Cassie Walker Burke
Chalkbeat
Chicago, IL, United States
Contact Cassie
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Cassie:
As city, state drop mask requirements, Chicago schools face period of mask limbo
The consideration to lift the mask mandate, comes a week after board members voted to uphold safety measures including mask wearing amid low vaccination uptake across the district. → Read More
Illinois will no longer mandate masks in child care centers
But sites may set their own rules and continue to require masks, according to health officials. → Read More
Chicago needs 5,500 more applicants for Local School Council elections by Friday
Applications are due March 4 for the hyperlocal governing bodies, and hundreds of schools so far have no one running. → Read More
Why Illinois is only now revamping reading instruction
There’s no centralized tracking of how Illinois districts teach children to read or recommended curriculum list — and some are clinging to debunked literacy methods. → Read More
What to know about the Illinois ruling on school COVID mandates
A judge in central Illinois granted a temporary restraining order against the state’s COVID mitigations in public schools. Here’s what we know so far. → Read More
Chicago Public Schools second-in-command leaving district amid leadership changes
A fresh round of departures and internal promotions come at a tenuous time for the nation’s third largest school district, which has seen several notable departures the past year. → Read More
Quarantine rules: Is your Chicago class in quarantine? Tell us.
Chicago Public Schools as of Wednesday reported the highest daily total yet of children in quarantine: 15,413. Is your family impacted? → Read More
Chicago teachers narrowly approve school reopening deal, but COVID safety concerns linger
Chicago teachers going into the vote said they had mixed feelings about the agreement, which fell short of meeting union leadership’s goals. → Read More
'I have to accept that we lost': Some Chicago teachers still undecided on union reopening vote
As students return to classrooms today, Chicago teachers—with mixed feelings and frustration with their bosses—are voting on a tentative agreement that would end a standoff between Chicago Public Schools and its powerful teachers union. → Read More
COVID vaccination rates in Chicago schools show wide disparities
Chalkbeat obtained COVID vaccination rates of Chicago students by school. The findings illustrate vast disparities in vaccination rates within the city. → Read More
Chicago is poised to start next week with most schools closed, and frustration is building
The district and the Chicago Teachers Union have not yet reached an agreement on COVID safety measures. → Read More
What Chicago’s abrupt shutdown looks like for students, parents, educators
The impact of the COVID omicron variant, a teachers’ union vote, and a decision to cancel classes have upended the lives of Chicago educators, students, and families. → Read More
Chicago students won’t go to school Wednesday after teachers vote to stay home
There will be no remote learning on Wednesday, district officials said. What happens next is unclear. → Read More
Chicago schools chief Pedro Martinez tries to head off teachers union remote vote
Chicago will agree to school-level thresholds that would trigger closures should COVID case rates rise, but it may not be enough for the union. → Read More
Chicago families brace for uncertainty as teachers’ union plans all-remote vote
The Chicago Teachers Union is set to vote Tuesday on whether its members would refuse to report to campuses in-person until certain safety conditions are met. → Read More
Is Chicago’s school staffing crunch about to get worse?
The return to in-person learning hasn’t been so seamless at some schools, Chalkbeat Chicago reports. → Read More
COVID rise adds pressure to Chicago school district staffing crunch
Pre-existing staffing shortages have come to a head as the district contends with a spike in teacher quarantines that continue to strain schools already worn thin. → Read More
Illinois wants more parents, educators in the early childhood conversation
In 2022, Illinois will launch 39 regional councils of policymakers, parents, educators, and health care professionals to weigh in on spending in their communities. → Read More
Chicago third graders struggled in reading, math
Third graders in Chicago and larger school districts throughout Illinois see math and reading scores decline on state tests in 2021. → Read More
Vaccination Awareness Day in Chicago: a guide for parents
Vaccination Awareness Day has been promoted as a part of a campaign aimed at boosting COVID-19 vaccination rates among school-age children in Chicago. → Read More