Tina Lavery
Tina Lavery
"I pulled her and her twin sister from public school because of severe bullying. There was an incident where I could not send them back.”
Baileigh Lavery
Baileigh Lavery
“Words cannot even begin to express how much these scholarships can truly mean to someone. I want lawmakers to give other kids opportunities to feel the change I felt.”
Archdiocese of Chicago students thrive. Chicago Public Schools students struggle.
Archdiocese of Chicago students thrive. Chicago Public Schools students struggle.
But nearly 3,000 low-income students enrolled in Chicago’s parochial schools will lose their scholarships if the Invest in Kids Act is not extended by state lawmakers this fall.
Melanie Drews
Melanie Drews
“There are a lot of kids that thrive because they're helped out by these scholarships. Like for our family, my husband went through cancer twice and so it affects what jobs he can or can't do."
Shaka Rawls
Shaka Rawls
“The power of these scholarships can’t be summarized in rhetoric or legislation. The power and potential reside with the young people.”
Union bosses boost their kids’ dreams as they kill arts students’ hopes
Union bosses boost their kids’ dreams as they kill arts students’ hopes
The Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Education Association have leaders sending their children to private schools for brighter futures. So why are they working to end the hopes of two performing arts students and their 9,600 low-income peers?
Chicago Public Schools enrollment rises slightly after 11 years of decline
Chicago Public Schools enrollment rises slightly after 11 years of decline
Chicago Public Schools reported its first uptick in enrollment after 11 years of decline. Thousands of new English learners contributed to the rise. Low-income and Black student enrollment declined.
Heide Renteria
Heide Renteria
“We have to look beyond ourselves and recognize that a program like this helps to give the younger generation an opportunity to be successful in their careers and their education so they can come back and be leaders in the community.”
The Policy Shop: How bad public education keeps people poor
The Policy Shop: How bad public education keeps people poor
This edition of The Policy Shop is by policy analyst Hannah Schmid. Third grade is a critical point in a child’s education. Their futures are often locked in by their ability to read at the end of that year. The chances of graduating high school can be predicted at that point. Their future earnings as adults may...
1 in 6 Chicago third graders can read at level, signaling dismal futures
1 in 6 Chicago third graders can read at level, signaling dismal futures
Few Chicago third-grade students can read at grade level. Even fewer low income and minority students are at grade level in reading. Research shows this is a warning sign for Chicago students’ academic success and subsequent earning potential.
Low 3rd-grade literacy is warning for future learning, earning potential
Low 3rd-grade literacy is warning for future learning, earning potential
Few Illinois third-grade students can read at grade level. Even fewer low-income and minority students are at grade level in reading. Research shows this is a warning sign for Illinois students’ academic success and adult earning potential.
Symara Moses
Symara Moses
“We struggled with public schools; the curriculums and most schools not having the resources that the arts can bring to children. Her being able to attend the academy has been life changing and I see her growth every single week. Something new that she’s learning, something that she’s picking up from faculty, staff, other students and just her confidence.”
Traci Crosby
Traci Crosby
"There’s a public school, but it wasn’t the same as CAA. There, she was connected instantly. If this scholarship program ends, that’s just something we have to be prepared for.”
Mary Curtis
Mary Curtis
“I want people to look past the numbers, look at the advocacy of parents and the benefits of a child being in Catholic schooling."