Illinois
News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Illinois
Teaching Profession
The State of Teaching
The 'Difficult, Beautiful' Work of Teaching
From sunup to sundown, America's teachers grapple with countless decisions, interruptions, joys, and frustrations.
Social Studies
Opinion
What the Country's First Mandatory Black History Course Can Teach Us Today
Decades before AP African American Studies came along, Black women were the driving force behind an unprecedented education reform.
Classroom Technology
Q&A
‘I’m More Scared of the People’: What Two High Schoolers Make of AI
The students discuss how they’ve used AI, their concerns about it, and how they see it affecting their career plans.
Reading & Literacy
Reading Comprehension Hinges on Building Knowledge. New Curricula Aim to Help
Students need to know a lot of content to become good readers. Enter new curriculum series, which prioritized shared texts exploring history, science, and literature.
School & District Management
What Superintendents Are Doing This Winter Break—and Planning for 2024
District leaders say they plan to rest and then refocus for the new year.
Mathematics
Why Does Fact Fluency Matter in Math? 4 Educators Offer Answers
Teachers and district leaders talk about why math fact fluency is required and how they provide support for students who struggle.
Early Childhood
What the Research Says
A New Study Shows How Schools Can Maximize Full-Day Pre-K's Benefits
Researchers said principals played a key role in students' academic success through 3rd grade.
School Choice & Charters
Families Lament, Public School Advocates Celebrate End of Controversial Scholarship Tax Credit
The Illinois program prompted fierce debate over the merits of what some equate to a politically volatile school choice voucher program.
School & District Management
Should School Board Members Be Paid? More Districts Are Trying It Out
Some school boards are trying to attract more diverse candidate slates. But it's still unknown whether paying members helps.
School Climate & Safety
'We Really Didn’t Know What to Do': How a District Regrouped After a Mass Shooting
The superintendent of a community rocked by a 2022 mass shooting discusses what the district did after the violence.
Families & the Community
New Research Finds a Crucial Factor in Reducing Chronic Absenteeism
Just as strong connections with parents can boost students' academic achievement, new research shows the same is true in fighting absences.
School Climate & Safety
What the Research Says
Restrictions on Suspending Students From School Show Evidence of Being Effective
New research suggests restrictions on exclusionary discipline can work with support.
Families & the Community
District Leaders Are Walking a Fine Line on Cellphone Policies. What That Looks Like
Administrators point to strategic ways to design student cellphone policies that parents won't oppose.
Student Achievement
How These Districts Are Using $10,000 to Boost Student Learning
The pilot projects, begun with grants from the National Education Association, aim to curb absenteeism, supply food, and offer tutoring.