Illinois

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Illinois
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Opinion 'Am I Doing Enough?': Chicago Teachers Share Their Heartache Over ICE Raids
Teachers in Latino areas describe the trauma and economic disruption federal raids are causing.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 7, 2025
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8 min read
Maria Guzman, left, and Sergio Rocha, parents of young children, comfort each other outside of Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center after federal immigration agents took a day care teacher Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Chicago.
Maria Guzman, left, and Sergio Rocha, parents of young children, comfort each other outside of Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center after federal immigration agents took a day care teacher Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Chicago.
Erin Hooley/AP
School Climate & Safety Chicago Day Care Employee Detained by ICE as Children Arrive
ICE detained a Chicago day care worker during drop-off, alarming parents and witnesses.
The Associated Press, November 6, 2025
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3 min read
Sylvelia Pittman stands for a portrait outside of Nash Elementary School in Chicago on Oct. 30, 2025.
Sylvelia Pittman stands for a portrait outside of Nash Elementary School in Chicago on Oct. 30, 2025. She spoke with Education Week about the fears she is grappling with regarding immigration raids and federal agents' increased presence near her school.
Jim Vondruska for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Q&A Inside the Fear at Chicago Schools Amid Federal Immigration Raids
Sylvelia Pittman has never experienced something like the current federal crackdown in her city.
Ileana Najarro, October 31, 2025
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5 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Families & the Community Opinion 'Constant Anxiety': What a Chicago Teacher Witnesses as ICE Swarms
What federal immigration agents are doing in Chicago doesn't look like democracy, an educator says.
Larry Ferlazzo, October 20, 2025
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4 min read
Photo of girl sitting alone in courtyard.
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Student Well-Being & Movement RFK Jr., McMahon Say School Mental Health Screenings Turn Students Into Patients
The cabinet secretaries recently called for a focus on nutrition, exercise, and cellphone use to boost students' mental health.
Evie Blad, September 19, 2025
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9 min read
Students file in for the first day of school at Courtenay Language Arts Center in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, Aug. 18, 2025.
Students file in for the first day of school at Courtenay Language Arts Center in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, Aug. 18, 2025.
E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS
School Climate & Safety Chicago Schools Prepare Students and Parents as Trump Threatens National Guard
The district is pledging not work with or share student records with ICE officers.
Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, September 3, 2025
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3 min read
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker talks with two crossing guards on Aug. 27, 2025, in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker talks with two crossing guards on Aug. 27, 2025, in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. On Aug. 15, 2025, he signed into law a bill that protects all students' right to a free, public education regardless of immigration status.
Erin Hooley/AP
States How This State Is Protecting Undocumented Students’ Right to an Education
Illinois lawmakers passed a bill locally codifying the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Plyler v. Doe.
Ileana Najarro, August 28, 2025
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4 min read
Thu., August 21, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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A teacher teaches the Korean alphabet to kindergarten and first-grade students in a dual-language immersion class.
A teacher teaches the Korean alphabet to kindergarten and first-grade students in a dual-language immersion class.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
School & District Management How 2 School Leaders Limited Distractions and Carved Out More Time for Learning
They removed extra responsibilities from teachers' days and carved out a dedicated academic intervention time.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 26, 2025
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3 min read
Image of a boy with a blue backpack standing in front of the entrance to school.
bodnarchuk/iStock/Getty
States Tracker Which States Are Challenging Undocumented Students’ Right to Free Education?
States are reviving efforts to challenge the 1982 Plyler v. Doe ruling that guarantees undocumented students a free, public education.
Ileana Najarro & Daniela Franco Brown, March 17, 2025
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1 min read
Dr. Jennifer Norrell, superintendent of East Aurora School District 131, visits East Aurora students at the Music Recording Studio at Resilience Education Center in Aurora, Ill., on Dec. 4, 2024.
Jennifer Norrell, superintendent of East Aurora School District 131, visits students at a recording studio at the district's new Resilience Education Center in Aurora, Ill., on Dec. 4, 2024.
Jamie Kelter Davis for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Leader To Learn From This Leader Said All Kids Will Do College-Level Work. What It Took to Get There
Jennifer Norrell led an effort to more than double the percentage of high schoolers taking AP in her district.
Sarah Schwartz, February 3, 2025
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12 min read
Lazaro Lopez, associate superintendent for teaching and learning at High School District 214, visits the manufacturing lab at Wheeling High School, where he talks with students and their instructor, in Wheeling, Ill., on Dec. 3, 2024.
Lazaro Lopez, associate superintendent for teaching and learning at High School District 214, visits the manufacturing lab at Wheeling High School, where he talks with students and their instructor, in Wheeling, Ill., on Dec. 3, 2024.
Jamie Kelter Davis for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Leader To Learn From This Leader Made the Tagline 'Discover Your Future' Real for Students. Here's How
Lazaro Lopez was the architect of an early national career-pathway model that is still reaping dividends for students.
Lauraine Langreo, February 3, 2025
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12 min read
Jennifer Norrell, superintendent of East Aurora School District 131, stands for a portrait at the Resilience Education Center in Aurora, Ill., on Dec. 4, 2024.
Jennifer Norrell, superintendent of East Aurora School District 131, at the Resilience Education Center in Aurora, Ill., on Dec. 4, 2024.
Jamie Kelter Davis for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Q&A Why Reading Support Classes Help High Schoolers Succeed
Biology, literature, calculus, U.S. history—all high school courses, regardless of subject, require a strong literacy skills.
Sarah Schwartz, February 3, 2025
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4 min read
Lazaro Lopez, associate superintendent for teaching and learning at High School District 214, stands for a portrait at Wheeling High School in Wheeling, Ill., on Dec. 3, 2024.
Lazaro Lopez, associate superintendent for teaching and learning at High School District 214, at Wheeling High School in Wheeling, Ill., on Dec. 3, 2024.
Jamie Kelter Davis for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A The Power of Career Pathways for Engaging High School Students
Lazaro Lopez is building career pathways to help students graduate with clear, relevant steps toward college and careers.
Lauraine Langreo, February 3, 2025
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4 min read
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