Top Education Stories You Don’t Want to Miss: July 23 – August 5, 2022

Hope for Johnson College Prep and Englewood

By The Noble Schools

“At Johnson College Prep, parents are over the moon, juniors and seniors are switching plans, and college counselors are working to help support them after it was announced this spring that Johnson students and their parents could go to college for free. In February, Hope Chicago, a local college scholarship program, announced that they would pay for everything – tuition, books, room and board – for all current 500 students and their parents. CBS even covered the exciting moment on 60 Minutes. That isn’t the end of the story, though.”

 

CPS will ‘strongly recommend’ masks for the new school year but won’t mandate them; Chicago remains at high COVID-19 level

By Tracy Swartz for The Chicago Tribune

“Chicago Public Schools will continue to “strongly recommend,” not require, masks for the upcoming school year, CEO Pedro Martinez said Wednesday. Martinez said there will not be a lot of changes to the district’s COVID-19 protocols from the end of the last school year. CPS ditched its mask requirement in March amid a decrease in cases and legal pressure to end COVID-19 mitigations. Martinez said the district’s weekly, in-school testing program will continue, and take-home tests will be available to students as well.”

 

Chicago school board approves $10.2 million contract for police officers for upcoming school year

By  Mauricio Pena and  Eileen Pomeroy for Chalkbeat

“Chicago Public Schools will spend $10.2 million to station police officers at 40 campuses starting this fall — an $800,000 decrease from the previous school year. The new contract, approved by a 5-1 vote at Wednesday’s school board meeting, will cover salaries and benefits for 59 police officers at campuses primarily on the South and West Sides for the 2022-23 school year. The decision comes as dozens of campuses have voted in recent years to shift funds away from punitive discipline measures and toward more restorative practices, such as healing circles and alternative interventions.   Chief Safety and Security Officer Jadine Chou said the district has been working to change its approach to safety since the summer of 2020.”