Chicago Teacher Layoffs Generate Outrage, Sadness
School administrators and Mayor Emanuel continued to blame budget problems and the unsettled pension crisis in Springfield for the job cuts.
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School administrators and Mayor Emanuel continued to blame budget problems and the unsettled pension crisis in Springfield for the job cuts.
The layoffs include 1,036 teachers, of which 545 are tenured, and 1,077 non-teachers.
A federal judge has begun a hearing on two lawsuits seeking to block plans to close 49 elementary schools, with testimony expected to last for up to four days.
Ravenswood Elementary is closed for the summer, but when it opens this fall the principal who has headed the school for the last five years will be gone. Heather Connolly quit Thursday.
Parent Anita Caballero said the mayor's contention that he's improving schools makes no sense.
A group of parents and several local elected officials teamed up Tuesday to call for an end to severe budget cuts at the Chicago Public Schools.
It's a bittersweet final day for thousands of students at Chicago Public Schools; at 19 elementary schools, it's the last day of class before they close for good.
Some Chicago Public School parents are worried that budget cuts will mean sacrificing electives.
Parents took over a classroom at Lafayette Elementary to protest the city's plan to shut down the school after this year.
Chicago Public Schools officials have offered lunchroom workers severance packages to get them to vacate their jobs, and help the district close its estimated $1 billion budget deficit.
Wednesday marks the beginning of school closings in Chicago, with 28 elementary schools preparing for their final day of class before they close for good.
A day before the first set of school closings was set to begin, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis had some harsh words about how the Chicago Public Schools are funded and managed, blaming much of the district's problems on racism.
Parents and students protested earlier this evening outside of speaking engagement by the head of Chicago Public Schools, reports WBBM's Nancy Harty.
Claiming the move to close 49 elementary schools won't save any money, opponents of the Emanuel administration's plans protested outside CPS headquarters on Monday, asking state leaders to step in.
The City of Chicago, which plans to close dozens of schools this summer to save money, has received 11,000 requests for help getting children to their new schools along safe-passage routes and will hire 600 adults to work along the routes.
About 800 of teachers and staff at schools set to close next school year or are targeted as "turnaround" schools were laid off on Friday.
City and Chicago Public Schools officials said Friday they're working with police and parents to designate hot spots where safety is an issue and there could be trouble as kids go to new schools next fall.
Chicago Public Schools officials have announced nearly $21 million in new cutbacks as it continues work to close a $1 billion budget deficit. The latest cuts come on top of more than $31 million in central office cuts earlier this year.
Joe Bradley had just dropped his last student off near 51st Street and Indiana Avenue. Before long, the shooting started, CBS 2's Brad Edwards reports.
Until a new judge can be assigned to a lawsuit filed by the Chicago Teachers Union and parents from 10 elementary schools, CPS attorneys agreed the district wouldn't take any permanent actions at the schools in question.
With 49 elementary schools set to close next week, Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett was outlined a five-year plan to make sure the district's students are prepared for college or a career after finishing high school.
Chicago Teachers Union officials fear the city could soon follow Philadelphia's steps and send out thousands of layoff notices. On Friday, the Philadelphia School District notified more than 3,000 employees of layoffs.
A Chicago Public School teacher has been removed from the classroom after being charged with rape.
With 49 elementary schools set to close this summer, and the district facing an additional $412 million in pension costs, the Chicago Teachers Union estimated hundreds – if not thousands – of teachers could be laid off to reduce district spending.
We now know 49 Chicago elementary school will close this fall. So, what will happen to all of those buildings - once the children leave?
Authorities say that Metra's Union Pacific-West train service has been halted after a train struck a pedestrian Monday evening. The agency said that inbound and outbound trains were stopped near Kedzie.
Many people this time of year are stepping up to provide Thanksgiving meals to those in need. One church in Bronzeville is going even further, offering weekly grocery giveaways to meet the growing demand.
A large number of fire crews responded to the Blue Line in Chicago's Loop Monday evening after witnesses said an assailant set a woman riding the train on fire.
The district officially launched 27 zero-emission electric school buses and 28 charging stations.
A mother says she gave birth to her baby in a car minutes after being turned away from a hospital over the weekend in Crown Point, Indiana. Video shows her being wheeled out by hospital staff, and she's clearly in pain.
Mayor Brandon Johnson's $16.6 billion spending plan for 2026 was dealt a major blow on Monday, as a key City Council committee voted down his plan for roughly $600 million in new taxes.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it is lifting all restrictions on commercial flights that were imposed during the government shutdown.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician whose medical practice focused on hepatitis B, said he's "very concerned" about a potential change to the hepatitis B vaccine schedule for infants.
Thousands of pages of Epstein documents released by the House Oversight Committee include emails and texts with close contacts that often touched on President Trump.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that TSA agents with "exemplary service" during the government shutdown will receive a $10,000 bonus check.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
The Food and Drug Administration is warning about additional cookware brands that could be leaching lead into your food.
Walgreens said it will close its office space in Chicago's Old Post Office building.
Insurance companies are increasingly using drones and aerial surveillance to snap photos of home, then reviewed by AI, to inform underwriting. That can cause mistakes, like the one that affected a homeowner in Kane County, Illinois.
SHFT Behavioral Health is the first urgent care clinic in Chicago for young people in mental health crises — specializing in children as young as 10 and adults up to the age of 30.
Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital this week launched a new advanced leukemia program.
The Pink and Pearl Campaign held at Rush University Medical Center is designed to push a powerful message: that early detection for breast and lung cancer saves lives.
Doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital are the first in Illinois to offer a new treatment for atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that often strikes firefighters.
Three prominent Chicago hospitals are joining forces in the fight against breast cancer, through new clinical trials involving two drugs.
The former landlord of the now-long-shuttered Rainforest Café in River North is now facing a $9.3 million foreclosure lawsuit.
A new owner said Tuesday that he plans to reopen the venerable Gale Street Inn restaurant in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood.
The popular Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago's East Lakeview community celebrated 45 years in business this weekend.
Chicago's Latino-owned breweries combine their culture with craft beer for a unique take. This Hispanic Heritage Month, CBS News Chicago visited a couple of them.
The Central Area Plan 2045 seeks to transform and invest in the downtown area.
The Tony Award-winning favorite "Hamilton" is returning to Chicago for a limited engagement.
Sally Kirkland was best known for sharing the screen with Paul Newman and Robert Redford in "The Sting" and her Oscar-nominated title role in the 1987 movie "Anna."
Major renovations at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre are expected to wrap by the fall of 2027, according to published reports.
Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga and Bad Bunny are among the artists with the most Grammy nominations this year.
The Fighting Illini marching band recently took up the challenge of performing the music of Metallica.
Instead of their typical lesson, Sunday school students were putting lessons into action by putting together the food bags.
CBS Chicago chief meteorologist Albert Ramon says high temperatures should remain in the upper 40s for much of the coming week, with some occasional spikes into the 50s.
The Chicago Fire Department has been called to the scene near Clark and Lake after witnesses say an assailant set a woman on fire on a CTA train in the area.
President Trump encouraged House Republicans to vote for the bill late Sunday, a stark reversal after he spent months pushing Republicans to avoid the issue.
Though Indiana has a "stand your ground law" on the books, a prosecutor has charged a homeowner who shot and killed a house cleaner earlier this month, when she showed up at his property by mistake.
A large number of fire crews responded to the Blue Line in Chicago's Loop Monday evening after witnesses said an assailant set a woman riding the train on fire.
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has declared a civil emergency and will hold Monday night's village board meeting remotely, following a series of threats against the mayor and other village officials.
An Indiana prosecutor has charged a homeowner who shot and killed a house cleaner earlier this month, when she showed up at his property by mistake.
A mother says she gave birth to her baby in a car minutes after being turned away from a hospital over the weekend in Crown Point, Indiana. Video shows her being wheeled out by hospital staff, and she's clearly in pain.
Authorities say that Metra's Union Pacific-West train service has been halted after a train struck a pedestrian Monday evening. The agency said that inbound and outbound trains were stopped near Kedzie.
A leaking roof didn't just damage a Homewood condo, it forced the owner out of his home. The HOA vowed to fix everything, but eight months later, the damage is still there and so is the frustration.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
A Chicago area couple logged into their retirement account only to find out it had been hacked, and a large chunk of their retirement savings was gone. The response from the online brokerage firm is only adding insult to injury.
The teacher detained by ICE agents at the Rayito del Sol daycare in North Center is believed to now be at the Broadview processing facility, and parents in the community now have serious safety concerns.
Lawyer Patrick Jaicomo said he expects a tidal wave of lawsuits nationwide against federal agents by U.S. citizens and non-citizens in communities impacted the most by federal agents over the last several months.
Hendricks finishes his major league career with a record of 105-91 with a 3.79 ERA.
Giddey and White each scored 12 points to help the Bulls take a 70-61 lead at halftime. Markkanen had 18 points to lead the Jazz.
Devin Duvernay's 56-yard kickoff return in the final minute for Chicago set up Cairo Santos for his fourth field goal of the game, a 48-yarder as time expired, to push the Bears past Minnesota 19-17 after the Vikings scored the go-ahead touchdown with 50 seconds left.
Boyd was shot in the abdomen in Midtown Manhattan and rushed to the hospital, where he is listed in critical but stable condition.
A rare pair of Nike Air Jordans worn by NBA legend Michael Jordan has made the auction block, and they'll be fetching a pretty penny.
A large number of fire crews responded to the Blue Line in Chicago's Loop Monday evening after witnesses said an assailant set a woman riding the train on fire.
An Indiana prosecutor has charged a homeowner who shot and killed a house cleaner earlier this month, when she showed up at his property by mistake.
Boyd was shot in the abdomen in Midtown Manhattan and rushed to the hospital, where he is listed in critical but stable condition.
Chicago police on Sunday issued an alert about a recent rash of business burglaries in various neighborhoods around the city over the past couple of weeks.
Chicago police on Sunday were searching for a man who held up a convenience store and then carjacked a woman.
