Valerie Goss, the head of the faculty union at Chicago State University, and Illinois Federation of Teachers President Daniel Montgomery embrace at an April 3, 2023, rally on the campus of Chicago State University. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)
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Report finds public university employees paid 21% less than state agency workers in similar jobs

At public universities across the state, staff and faculty unions have faced a contentious year of negotiations and, in some cases, strikes. Pay has been a major issue on several campuses and the unions are now looking to Springfield for potential reforms to the state’s higher education funding.

Part-time faculty members at Columbia College hold a rally on Oct. 30, 2023. (WTTW News)

The Columbia College Faculty Union (CFAC), which represents nearly 600 part-time faculty members, announced Thursday its members had officially approved the contract, which put an end to a record-long 49-day strike.

File photo of a child in a classroom. (WTTW News)

In a major departure from past policy, the Chicago Board of Education has announced it intends to move away from a system built on school choice.

Part-time faculty members at Columbia College hold a rally on Oct. 30, 2023. (WTTW News)

College administrators and the Columbia College Faculty Union (CFAC) — which represents nearly 600 adjunct faculty members — jointly announced the tentative deal that would put an end to the record-long strike.

Ambassador Rahm Emanuel and officials from IBM and Japanese universities announce a new quantum education and research program. (Credit: U.S. Embassy in Japan)
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The announcement of the “tri-lateral” agreement took place at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Japan and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Dorothy Jean Tillman appears on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Dec. 13, 2023. (WTTW News)

Most 17-year-olds are excited about finishing high school and possibly thinking about college. But Bronzeville teen Dorothy Jean Tillman is in a class all by herself. A typical teen in some ways, she also happens to have just earned her doctorate degree.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

We all know Chicago as the city of neighborhoods, but how exactly are those neighborhoods defined? And do those boundaries last mapped out in the 1920s still hold true? That’s what a group of scholars and researchers from the University of Chicago is venturing to find out.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three minor, unnamed victims, alleged that Federico Garcia Lorca Elementary School teacher Andrew Castro was able to continuously abuse the boys despite prior complaints of similar abuse.

Farragut Career Academy High School, 2345 S. Christiana Ave., is pictured in a file photo. (WTTW News)
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Following a Farragut Academy employee’s arrest, an examination of his criminal history raises questions of whether the district was or should have been aware of his 25 past cases for activity like burglary and aggravated assault.

A student writing on paper. (WTTW News)

A study from the University of Chicago Education Lab showed using restorative practices led to an 18% reduction in suspensions, along with 35% fewer arrests at school and a 15% decrease in out-of-school arrests.

File photo of a student at a computer. (WTTW News)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form is undergoing its first major overhaul since the Reagan era.

Urban Prep Englewood campus (artistmac / Flickr)

The Chicago Board of Education is expected to renew the campus agreement for Urban Prep charter schools located in Bronzeville and Englewood after a judge ruled that CPS violated its moratorium on school closures by attempting to take control of the schools.

Part-time faculty members at Columbia College hold a rally on Oct. 30, 2023. (WTTW News)

Following the Thanksgiving break, faculty members represented by the Columbia College Faculty Union (CFAC) have entered the fifth week of the ongoing strike.

(WTTW News)

“Most tragically, students of color and students from low-income households are dramatically more likely to be in districts with high vacancy levels, more than twice the vacancy rates than the rest of state,” said Robin Steans, president of Advance Illinois.

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Last week, the Northwestern Prison Education Program graduated its first cohort of students. The graduates are the first in the country to earn bachelor’s degrees from a top 10 university while incarcerated.

A rendering of a planned new Ryan Field in Evanston. (Credit: Northwestern University)
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Evanston residents are getting a new neighbor: an $800 million rebuilt Ryan Field. Evanston City Council on Monday voted yes on the field revamp and on a controversial zoning change to allow concerts.