Chicago Public Radio - Featured Stories Podcast

School Gives Special Ed Kids A Different Test, and Scores Soar

Chicago Public Radio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0600

It’s not easy to figure out how well schools are educating special education students. Even test scores can be misleading. That’s because special education kids can be moved in and out of different categories, and sometimes take different tests....

Senate Panel Rebukes Burris

Chicago Public Radio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0600

The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee Friday rebuked Illinois' Roland Burris. The panel investigated Burris' behavior related to his appointment by former Governor Rod Blagojevich.Related: Ethics committee letterRelated: Burris reacts

Charter School Debate Heats Up in South Chicago

Chicago Public Radio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0600

The Chicago Public School Board will be voting whether to approve a new batch of charter schools at its next board meeting. One of those schools is set to open in an existing elementary school in the far Southeast side, in an area known as...

Condo Owners Struggle to Salvage an Almost-Empty Building

Chicago Public Radio — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0600

Since 1997, Chicago has added almost 150,000 condos to its housing stock. The people who bought those units maybe didn’t fully realize it at the time, but they’re taking part in a big experiment in communal living. Everyone has to pool their...

Chicagoans React to Michael Scott's Death

Chicago Public Radio — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0600

Details continue to emerge about the death of Michael Scott, the president of Chicago’s Board of Education. Scott’s body was pulled from the Chicago River early this morning. The Cook County Medical Examiner has ruled Scott’s death a suicide,...

Bridgeport Neighborhood Sees Identity Shift

Chicago Public Radio — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0600

Bridgeport is best known for the White Sox stadium, political clout and a steady Irish population. But in the last five years this working-class community on Chicago’s South Side has shifted from majority white to majority minority. It’s not...

Can a Bank Be Too Do-Gooder to Fail?

Chicago Public Radio — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0600

The government has shuttered 120 banks this year and 19 in Illinois alone. But few closures have caused as much consternation and community concern as that of Park National Bank. Park National's closure calls into question millions of dollars...