years.
Consumer and environmental advocates said Monday that they found overcharges buried in the most recent rate-hike request by Nicor.
One week away from Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of the summer travel season, with gas prices remaining high, negotiations were set to resume Monday at the largest oil refinery in the Midwest.
Dr. Peter Stafford was working with a missionary group in the Congo when he came down with the virus last month.
While 330 Ebola infections are confirmed in central Africa and huge challenges remain, hundreds more suspected cases "have been cleared out," the WHO says.
June is World Infertility Awareness Month, and Northwestern Medicine on Monday shared the story of a woman who is celebrating the birth of her second child after a tumor disrupted her fertility.
The Centennial Park Aquatic Center in the southwest Chicago suburb of Orland Park has been closed to the public after two recent cases of E. coli infection.
Menopause can feel like a major turning point for millions of women, with symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and brain fog can make women feel like their bodies aren't their own.
Daley's Restaurant, known as Chicago's oldest, has served Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood for more than 130 years.
Walgreens is set to close in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood on Thursday, and there's growing concern about where families will get their medications.
The owners of Gene & Georgetti steakhouse are suing a concessions operator over their expansion at Midway International Airport.
DraftKings announced Monday that it is closing its sportsbook operation at Wrigley Field after only about two years.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Forty years ago last weekend, crowds turned out for the Chicago Blues Festival — an event studded with a roster of stars for a spectacle that's still talked about today.
Visitors will soon be able to check out the set from CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in Chicago, at the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
"Schmigadoon!" — which was tied for the most nominations, with 12 — won Best Musical, and "Liberation" took home the honor of Best Play at the 2026 Tony Awards.
Anthony Head played librarian and mentor Rupert Giles in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and recently appeared in "Ted Lasso."
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is on the cover of Madden NFL 27, the first Bear ever to grace the primary cover of the massively popular video game.
Two political heavyweights were in town on Thursday for this year's Rainbow PUSH convention, the first since the passing of founder Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Hours of severe storms will give way to cooler temperatures overnight Thursday. Lows in the low 60s.
A line of severe storms - the second of the day - is barreling toward the Chicago area, capable of producing an outbreak of violent tornadoes this evening.
Woodlawn is one of Chicago's most historic neighborhoods, with tales and landmarks stretching all the way back to the 1893 World's Fair. It has some of Chicago's most beautiful parks, an iconic beach and beach house, restaurants and cafes with decades - even centuries - in the neighborhood, and, now, the Obama Presidential Center. Producer Tom speaks the owner of Daley's Restaurant on 63rd Street and historians with the Chicago Park District and Chicago History Museum about all things Woodlawn.
Cleanup is underway after a line of storms raced east through the suburbs and into the city at 70 to 80 miles per hour on Wednesday, and another round of severe storms is heading in Thursday afternoon and evening.
A tornado warning is in effect LaSalle and Livingston counties. A watch is in place for the entire Chicago area and Northwest Indiana.
The Mumford & Sons concert at Wrigley Field is delayed until 10 p.m. because of severe storms racing toward the Chicago area
Cleanup is underway after a line of storms raced east through the suburbs and into the city at 70 to 80 miles per hour on Wednesday
Two political heavyweights were in town on Thursday for this year's Rainbow PUSH convention, the first since the passing of founder Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Midway Plaisance began as one of the city's most ambitious unrealized architectural projects and remains the site of some of the city's most storied history and beautiful public art.
The Crisis Alternative Response Evanston, or CARE, team responds to calls that, before July 2024, would have been lumped into police calls.
The system will provide all heating, cooling, and ventilation for the high school's new physical education facilities and contribute to the school system, saving the district nearly $400,000 a year.
The forecast for a summer reopening of West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park is growing cloudy, as negotiations continue between the owners and landlord, after the safety net hospital abruptly shuttered its doors in March.
The Obama Presidential Center has been built with sustainability literally in its foundation. But its infrastructure for clean energy, environmentalism and climate change resiliency will also help the communities around it on Chicago's South Side.
A driver in Carol Stream says a band of hungry squirrels caused nearly $30,000 in damage to three different luxury vehicles because of plant-based parts they view as a tasty snack.
Seiya Suzuki hit his third career grand slam, Alex Bregman added a two-run homer and the Chicago Cubs snapped a three-game skid with a 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony festivities got underway a little over an hour before the first kickoff in Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.
The Cubs have lost 22 of their past 29 games after starting the season 27-12.
White Sox right fielder Braden Montgomery, who doubled and hit a game-ending homer in his big league debut Tuesday, had two more doubles Wednesday.
It was another humid day up at Halas Hall for day two of the Bears' mandatory mini-camp. One of the new faces on defense said he can handle the heat, and wants all the smoke, while a veteran offensive lineman is trying to regain his footing.
Police in the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights have released a sketch of a man accused of attacking and choking a woman this past weekend.
A fourth man has been charged in connection with a string of burglaries targeting video gambling terminals in Chicago's west and southwest suburbs since late last year.
A man has been charged with multiple acts of mail theft and burglary in the Chicago area dating back up to three years.
Chicago police on Wednesday released a surveillance image of someone they said was spotted fleeing the scene as a cross burned in Grant Park.
Attorneys for Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin's largest mosque, told a federal judge he has lost 30 pounds and is not receiving consistent medical care for Type 2 diabetes while held in an Indiana jail.
