Lunchroom workers, who are among the lowest-paid full-time workers in Chicago Public Schools want to be paid $40,000 a year. But the cash-strapped district hasn’t agreed to that minimum and is asking a federal mediator to step in.

The Chicago Teachers Union had wanted Chicago Public Schools to cancel classes on May 1, but newly installed CEO Macquline King pushed back. An agreement reached on Thursday says the district will provide buses and food so students can attend an afternoon rally.

The public school district distributes federal funding for special education services at private schools in the city. District officials said funding was running out for those services at Catholic schools, meaning some programs couldn’t continue.

Several school board members, union leaders and community members praised King’s work over the last 10 months as interim CEO and said they hoped her “lived experience” as a CPS parent and principal would inform her decisions.

After a monthslong search, the CPS Board will vote Monday to appoint King as CEO. She’s a homegrown talent whose time as a CPS student, parent and administrator has shaped her vision for the school district.

Chicago Public Schools is poised to name interim CEO Macquline King as the district’s permanent leader after a monthslong search. If approved, she would be paid $380,000 per year on a three-year contract.

Following Aspira’s financial problems, the Chicago Board of Education on Thursday revoked the operator’s charter, a dramatic step the board hasn’t taken since 2019.

After the financially distressed Aspira charter network abruptly closed two schools, nearby Schurz High School took in more than 200 students. Schurz has tried to set a welcoming tone as Aspira’s former students navigate an unprecedented situation.

The Democratic primary is expected to come down to one of the three fundraising leaders. It’s the first time the seat held by the retiring Jan Schakowsky has opened up since 1999.

Overall absenteeism this year is comparable to last year, but a new report finds that it is markedly worse among students learning English. The report’s authors say more coordination may curtail future attendance decreases.

The financially distressed charter school network sent layoff notices to dozens of staffers, but its leaders are trying to keep its schools open. CPS says state law makes it hard to close the troubled operator outright.

In an unprecedented move, Chicago Public Schools said it will transfer Aspira students out of their two high schools midyear to safeguard their “educational stability.”

PACs, billionaires and labor unions are gearing up for a Chicago school board race where contributions are expected to top the $13 million spent on the 2024 elections.

Six elected school board members say the process to find a new district leader has stalled, but the board president says they’re on track to pick someone by the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Principals and district officials developed strategies to help schools respond to an unprecedented situation. Will that playbook work if federal agents return in force?

Alexis Williams says her son was made to play the role of a “dictator” during a third grade lesson on slavery. Chicago Public Schools says it does not condone simulations or reenactments of slavery.

Linda McMahon made stops at two Illinois schools Thursday as part of her nationwide tour promoting history and civics education. She described the visits as nonpartisan, but some students and parents worried their schools were being used to promote a political agenda.

Chalmers Elementary School unveiled a new chicken coop this week named after a pioneering Black female scientist who studied chicken embryos. The celebration kicked off a series of Black History Month events across Chicago Public Schools.