Yana Kunichoff
USA TODAY
Chicago, IL, United States
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Past articles by Yana:
Robocalls, out-of-state messages flood Arizona's hotline to report 'inappropriate' curriculum
Arizona schools chief Tom Horne defended the hotline, while a state teachers union slammed it as an 'embarrassing' political stunt. → Read More
New K-8 rankings of Arizona schools are out. They may not tell the whole story, experts say
In Arizona, K-8 schools in the Mesa and Chandler school districts and the Legacy charter network are top ranked on U.S. News & World Report's list. → Read More
Chicago kids are required to learn about police torture. So how’s it being taught?
History teacher William Weaver says even though the curriculum is mandatory, he worries some teachers are reluctant to teach it. → Read More
The struggle to close reading gaps in a pandemic year is real. Ask Chicago parents.
The crucial process of learning to read was made even more complicated this year by remote learning and wide-ranging inconsistency in how Chicago schools teach reading. → Read More
Parents, teachers wonder what’s next after Chicago schools chief Janice Jackson says she’s leaving district
News that Chicago schools chief Janice Jackson planned to step down from her position at a critical juncture surprised some Chicago education insiders Monday and worried parents and teachers who... → Read More
Chicago schools chief Janice Jackson to step down
Janice Jackson, who has led Chicago Public Schools since then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed her in 2017, will step down as the city’s schools chief on June 30. Jackson confirmed the news in a... → Read More
1 in 5 Chicago high school students absent in first week of reopening
Meanwhile, parents and students called for increased investments in trauma-informed care and counselors for students. → Read More
Chicago reopened high schools this week. Here’s what we’re watching.
What safety protocols are specific to high schools? And more. → Read More
‘Adam should be alive today’: How Chicago teachers are talking about a 13-year-old’s killing
Student questions have underscored the weights they are already carrying: grief from a year of COVID-19 and uncertainties about their own futures. → Read More
Jackson says goal is to reopen Chicago schools full time — but when?
Chicago’s schools chief didn’t say when that might be possible, but many parents already are looking to the fall. → Read More
Final high school vote caps long and disruptive reopening journey in Chicago
Chicago teachers voted in favor of a school reopening deal Sunday, clearing the way for high school buildings to reopen their doors Monday for the first time in over a year. Members of the Chicago... → Read More
Union and district reach tentative agreement to reopen Chicago high schools after weeks of tense negotiations
The deal would allow students to return to classrooms Monday as the district had planned. → Read More
With clock ticking, no deal yet with union on Chicago high school reopening
The next 24 hours will be closely watched in Chicago as a union-imposed deadline nears. → Read More
Chicago Teachers Union sets date for possible walkout, as negotiations continue
Amid a stalemate in reopening negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union is threatening a Wednesday walkout of high school educators from school buildings unless they come to an agreement with the... → Read More
Less than two weeks from Chicago’s high school reopening date, questions remain over labor, logistics
After weeks of near-silence about the negotiations over high school reopening, the union has called a Wednesday press conference. → Read More
In Chicago, parent fundraising eases reopening at some schools — and leaves others out
Some schools tap into those outside resources to purchase additional safety equipment or remote learning technology - and others can’t. → Read More
Bill to restore Chicago Teachers Union’s bargaining rights could become law soon
As Chicago prepares to negotiate over reopening high schools, a bill to extend the teachers union’s bargaining rights is set to quietly pass into law or be vetoed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker sometime next week. → Read More
Music instruction means teaching literacy, math, science, and history, this Chicago educator says
"The biggest thing I learned is that I can be adaptable," said Spears. → Read More
Chicago says most of its teachers and staff should return to campus for 4th quarter
One ongoing roadblock in Chicago’s school reopening plan: the significant numbers of teachers and students who are currently remote. → Read More
Chicago wants students back to school sooner this fall
The effort would address concerns over school disruptions caused by the pandemic. → Read More