School & District Management

Urban Education

March 28, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Focus on Education

A network of Chicago’s public-broadcasting stations and other nonprofit organizations will explore some of the city’s most pressing education issues beginning next month.

The group, known as Chicago Matters, is promising to take an in-depth look at how sweeping changes in the city’s public-housing sector are having an impact on neighborhood schools.

In a series of articles, documentaries, essays, and group discussions, the groups also will examine the state of education in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, including sensitive issues surrounding testing.

Since banding together 12 years ago, the members of Chicago Matters have examined subjects such as violence, religion, health care, immigration and, last year, juvenile justice.

The group is financed by the Chicago Community Trust, which provides $35 million in annual grants to support local agencies serving the Chicago area.

“What Chicago Matters does with its multimedia approach is bring issues to the public in a very dramatic way,” said Don Stewart, the president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Community Trust.

Chicago Matters includes WTTW-TV, the WBEZ public radio station, and The Chicago Reporter and Catalyst: Voices of Chicago School Reform, which are local specialty newspapers.

The wide-ranging coverage promises to raise public awareness and could spark interest in policy changes.

The programming scheduled through June includes a five-part education series on WTTW. The series will open with a segment hosted by Oprah Winfrey on the importance of learning to read.

Meanwhile, The Chicago Reporter and Catalyst will survey Chicago public school valedictorians from the classes of 1990, 1995, and 2000 on how well they were prepared by the schools to enter college and the work world.

WBEZ is planning documentaries that will follow an ex-convict earning his General Educational Development diploma. The radio station will also document the efforts of Latinos trying to succeed in a suburban school.

Mr. Stewart pointed out that the research and lessons learned from this year’s education campaign will be used by the trust in the fall as part of its upcoming five-year school improvement effort.

The foundation plans to invest $50 million in Chicago over that time. “We’ll know a lot more when the Chicago Matters effort is over,” Mr. Stewart said.

—Robert C. Johnston

A version of this article appeared in the March 28, 2001 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Exploring Staff Shortage Impact on Education
Learn about the impact of staff shortages, changing roles of educators, and how technology supports teachers & students.
Content provided by Promethean
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Improving Outcomes on State Assessments with Data-Driven Strategies
State testing is around the corner! Join us as we discuss how teachers can use formative data to drive improved outcomes on state assessments.
Content provided by Instructure
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Equity & Diversity Webinar
Classroom Strategies for Building Equity and Student Confidence
Shape equity, confidence, and success for your middle school students. Join the discussion and Q&A for proven strategies.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management MAP: Where School Employees Can and Can't Strike
See which states do and don't allow public school employees to go on strike.
2 min read
Amy Chapman and her daughter, first grader Corinne Anderson, pose for a photo while they support teachers on strike outside Whetstone High School in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022.
Amy Chapman and her daughter, 1st grader Corinne Anderson, show support for teachers on strike outside Whetstone High School in Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 24, 2022.
Samantha Hendrickson/AP
School & District Management Opinion How to Build a More Effective School Board
Board members are well-intentioned, but they've been mis-trained into focusing on adult inputs rather than student needs.
5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management What's Behind Texas' Takeover of Houston Schools
State takeovers of districts began in the 1980s but have waned recently following limited evidence of academic benefit.
5 min read
People stand in a row outside while holding signs that say "stop takeover," "hands off our schools," and "no HISD take over."
People hold up signs at a March news conference in Houston while protesting the planned takeover of the city's school district by the Texas Education Agency.
Juan A. Lozano/AP
School & District Management Superintendents' Salaries and Their Plans for Next Year, in Charts
A new survey offers a glimpse into the state of the superintendency, as some reports suggest turnover is on the rise.
1 min read
Close up of Benjamin Franklin's face on the one hundred dollar bill peeking out from behind a white curled up paper
iStock/Getty Images Plus